Official blog of Clark's Blogging for Journalists class, Mass Communication department

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

#notonOUrcampus or #SAEhatesme

Read this: Striker speaks out

Have you checked The Lost Ogle's last two posts? 

The OU fraternity crisis:
Five questions to either blog about today, or comment below:
1. With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?
2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?
3. What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?
4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?
5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?

18 comments:

  1. 1. Racist chants are should not be applied when it comes to freedom of speech. When a group of individuals (or a whole society) is being affected in a negative or harmful way, that should not be tolerated.
    2. I was in shock. Fraternity's are known for doing stupid things but I didn't expect to see something go so far. The smiles on their faces as they clapped and chanted were disgusting. They looked so oblivious to the words they were actually saying. I believe OU is handling the situation well and acted accordingly.
    3. HA! Media works fast when there's a "juicy" story. But we should know that. Heck, this is CNN's first story on their snapchat format.
    4. I believe that bringing this to the forefront may encourage people to be more aware of their actions and will hopefully stop any unseen activities in greek life that are similar to this. I hope that ignorant individuals learn from this and take a moment to step back and realize that what you say can not only hurt other individuals, but it can hurt you too.
    5. Ugh... we can't catch a break. As an Oklahoman I know better than to assume that everyone out there or every single member of a fraternity thinks or acts like that, but people outside of our state may have a hard time believing that.

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  2. 1. What they said is a Hate Crime in my opinion they abused Freedom of Speech and they are on a public universities campus. They deserved to get banned.
    2. What happened is horrible. I don't care if they were kidding or what they were doing that is just plain wrong.
    3. Words are very powerful and choose what you say wisely.
    4. Yes,I like that OU's campus came together and stood against what this fraternity did. They didn't try to hide they stood up against it and they came together like only Oklahoman's can.
    5. I think Oklahoma's reputation was damaged by this because it looks like racism is there, but at the same time how everyone including Bob Stoops and Lon Kruger came together to strand up against this shows a lot of courage.

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  3. 1. You are entitled to have your own opinion, but to not be disgraceful.

    2. I think the boys got what they deserved. It was a lesson learned and they're super embarrassed.

    3. Be empathetic towards others. Make sure to not point fingers.

    4. Yes, it's showing that racism is still alive not only in Oklahoma, but everywhere and ALL races experience it.

    5. Racism is everywhere. Overall, our country looks bad because I'm sure it's being represented in each state.

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  4. 1. The president of the University decided to kick them off of campus.

    2. I am disgusted with the amount deep racism that the fraternity showed. I am glad they are being punished, and I am glad that the right actions are being taken to get them off of campus

    3. Anything you film can intentionally end up on the internet.

    4. It was positive the way the university handeled the situation. We can come together as a state to bring a harsh punishment to these students and to let the rest of the nation know this is not what we are about.

    5. It obviously damages our image and makes us look more racist than we probably already do

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  5. 1. With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?
    Well first off even if there is freedom of speech they are part of a fraternity that everyone is watching. And not only did they make their fraternity look bad but also the University, so I would have kicked them off campus too.

    2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?
    My reaction was shock. Like why would you first of all have a chant like that and second why would you be singing it in public?

    3. What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?
    It shows just how fast social media can spread news. I think everyone at least heard about it in less than 24 hours because of how fast the news spread threw social media.

    4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?
    I think there is some positive aspects of everything that has happened. I think that the boys that were involved have definitely leaned a huge lesson because of their actions.

    5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?
    I think it makes us all look really bad. Even though plenty of Oklahomans have posted about how we are not all like that, I think that a lot of the country does believe we are like that. Its really a shame that we have been put under such bad light.

