2008 Woodie Awards
Cicero's E-mail Not Meant To Offend Students
Jake Seip '07
Issue date: 4/22/05 Section: Commentary
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This past week, Colgate students of the college received an e-mail from Dean Adam Weinberg denouncing an e-mail that "tries to connect our students of color to last weekend's incident at the Palace." However, most students did not read that original e-mail nor do they have a sense of the original context in which the e-mail was distributed.
The original e-mail "Colgate of Tomorrow," written by Jeff Cicero '06, lampoons Colgate's acquisition of Greek housing. It states that due to minority involvement in the Palace incident, Colgate has resolved to acquire the "corporeal vessels (bodies)" and bioelectric collectives (souls)" of minority students. The e-mail goes on to say "[Colgate] believe[s] that administratively controlled minorities provides the best platform to help students develop as independent critical thinkers and thoughtful, engaged citizens."
Cicero's language clearly parodies the legal rhetoric Colgate's "new vision" for residential education. In good humor, the e-mail explores the frightening ease with which Colgate's discriminatory policies against Greeks could be applied to other groups on campus. The e-mail makes reference to specific individuals and groups (Rodney Mason '06 and the Brothers) to add authenticity. Also, it is signed by David Hale, treasurer of the University.
University President Rebecca Chopp and Dean Weinberg label Cicero's e-mail overtly racist. In the most recent campus-wide e-mail, Dean Weinberg called it an "attack [on] students of color." Chopp echoed Weinberg's sentiments in a recent meeting with student leaders. But is Cicero's satire really an attack on students of color? No. The e-mail does not target the minority population nor does it seriously suggest that students should be owned by the school. The idea that "the Administration is going to force all Colgate students of color to sell their bodies and souls to the university because of the Palace event," as Dean Weinberg states it, is obviously absurd.
The original e-mail "Colgate of Tomorrow," written by Jeff Cicero '06, lampoons Colgate's acquisition of Greek housing. It states that due to minority involvement in the Palace incident, Colgate has resolved to acquire the "corporeal vessels (bodies)" and bioelectric collectives (souls)" of minority students. The e-mail goes on to say "[Colgate] believe[s] that administratively controlled minorities provides the best platform to help students develop as independent critical thinkers and thoughtful, engaged citizens."
Cicero's language clearly parodies the legal rhetoric Colgate's "new vision" for residential education. In good humor, the e-mail explores the frightening ease with which Colgate's discriminatory policies against Greeks could be applied to other groups on campus. The e-mail makes reference to specific individuals and groups (Rodney Mason '06 and the Brothers) to add authenticity. Also, it is signed by David Hale, treasurer of the University.
University President Rebecca Chopp and Dean Weinberg label Cicero's e-mail overtly racist. In the most recent campus-wide e-mail, Dean Weinberg called it an "attack [on] students of color." Chopp echoed Weinberg's sentiments in a recent meeting with student leaders. But is Cicero's satire really an attack on students of color? No. The e-mail does not target the minority population nor does it seriously suggest that students should be owned by the school. The idea that "the Administration is going to force all Colgate students of color to sell their bodies and souls to the university because of the Palace event," as Dean Weinberg states it, is obviously absurd.