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OPINION
What will we leave behind? THE CONVERSATION | Wrestling with our legacies at Penn
MONDAY MARCH 27, 2017 VOL. CXXXIII, NO. 37 133rd Year of Publication CARTER COUDRIET President DAN SPINELLI Executive Editor LUCIEN WANG Print Director ALEX GRAVES Digital Director ALESSANDRO VAN DEN BRINK Opinion Editor SYDNEY SCHAEDEL Senior News Editor WILL SNOW Senior Sports Editor CHRIS MURACCA Design Editor CAMILLE RAPAY Design Editor JULIA SCHORR Design Editor RONG XIANG Design Editor
Who is Michael Zinman? The name might sound somewhat familiar to about half of the Penn population. To the other half, let me enlighten you: In the men’s rooms on the basement floor of Van Pelt, there is a sign above each urinal declaring “The relief you are now experiencing is made possible by a gift from Michael Zinman.” This is not a joke. Assuming that Mr. Zinman is the donor for the funds needed for the restrooms’ furnishings, it is perhaps singularly the creepiest donation ever made. Was the money specifically designated for this “relief?” I can’t imagine that the University would have put the name there unless it was specifically requested. To members of the DP’s News section — I think an exposé and interview are in order. I bring this up because I’ve been thinking about
the legacies that we will leave behind at Penn. Isn’t it fascinating that name gifts are how we honor contributors? Having your name stand for that of a building or on a piece of brick has no practical value. But given how many people engage in the custom, it still clearly means a lot to people. This sentimental value extends beyond the world of alumni. As the end of another school year approaches, students are also naturally inclined to consider the time they have spent here and the things they will leave. Many will try to cement their place in the school history by entering senior societies and winning awards. Such indicators serve to assure us that our time here was not wasted — that we were a part of Penn as much as Penn is a part of us. There are of course some names that have become
immortalized on campus. But I think it’s safe to say that a majority of students will not be a Van Pelt or a Huntsman. Some of us may never even be a Zinman — urinals are probably expensive? We will never be so important to Penn itself. Even when considering
athletic glory to the school, nor won a prestigious scholarship. The history and size of Penn means that each of us, when considered individually, are of little significance to the University in the long run. There’s something a bit discomforting about that.
Our legacies ought to be measured not in terms of such tangible remnants but in our actions that help make the Penn experience possible.” contributions other than financial donations, most of us will struggle to think of something that we’ve bestowed upon the school that will outlast us. I have conducted no earth shattering research, nor brought
Penn is a place where we spend some of our most formative years. We care deeply about the community, as demonstrated by the constant effort to make it a better place in our own ways. Even in this tempo-
rary home of four years, we invest ourselves in ways that may seem unnecessary. There’s a reason why alums keep coming back year after year, long after any actual affiliation with the University ends. And so we seek to leave our mark here, either physically by leaving our names here or through other means. We do this for personal validation as much as anything else. But I think this is one of the cases in which such thinking is rather silly. Our legacies ought to be measured not in terms of such tangible remnants but in our actions that help make the Penn experience possible. For surely the passion and engagement of Penn students is what makes the school so special. Directly or otherwise, we help Penn carry out its missions on a daily basis. Without us, all of us, Penn would be a shell of what it is now. The value of each of us
JAMES LEE can’t solely be measured in terms of such accomplishments or contributions. We lived and learned, and helped each other live and learn. We each shaped and molded this place we called home. We were here. No record left could possibly represent fully the weight and meaning of that. JAMES LEE is a College junior from Seoul, South Korea, studying English and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. His email address is jel@sas.upenn. edu. “The Conversation” usually appears every other Monday.
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Unintended offense: dealing with racial insensitivity on campus REAL TALK | Our unreasonable standards don’t leave enough room for error In the fall of 1993, Jahmae Harris, then-College senior here at Penn, received a frightening phone call to her dorm, the DuBois College House. The caller said that he intended to “blow up” DuBois and that Harris should die. He called her the N-word and several other students in the house, including then-College freshman Jamil Smith, received similar threats. In an interview on the Reply All podcast in 2015, Smith said that had the caller not backed up his racial slurs with a bomb threat, “… it may have been a situation where a lot of people would not have believed us.” It’s fair to say a lot has changed since 1993, but in many ways — as the racist GroupMe incident last semester demonstrates — a lot hasn’t. The racial animosity that black students face has not dissolved in the last 24 years, but what has changed is the opportunity students have to make that animosity visible. The benefit of viral media is that it helps bring the struggles and experiences of minority students to the forefront. The same experience of racism that might have
fallen on deaf ears some 20 years ago can now be echoed thousands of times online, often with accompanying cellphone videos or screenshots as evidence of the offense. This can create a great deal of added awareness and support, especially when the instance of racism is clear and recognizable. But in those situations where the offense is more subtle, the polarizing nature of our online discourse can deter a more nuanced conversation about race and ethnicity. While media may be invaluable for promoting conversations on race, it hasn’t always made those conversations better. In the case of the GroupMe incident, the fact that it took place online and that evidence of the threats could be spread virally was essential in helping to galvanize a response. But what about cases where the racism is born of insensitivity rather than maliciousness — where the perpetrator does not perfectly align with our preconceptions of a virulent bigot? For every swastika drawn on a dorm room wall or tweet about lynching, there are just as many cases — such as the
recent incident when a Fiji member named his beer pong team “VietPong” — in which the offense was seemingly unintentional. But in these instances, the attention provided by media spotlight is often more blinding than it is illuminating. When an instance of unintentional racism begins to reverberate across the web,
of color. But when all the focus is placed on how best to judge the offender, the response becomes far less productive. Instead of provoking a constructive reaction, the added attention that media brings may actually enhance the difficulty of interpreting examples of inadvertent racism by stripping responses
Instead of provoking a constructive reaction, the added attention that media brings may actually enhance the difficulty of interpreting examples of inadvertent racism by stripping responses of any nuance.” the situation often devolves into scandal. However, we shouldn’t disregard the issue simply because the offense was inadvertent. Navigating a campus rife with these instances of insensitivity can be debilitating for students
of any nuance. Rather than attempting to understand the complexities of the situation, the increased publicity pressures us to pick sides. Whenever a situation like “VietPong” captures media attention, the debate that aris-
es out of it is as divisive as it is fruitless. We argue over whether it was really that offensive, or we dispute the sincerity of the apology that followed. Ultimately, we’re left with one side that feels as though the entire incident was blown out of proportion and the other thinking it was underplayed. This disconnect is, of course, only natural. From the perspective of the fraternity member, this was likely just a thoughtless pun, no malice involved. But for members of the Vietnamese Student Association, it was an act that mocked the memory of one of history’s most vile wars. Ultimately, both are true — it was tactless and offensive but not intended to harm. Whatever good will is gained by public apologies and new Interfraternity Council positions is often outweighed by the private grumblings of fraternity members. It lends credence to those that are skeptical that these initiatives will lead to concrete change. But hoping for more repercussions is also an often futile — and somewhat misguided — endeavor. After all,
CAMERON DICHTER whatever reprimanding they receive will never be fulfilling when matched against the historical trauma that made the incident so offensive. The question of how best to handle these repeated instances of unintended racism is an issue that our campus will have to face. These conversations require a deft hand, a sensitivity and respect that is unfortunately often lost when a story enters the media sphere. Understanding is undoubtedly hindered when both perspectives are polarized. It’s often hardest to get an inch when you’re asking for a mile. CAMERON DICHTER is a College junior from Philadelphia, studying English. His email address is camd@sas.upenn. edu. “Real Talk” usually appears every other Monday.