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  6. 1.) I think the fraternity was disbanded because, while yes we have freedom of speech, we have to handle that with honor and intelligence. If one member had said those things alone, he'd get kicked out, bashed, blah blah, but it being a group of guys they were chanting without thinking about who they represented (their OU chapter, OU Greek life as a whole, their national org, their university and ultimately oklahoma.) I think them being kicked off campus was really the safest bet (though I can't help but feel guilty for the good guys who lived in the house who joined SAE with good intentions.) I think the swift action was necessary to send a clear message that this kind of speech will not be tolerated.
    2.) As I stated in the previous answer, I think the swift action was necessary and helped to show that this isn't a laughing matter and hopefully other organizations will see this and be a lot more careful about their actions and how they represent their group, because this group definitely isn't the only one who do stupid and idiotic things...they are just the ones who got caught. I was in the control room at KOCO when the press conference was going on and with every statement Boren made the whole room was just in awe of how he was handling it. He definitely sent a message that no sooner will get the right to carry that name if they act like that.
    3.) I think the media lesson that can be carried from this is that in our world ANYTHING we do can be recorded and shared. Seriously...everything. We have to constantly walk with integrity and be mindful of the values we want to emit. Unfortunately these men let that slip and it got caught on film and shared with the whole world. Let's not forget this can happen to anyone and any group. It's just how the world works now!
    4.) I think the positivity that can come from this is what I have said in my past couple answers, we now have to be so mindful of our actions and remember that this is a global society. Anything and everything we do can be seen by anyone so it is extra important now to do the right thing at all times. These guys took the fall for a really bad screw up, but that can happen to anyone. This type of thing WILL happen again, it's just a matter of time. And, the backlash we have seen is proof that people really do care and will stand beside one another and stand up for each other. Racism isn't dead and voices still aren't being heard, but we are working to fix that.
    5.) Really I think people aren't ignorant to really think these few guys are representative of Oklahoma's values. I think the people protesting, standing up for what's right, and the swift action to get SAE kicked out speaks far louder for what Oklahoma stands for and over shadows the few guys being stupid.

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  7. 1. Freedom of speech is most definitely guaranteed in this country but when it comes to racism that is something our country has been in the process of overcoming for decades, and to make light of another race and say horrible despicable things is not now and will never be acceptable.

    2. Disbelief and shock were my initial reactions. I could not, and still cannot believe that people still think like that and think it is funny. Oklahoma and the national members of the SAE board took proper action in removing the fraternity completely and kicking them out of their house for their disgraceful behavior.

    3. The media plays a huge role in this case. Without media and social media this would not have been brought to light and the right action could not be taken against this fraternity. The media is important and as much as they get a bad wrap for over dramatizing things, things like these need to be brought to light.

    4. Absolutely positive is coming out of this situation. This fraternity and all greek like institutions are being shown that it is not okay, and nobody stands with what decisions they've made. It is a stand against disgusting behavior and racism.

    5. I hate that because of the actions of few, people around the world will think of Oklahoma and OU negatively and most likely assume that we are a bunch of back woods racists. That is not the thoughts and opinions of our great state and I hope people will take that into consideration when they see news coverage on this.

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  8. 1. With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?
    Although we do have freedom of speech in this country racism is not tolerated. I
    2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?
    It was shocking to me because I know what they said in their song is not true. There have been and are African American SAE’s and it was a ridiculous and a sickening thing to do or say. I believe that it was handled correctly for the sake of OU in general, but the wrath the one guy in the video and the members of all SAE’s around the world is unfair and harsh. It was not one person in the video nor was the whole chapter of SAE around the Oklahoma or the United States in the video.
    3.What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?
    Social media is the most powerful way to get news out and get it out fast. You are also always representing things you are apart of.
    4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?
    I think the way OU handled it was very respectful and the silent protest was a positive thing for the character of people who attend that school though.
    5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?
    I think our image has definitely been damaged. There are many people who will lump everyone in the state together and decide we are a racist state as a whole.

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  9. 1. With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?

    With freedom of speech that does mean that any individual can say whatever they feel like they should. However when it comes to organization that are sponsored by a public institution it limits what they can say in those situations. Moral of story. Student's can be idiots. Do it just with out recording yourself.

    2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?

    The fraternity got what was coming. That kind of stuff is unacceptable but at the same time it didn't catch me THAT off guard. I come from a small town in the south of Oklahoma. I heard the older members of our community say much worse.

    3. What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?

    Media is instant and contagious. All it takes is for the right thing to get a hold of it. Then it catches like wild fire. Up in flames.

    4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?

