I was really hoping that it didn't come to this, but the talk of my law school is now out in the wider world, thanks to the WSJ law blog:
Students packed lecture halls last week to hear Chief Justice John Roberts during a two-day visit to the Northwestern University School of Law. Roberts was so popular, in fact, that the president of the school’s Student Bar Association has been forced to resign amid controversy over invitations to attend a breakfast with the Chief Justice.The resignation, announced Monday evening, followed a public argument between the former president and a leader of the Latino Law Students Association, who was angered by the absence of representatives from his and other minority student groups at the breakfast.
During the argument, “I stated my belief that our community would be better off if all student organizations were organized around ideas, not ethnicity,” Peter Pattakos, the former president, wrote to students in an email this morning.
Kevin Strom, co-president of the Latino student group, characterized the comments differently, writing that Pattakos said he would dismantle minority student organizations “because they don’t bring anything to the community, and they contribute to racial identity politics.”
Ben Winograd, who wrote this piece, was a MSL-MSJ student here last year and has no excuse to skip the important step of calling or emailing someone about this. For most people, the larger problem is that SBA President Peter Pattakos was forced to resign, not by the SBA (which had the power to remove him), but after being allegedly threatened by the administration with severe and public punishment if he chose to fight the removal through established student government channels. The controversy is heightened, and the school is up in arms, because of both substantive and procedural concerns. Many people who thought Pattakos made a hateful statement to Strom (one such statement in a long line of them) side with him because they feel that the administration short-circuited a removal process that was already working.
As for the idea (expressed in the WSJLB comments and by Pattakos himself) that ethnic groups on campus foster division, I don’t buy it. Around here, they bring speakers for public events, feed us better food than the little snack shop in the basement has and generally improve the level and amount of programming available to the community. I fail to see how it is any different for the South Asian Law Students Association to bring in a panel of lawyers and businessmen to talk about doing business in India from an international law club doing so.
That being said, Winograd's post doesn't do any favors for his alma mater. People are deciding between law schools, and I for one don't want a 1L class devoid of people who favor diversity and full of students who cheer the fact that we voted for a guy who doesn't believe in ethnicity-based student groups.
**Update: As a commenter pointed out (and I'll believe him) SBA could not remove Pattakos under the current constitution and bylaws, but they were looking for a way. Sorry.
Okay, enough is enough. I have read three times your paragraph beginning "As for the idea...." and have no idea what your point is. By comparison, Winograd's post is a paragon of clarity. I believe I do understand your last paragraph. C'mon, do you really think this little spat is going to affect anyone's decision on where to go to law school? Get un-wrought.
A correction: The SBA did *NOT* have the power to remove him.
They were, though, looking into ways to change the bylaws to create an impeachment power (which presumably would have required some kind of vote by the student body).
ben w! he's a buddy of mine from medill.
I don't know if I would blame the image problem on Ben or other bloggers/journalists. The WSJ blog entry only skimmed the surface of this mess, choosing to keep the lid on for most of this unsightly silliness. This blog, on the other hand, has disclosed a lot more dirty laundry to the public. I think the comment about a "hateful statement" could be debated. Where's the exact quote?
So let's drop the melodramatic "Winograd's post doesn't do any favors for his alma mater" comments. Did you really expect for this not to come out? Don't shoot the messenger.
Disclosure: I'm also an MSJ/MSL guy.
The problem is not that he skimmed the surface, it's just that he completely failed to mention the procedural issues that are driving the controversy for a lot of the students here who are angry about it. From Ben's article, it looks like this is just another oversensitive PC issue, surely to provide red meat for the WSJ op-ed audience (just look at the comments). If it were just about ethnic student groups on campus, the mess would be over by now.
Procedural issues? {Eyes glazing over...] You kiddin?
Wasn't it originally about a controversial view by a student council president (welcome back to high school) until the administration stepped in?
Isn't this a "PC issue"? The administration took drastic actions because it didn't want this guy expressing some opinions? You still didn't point out the "hateful" comments.
And shouldn't all these people take a chill pill? Good thing the prom is this wknd over there.
Pattakos has made a long line of hateful statements? I've read about all that can be read on this topic, and I've yet to read one statement that could rightly be described as hateful. It sounds like he expressed an unpopular opinion or two. Where's the hate?
Why have a blog if you won't respond when you're repeatedly called out by your readers on unsubstantiated statements you make on it?
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