The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Dear Saint Louis University, the Jesuit mission is missing here

Sitting in the comfort of my apartment the past few weeks reading The University News, I have come across two brave souls who noticed something I did.

Something is really wrong with Sain Louis University, and has been for a while.

I found myself moved this week to join the chorus of voices that is asking you to listen to students, faculty, staff – the essential people here at SLU.

I know you have institutional duties that guide your decision on such issues, but there is a point where the good of the whole supersedes bureaucracy.

To quote one of the great doctors of the church that has guided Christian thought, “Every judgement of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins.”

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SLU, I love you, but I love you too much to let you get away with the atrocity you have committed against us. When the allegations of rape appeared last year, it was quickly hushed up as if it never happened.

Where were you, SLU? As a Jesuit institution, I expected you to come to the aid of the victims and uphold dignity. I hoped that you would value your student body enough to give us the truth of the events of that fateful night, and not simply a vague email.

Was it too embarrassing that the systems in place to protect students, especially female students, actually weren’t what you claimed them to be? Was it that you felt it more important to protect your marketing plan than to tell us the truth?

I don’t know your reasons, and I doubt I ever will, but the fact is that you failed. You failed the victim by not upholding her dignity. You failed the students by hiding the allegations.

Instead, you sought silence. You stay silent while the world around you tries to find the truth. You stay silent and you allow for rumors to  spread and speculation to drive endless conversations.

What is more embarrassing is that you tried to hide that failure from us as a student body. You let one email be your word, and have kept silence while media outlets try to deliver the information we deserve to know. Maybe you felt that by keeping it hushed you could avoid another demonstration from the students on the need for change.

You stand on a pulpit and call us to forgive the offenders. How can I forgive when you violate sole identities of our Catholic Jesuit Mission?

You have not been open to growth or change, and have not allowed us to seek truth. How can we grow and learn to forgive if you have abandoned Ignatius’s call for conversation and discernment of spirits as a community?

How can we forgive if we never know the truth? I am willing to forgive, but I will not do so until you apologize for denying the many victims of sexual, ethnic, cultural, gender, discrimination and rape the right to have their stories heard to have justice.

The truth is that we are  safe as we sit in our rooms, but outside our doors our brothers and sisters are being devalued as humans. We can’t right the wrongs and come together to uphold those who have been devalued by others as a community if you hide the facts from us.

There is something terribly wrong if we get no knowledge from you, but find out from News Channel Five that an ‘incident’ occurred, and that there have not yet been repercussions to those who were found guilty in violating the rights of a member of our community. We desire to know what happened to our loved ones. We desire to have the facts, and we desire them from you.

I write this because I love you, SLU, and we deserve better. So look around and you might see that things aren’t as cheery as they seem. Something is terribly wrong, and when will you admit it to yourself and to us, Saint Louis University?


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  • T

    T.I.Nov 18, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    @ SLUnesta Rapper …

    Obviously you didn’t read the police report very cleary. One of them mentioned running the train on her to one of the other guys. He mentioned it without her knowing it; that doesn’t mean they were or did rape her. Because they didn’t. Obviously you’ve never got any action in college, because that’s all that Kwamain did.

    Reply
  • S

    SLUnesta RapperNov 18, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    to The_Truth….
    Those prosecuted seem to feel that the world has a right to know since they have gone rushing to the press with story after story about what “really happened” that night. Too bad each story is different from the last. Plus the alleged rapists willingly admitted to “pulling a train” on the victim without her knowing. Something seems flawed if you ask me.

    Reply
  • T

    The_TruthOct 26, 2010 at 3:56 pm

    “You failed the victim by not upholding her dignity. You failed the students by hiding the allegations.”

    First, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? How does the letter writer know that any wrongdoing occurred without knowing the facts of the case (and with only having seen a KSDK broadcast with unknown sources, as this was all that was available at the time the letter was written)? Second, the school should not release the allegations. No one has a “right” to know what happened that night except for the parties involved and the proper authorities.

    Reply
  • L

    LHicksOct 24, 2010 at 1:07 am

    Good for you for writing a much needed letter, and hopefully wake up call, to the University. Many times when people hear I attend a Jesuit institution, the first thing they say is, “Men and women for others, right?”. I nod my head and smile, but sadly I lack the pride I should have in my school. SLU needs to find a way to get back to its roots while being open to today’s society at the same time. I’m losing patience with a school I know can be great. Time to grow up SLU.

    Reply
  • C

    Crime DawgOct 12, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    The great M-a-j-e-r-k-u-s is about to learn what a cold and cruel B*#^% Ms. Karma can be!

    You reap what you sew in this life fatman…

    Reply