Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Latest talk of racism on the Grounds

Discriminations has this post outlining the latest racial controversies described in the Cavalier Daily.

In my day as an undergraduate at the University, one of the big controversies was divestment, to get the University to divest from companies that had something to with South Africa. "Shanties" were built on the Lawn as part of the protest. Delinquents came and tore down the shanties. Legend has it that this mindless destruction led to the discovery that two of the very serious-minded protesters were inside one of these shanties on the Lawn, having a snog, as Inspector Morse would say (or perhaps "a bit of nasty rumpy-pumpy"), which caused some commentary about how the protesters might be taken more seriously if they didn't have so much fun, but then we were all excitable kids in those days, passionate about one thing or another, and so maybe nothing has changed. There are controversies and protests, action and reaction, sense and nonsense.

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