    Hopefully SAE kind of learns what can happen with their past behavior. I heard that the SAE in Stillwater had a confederate flag in their house. Needless to say that flag got taken down quickly.

    5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?

    It proves every single stereotype right. We are racist and its running wild in our culture. Even if its not, it sure looks like it is.

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  10. 1. SAE being disbanded from OU has very little with their guaranteed freedom of speech. They haven't been convicted or punished by Congress or Federal Law. They were banished from the OU campus. Expectations are held high and many decisions can omit your privileges. Just like an athlete privileged to play or students privileged to be at the University, if you cross lines (cheat, threaten) you can have your privileges revoked.

    2. I think Nationally they should be shut down. I heard from an older man on the radio say his grandfather was a SAE in the 1920's and he was influenced to join the Klan after his SAE membership like the rest. So this 1920's SAE's son never had those same beliefs so he never rushed a fraternity and never allowed his 3 kids to rush a Greek house including the man telling this to the radio. From what I gather this has always been a racist party. I know other Fraternities go on to be Free Mason's or go to other elite groups.
    3. Small decisions can have huge outcomes.
    4. Everyone uniting to stand up against these verbal hate crimes.
    5. This is not good for Oklahoma. At all. But, when Donald Sterling made his racist comments it never made LA or California look bad just himself. I don't know why this is making our State racist, our State is didn't say that the Frat kids did.

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  11. 1. This goes beyond freedom of speech. This offends millions and millions of people because of its blatant bigotry. We might have freedom of speech, but this is just flat face racism.

    2. Although there isn’t really a punishment harsh enough, I do like how the president approached the situation and the action that was taken against the fraternity. I feel as if there might need be action taken against the members feature in the video as well.

    3. Anything you record, post, write will and can be seen by others. Typically things that are extremely controversial will get large amounts of attention. Don’t think for a second if you delete something offline that it is gone for good. The responses from different blogs I have read have been amazing.

    4. It is hard to see any positive. But the swift action taken against the fraternity shows that the university does not take the situation lightly. The peaceful protests being demonstrated also show an amazing sense of community, locally and nationally.

    5. Oklahoma is already perceived as backwoods, so to some this is hardly a surprise but to others it just further curses Oklahoma’s reputation. Because this also reached a national scale, the state as a whole is under fire from almost all opposing states. It will be awhile before there is any sort of calm from this event.

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  12. 1. They used their freedom of speech, but there is also a point of going to far with it. It was the wrong way to use freedom of speech. The frat was booted because they hurt other students that attended the university.

    2. I wasn't surprised by the action. I'm sure it happened all the time in some frats. They just allowed frats and sororities in Alabama to be integrated not even a year ago. So it wasn't much of a "shocker" for me.

    3. Words are very powerful and can actually hurt people.

    4. The positives that came from this situation is how the president of the university immediately took action and opens that eyes to the world that racism does exist no matter where you are.

    5. Oklahoma's image was already seen as white trash, cowboy, racist and redneck folk. It probably didn't help those labels at all. The student body and faculty did the right thing by marching and protesting. It showed the world that not everybody from the university is like that and they have zero tolerance for it.

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  13. 1. With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?
    Freedom of speech is accepted, but clear racism will not be tolerated. The racist chant sung by SAE fraternity members was a clear violation and contradiction to the University of Oklahoma’s standards and values. It was a complete disgrace and highly offensive.
    2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?
    I believe swift action was taken and I applaud President Boren’s decision making. It does seem unfortunate that others had to suffer for the mistakes of a group of freshmen. On the flipside, many of the members seemed to know the chant well and this could potentially show that membership was teaching this chant. This is highly concerning.
    3. What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?
    I think the lesson learned is that you are always representing your organization. Anything can be leaked to the media, so I believe it is important to be sure that in every area of your life you stand for truth and justice. You must carry the values of your organization.
    4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?
    Yes, I think there has been a wake up call for many. A wake up call that says that we must stand up for the rights and freedoms of others; it’s not acceptable for this behavior to be tolerated any longer. Frankly, it’s appalling that this type of behavior is still going on.
    5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?
    I think Oklahoma’s image is definitely damaged. People will now associate not only the University of Oklahoma, but also the entire state of Oklahoma with this incident. This is a tragedy, but the only way Oklahomans can prove the rest of the world otherwise is by their actions.

