#I remembered the 2022 penn state fiasco

[goodbyeapathy8]

Spot the Difference : US University Edition

Note : Until the page break, NONE of these points are opinions - they are all facts, with citations. Opinions are after the page break. October 25, 2022 Penn State University : 1. Proud Boys founder invited to give a speech 2. Proud Boys are "labeled a terrorist organization by New Zealand and Canada" (but not in the US) 3. Turnout = 100s of students 4. Protests turned violent 5. Charges : 1 criminal, 0 suspensions/expulsions/other sanctions by Penn State April 4, 2024 Columbia University : 1. Khaled Barakat, alleged member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, invited to "Resistance 101" event 2. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine "been designated by the United States as a terrorist organization" (but nowhere else in the world) 3. Turnout = none, event canceled 4. No violence 5. Charges : Initial 6 suspensions, final - 4 students with indefinite suspensions

April 18, 2024 University of Southern California (USC) : 1. Asna Tabassum noted as valedictorian for Class of 2024 (speech not yet written) 2. Known to be Muslim, wears a hijab, publicly pro-Palestinian (none of which classifies her as a terrorist) 3. Turnout = none in person, "complaints" online by pro-Israel groups 4. No violence 5. Charges : none but the valedictorian speech was canceled April 19, 2024 Columbia University : 1. Pro Palestine student demonstrator occupied Columbia University lawn for over 30 hours 2. No organization affiliated with the protest, including Columbia University Apartheid Divest, have been linked to terrorism 3. Turnout = 100s of students 4. No violence 5. Charges : suspensions (unclear whether separate from April 4 suspensions), 100+ students arrested End facts. ----------------------- So. Let's compare. Yes, the three universities are different in location however... both Columbia University and Penn State used to boast a liberal arts education. "Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional or vocational curriculum" per Wikipedia. Hmm.... you'd think freedom of speech is included in this, no? Which Penn State demonstrated by issuing a statement, paraphrasing, they do not agree with the Proud Boys but for the sake of freedom of speech, they approved the event. Only after students protested (with violence), it was canceled. I'm not gonna analyze more because if the above facts aren't CRYSTAL CLEAR to you... I don't know what else to say. Again - the top part had none of my actual opinion, simply facts I took from various news articles (including the direct source at the university, when possible).