Victim Excoriates Administration

To the Editor:

Within the next three years, the vast majority of students currently on campus will graduate from Oberlin College. Once we have graduated, we will, like it or not, officially become alumni of Oberlin College. As alumni, we will be asked quite often to donate money back to our alma mater to support the school and what it represents. I am sorry to announce that Oberlin College can scratch my name off of all of the alumni mailing lists right now because I will never donate a penny to this institution.
On March 17, I was asleep in my room when two large, masked men (and I am using this word in its loosest sense) broke in and proceeded to attack me. I later found out that my attackers were [seniors] Ryan Catignani and Richard Kocher, two members of the Oberlin College football team (another phrase that I use in its loosest sense) and that the assault was their way of responding to statements made in “Sticks & Stones,” a humor column that I write for The Oberlin Grape. In the coming weeks, I became increasingly horrified as I poured through police reports which confirmed that there had been discussion and planning of an attack on me for months prior to the night the assault occurred. I assumed that Oberlin had made a horrendous mistake in admitting individuals whose idea of constructive discourse is physical violence, and that the mistake would soon be corrected with the swift expulsion of the individuals.
Imagine my shock as the weeks began to pass, and the individuals were allowed to remain on campus, and even draw paychecks from the College for working in the Student Union during the entire 32 (32!) days leading up to the first Community Board hearing! Imagine my outrage as I sat in the hearing and listened to Catignani, Kocher and Nicholas Walker, who provided the masks and served as a lookout during the attack dismiss the entire incident as a “prank”! Imagine my confusion upon finding out that not only would Walker not be expelled despite his active role in the planning of the attack, but also that Catignani and Kocher, who were expelled, would be allowed to remain on campus and continue attending classes and drawing College checks for the duration of their appeal process. A process which would last nearly another month! And to top it all of, upon first appeal, Catignani and Kocher’s expulsions were overturned! All three of the individuals involved in this assault (and please don’t fall into the College’s trap of calling it an “incident,” because it was an ASSAULT) will receive Oberlin College degrees.
So in the future when the College contacts you and requests your financial support, please take a few moments to reflect on what exactly your money will be supporting. It will be going to support an institution that shows flagrant disregard for the safety and well-being of its students, does an awful lot of talking about the importance of free speech, and then stands by idly while that very principle is threatened and ultimately endorses violence and retaliation by awarding degrees to those who engage in such activities. 
After May 28, I for one, will never support this institution again, and I would ask that my fellow future grads think long and hard about what this place represents in reality as opposed to in theory and act accordingly.

–Jeff Harvey
College senior