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  14. 1. They are free to say what they want but that doesn't mean there won't be consequences. Especially at a university.
    2. I am appalled that this is still an issue that has to be dealt with. We should have moved on from this crap and ignorance a long time ago. I am very pleased that the house was disbanded and think that those students will be ostracized by there classmates. Justice.
    3. Nothing is private on the web. I'm sure no one expected that video to go viral but it did. Once it's out there anyone can see it.
    4. The positive coming out of this is that it has come to many people's attention that racism is still a problem. Can't make a change without awareness.
    5. This incident makes Oklahoma look very bad. We appear to be racist and ignorant. Because of a small group of ignoramuses we all get the same brand of stupid.

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  15. 1. I don't think this has anything to do with freedom of speech. Hate crimes and speech are not guaranteed, which is what this was.
    2. I think the fraternity and OU handled it well with their quickness to disband the group.
    3. I think this just proves that literally anything can end up on the internet. Although, if you are in a big fraternity at a university and constantly putting yourself in the public eye, I think they should have known that someone would find out. And if not being racist assholes wasn't enough of a reason to stop them, maybe knowing they were being recorded would have stopped them? Who knows, though, I can't give them that much credit.
    4. Hopefully the repercussions had some positive effect on the ignoramuses, but again, who knows? Some people just can't be decent human beings.
    5. I don't think Oklahoma has a great image to begin with, as occurrences like this are unfortunately not that rare. My brother was in southern Oklahoma just last week and stumbled upon a road stop store just completely full of racist memorabilia. Hopefully, though, people will see the outcries and reactions over this as the majority. I like to think that most of us are actually decent people, and hope that we won't be defined by these pieces of shit.

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  16. 1)With freedom of speech guaranteed in this country, why was the fraternity disbanded?
    The frat was disbanded because they made the university look bad. Because of their actions and the fact that they represent OU, people could assume that their message is what OU stands for. Yes they have freedom of speech but the president of the university decided that he would not stand for what they did.

    2. What is your reaction to what happened and how it was handled?
    I think was happened was an act of ignorance at its finest. Clearly these boys did not understand the severity of the Civil Rights Movement or any of that time in history. Many people, both black and white, lost their lives because of the discrimination and the "N word". They deserved the punishment they got and I hope they learn from their mistakes.

    3. What lessons about blogging and media do you take away from this crisis?
    Media played a big role in getting the attention of the rest of the world. two girls filmed the song on their camera phones and sent it out via media device. Once the video was sent it went viral. I learned that media can be very powerful. Many blogs have already picked up the story and written about it.

    4. Is there anything positive coming out of this?
    I think the situation just lets people know that racism is not tolerated. It is a serious issue that has serious consequences. The positive effect is now people will think twice before they are racist.

    5. What does this do to Oklahoma's image in the country and world?
    Oklahoma is already known as a hick state full of a bunch of racist cowboys. Although this statement is nothing but a stereotype, the video implies that it is true. I would assume that the view of Oklahoma is very negative right now.

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  17. 1. Freedom of Speech?
    I am not sure if we can call that freedom of speech. If that falls under it, then they are free to have there moment, but like everything else there are consequences to your actions. They were free to express how they felt but then OU and its community has its right to say it NOT tolerated here.

    2. How it was handled?
    I think it was handled fairly. Swift justice was carried out by David Boren. This behavior should never happen. College campuses or any other place in the free world.

    3. Lessons learned?
    Media is a powerful tool. We should always take the opportunity to use our personal media sites to weigh in on these types of situations.

    4. Positive results?
    Yes it was a clear message sent not only by OU but to all college campus this behavior will not be tolerated. If it is violated you and who ever is involved are gone, removed and forgotten.

    5. Oklahoma's Image?
    I think Oklahoma's image is portrayed through the university and the actions carried out by Boren. We are setting examples of how other schools should handle racism. NO TOLERANCE!

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  18. I did comment... Not showing up...

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