Communications

Early this morning, there was a report of a person wearing a hood and robe resembling a KKK outfit between South and the Edmonia Lewis Center and in the vicinity of Afrikan Heritage House. This report is being investigated by both Safety and Security and the Oberlin Police Department.

Our campus has been violated by vandalism in the form of graffiti expressing anti-Semitic slurs. 

The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement:

Like many Canadians, I remain deeply concerned about the events and activities associated with the so-called ‘Israeli Apartheid Week.’

While a long-standing Penn commitment in California keeps me from being with you in person this evening, I want you to know that I am very much with you in spirit, and I extend my most sincere thanks for your participation in this evening’s program.

I am pleased to accept the resolution approved by the University Senate at its April 23, 2004 meeting, disassociating the Senate from the anti-Semitic message of the April 21 edition of The Medium.

The American Jewish Committee initiated a “College and University Presidents’ Statement on Intimidation Free Campuses” which was released, with the signatures of over 300 university and college presidents, in October 2002.

Following is the text of a speech by Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard University, at Memorial Church at Harvard Yard. The text was originally printed in The New York Sun on September 22, 2002:

A week ago, I wrote the campus to acknowledge the particular challenges of dealing with emotions aroused by the tragic and terrifying Middle East situation and to express the hope that we would — as we did so well after Sept. 11 — express our differences respectfully, seeing individuals, not stereotypes or, worse, enemies.

I write to express my outrage and extreme disappointment at an incident that occurred in International Village this morning. At approximately 1:30 am, a resident assistant found swastikas drawn on a dry-erase board in a common area in the building.

When vandals used Swastikas to deface flyers announcing a Louis D. Brandeis Center event at Northeastern University, President Joseph E. Aoun immediately issued a statement that is exemplary for its promptness, firmness, and specificity, as well as for the fact that President Aoun issued it personally while announcing that the university police department is actively investigating the case.