Swarthmore Students Upset Over Being Punished for Office Sit-in
“I was really disappointed and confused”
There are consequences for people’s actions? Why didn’t someone warn these students?
The College Fix reports:
Swarthmore students upset they actually got in trouble for office sit-in protest
Student protesters at Swarthmore College feel that one of the school’s core values is “under attack” … all because they discovered they’re actually not permitted to do whatever the heck they want.
Last month, members of the anti-fossil fuel group Mountain Justice occupied Chief Investment Officer Mark C. Amstutz’s office to denounce the school’s investments in fossil fuels. This past week, five of the group were cited for their (alleged) refusal to vacate the premises.
According to Philly.com, the quintet face punishment ranging from a warning to probation.
Swarthmore President Valerie Smith said in a statement that, while the school has “proud tradition” of free expression, the activists prevented Amstutz “from completing all but the most menial of tasks and restricting his movements and rights.”
Will Marchese, one of the five students cited, griped that even a warning would be “against college values.” He said the occupiers didn’t do anything “inappropriate,” and “actually helped Amstutz shred documents.”
From the story:
“I was really disappointed and confused,” said Stephen O’Hanlon, a senior political science and sociology double major from Downingtown who was cited. O’Hanlon said for all but a few minutes, he was in the hallway outside the office and acting as a mediator with public safety department. He was never asked to leave, he said.
The action has sent a chill on and off the campus as students and alumni view the citations as a way to suppress student voices.
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ranging from a warning to probation.
Huh? The headline said Punished.
They’ve been raised on stories of the ’60s sit-ins, and taught by Swarthmore College that this was proper and laudable behavior and that the sitters-in were heroes. So why would they not take the college at its word?
Gather around kids, and let me tell about a time when people actually faced consequences for their actions…
Ask these enlightened social justice warrior wannabe crusaders why they think it was that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous letter was written while he was sitting in the Birmingham jail.
Nothing new for these student types. At Brown Univ. in the late 80’s, students did some kind of civil disobedience event (I forget the cause of the day). Later they demanded that the school remove the incident from their academic record because it would be seen by potential employers.
They were proud to stand up for their beliefs, just not proud enough to actually stand up for their beliefs.
Sad.