Off-Campus Party Theme Called Racially Insensitive

>From courant.com
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Off-Campus Party Theme Called Racially Insensitive
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Law School Plans Session To Deal With `Hurtful' Actions

By GRACE E. MERRITT
Courant Staff Writer

January 25, 2007

WEST HARTFORD -- The interim dean of the University of Connecticut School of
Law has scheduled a schoolwide roundtable discussion for today to air
concerns raised by a weekend off-campus party in which some law students
dressed in hip-hop clothes and toted 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor.

Photos of the "Bullets & Bubbly" party were posted on the popular website
facebook.com, dismaying some students who regarded the party theme as
racially insensitive. Photos depicted partygoers wearing do-rags, muscle
shirts, hoodies, and necklaces with gold medallions.

The party, attended by several student leaders, seems to reflect a trend
toward these kinds of parties among college students nationally; one of the
more notorious, a "Ghetto Fabulous" party hosted by University of Texas law
students in September, garnered national headlines after photos ended up on
the Web.

Interim Dean Kurt Strasser scheduled the roundtable discussion Wednesday
after hearing from members of the Black Law Students Association, as well as
some faculty and staff members who were upset about the party, which was
held in a private home and drew up to 75 people.

Strasser said he hopes the session will bring the law school community
together and provide a "teaching moment."

"My basic take on the situation is that if we look at ourselves as a
community, some have taken action that is deeply hurtful to other members of
the community," he said. "I don't think it was at all intended that way. I
think it was an exercise in very poor judgment. I want to spark a discussion
where people come to understand what they did has proven to be hurtful."

The Black Law Students Association declined to comment publicly, but held a
meeting Wednesday night to discuss the issue.

Michael Nichols, a graduate student member of the UConn board of trustees,
attended the party along with several other student leaders. He wore a
tuxedo, he said.

"At the time we felt that nothing was wrong or mean-spirited. Since then we
have learned that many of our friends and fellow students were hurt. For
this I am truly sorry," he said, adding that he hoped the discussion would
raise sensitivity to other students' feelings.

UConn law student Greg O'Neil said he was going to go to the party but
decided to visit a friend in Boston instead.

"I think they tried to have [the party] be in good taste, and the theme was
supposed to be broad, but some people chose to wear costumes that were
racially insensitive," O'Neil said.

Ryan Greco, president of the Student Bar Association at the law school, said
he was disturbed by the incident.

"A number of students, both white and black, were offended by the party. But
it isn't the party that is the real issue. It's the underlying lack of
communication between the two cultures," Greco said.

Jeremy R. Paul, who was named the new dean of the law school Wednesday,
lamented the incident but expressed confidence in how law school officials
are dealing with the controversy.

"Clearly this is an unfortunate incident," Paul said. "I'm very concerned
about it."

"I don't think my classmates intended to do harm but significant harm was
done to both our community and its members and there has to be some form of
accountability for that," said Ben Smilowitz, a UConn law student. "It's
also important to learn from this. We knew about these parties happening in
Texas and Georgia, but I don't think people realize they're probably just as
common in Connecticut."

Strasser hopes the flap also teaches the students a lesson about
professionalism and how to present themselves.

"Rightly or wrongly, as lawyers these students will be influential leaders,
opinion makers, people who deal with lots of people," he said.

The controversy also underscored the power of the Internet, which made the
photos widely available.

"I hope the students will come to realize that pictures that are put on the
Internet are likely to be available to potential employers, clients and
parents," Strasser said.

He predicted the incident would not tarnish the students' law careers or
have any bearing on the bar exam, which includes a good character
evaluation.

"This is something I think all of those students would prefer not to have as
part of their history. What we have to remember is this is one exercise of
bad judgment."

Strasser noted that the school has taken strides toward becoming a more
diverse community. The law school was named one of the top 10 best law
schools in the country for Hispanic law students by Hispanic Business
magazine last year.

In recent months, there have been similar parties at other colleges. Besides
the University of Texas bash, a "straight thuggin' party" at a University of
Chicago dorm two years ago and invitations to a "Halloween in the Hood"
party at Johns Hopkins University sparked campus debates about race
relations.

The roundtable at the UConn law school is scheduled to be held at 12:15 p.m.
in Starr Hall on the West Hartford law school campus.

"I just hope it leads to a productive conversation," said Kaaryn Gustafson,
a black law professor at the school.
Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant

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------ End of Forwarded Message

Gracias,

Mercedes V. Castillo
National Vice President
National Lawyers Guild
http://nlg.org

Proud Member, TUPOCC
http://www.nlg.org/TUPOCC/
http://nlgtupocc.blogspot.com/

Former Chair, 2004-2006
National Latina/Latino Law Student Association
http://nllsa.org

"I for one believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what
confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they'll create their
own program, and when the people create a program, you get action."
--Malcolm X.

"Estos corazones que nos escucharon son de hombres, mujeres, niños y
ancianos que quieren un país democrático, libre y justo... Para este
diálogo nacional vamos a caminar mucho y vamos a dar muchos pasos. Nosotros
estamos dispuestos a todo para dar estos pasos." Comandante Ramona, EZLN

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