Jenn– Thank you for your criticism! I can confirm that the Compton Cookout was NOT a PIKE sponsored event, but rather the guys that chose to throw the party on their own time are affiliated with the fraternity. Other guys who took party in throwing the Compton Cookout are also affiliated. I think you can only imagine how hard it would be (as a UCI student, and with the controversy of this issue) to track down one of the guys that threw this party to get his perspective. This “Jiggaboo Jones” character is just milking the situation for publicity and had no hand in planning the party.

As for the other side of the issue, the administration is currently working with the BSU and have already met some of their demands. They had been working with BSU since the initial incident –http://ucregentlive.wordpress.com/

I tried my best to present the “other side of the story” in a sense of citing that Facebook group and citing people’s comments from other news articles on their thoughts about the situation. However the point I was trying to convey was the hardwork the BSU has been putting on behind the scenes, before all of this controversy exploded onto their campus. The “Do UC Us?” campaign was constructed over last summer, so like Montana was trying to point out, these incidents are not isolated and random but rather expected coming from the point of view of the Black students at UCSD due to the already toxic climate they have been experiencing for years.

1. The name of UCSD’s Chancellor is misspelled.

2. The Compton Cookout was “thrown by several members of various fraternities.”
…Wasn’t it just PIKE and Jiggaboo Jones? If not, could you enlighten us on the specifics, or cite where you got this information? That’s a pretty broad description.

3. The only quotes you’re presenting are from Fnann Keflezighi, who is obviously on one extreme side of the issue. Keflezighi’s opinions overtake your angle on the article. What about the UCSD administration, or faculty, or staff, or students outside of the BSU? Or maybe from The Koala, or The Guardian? Lots of other takes are possible (and arguably necessary) in order to present a more balanced view.

I appreciate your inclusion of the mixed reviews concerning the BSU’s 32 demands and the Compton Cookout, though, and realize that there’s a lot to work with given the space you have.

(2) UCSD: Another dumb white frat guy gets mad that blacks are offended of being relegated to a bigoted stereotype. He tries to hold another racist event.

(3) UCSD: Meanwhile, a terrible student media publication (which, after viewing their website consists of all white staff, nudity, staff wrestling each other, and well, not much else), pushes their limits calling black students “ungrateful n——” – not just that word, but also that apparently the black students owed them something. They have a reputation of being trashy, and at this point, administration and faculty rush to condemn racism by students of the campus and various protests begin. Funding is also cut from all student media at UCSD, creating an extra bitter controversy.

(4) UCSD: On Friday of that week, a noose is found in the library. Everything gets worked in a frenzy and – something I’ll address later – a large amount of white commenter’s on the internet begin claiming that is was probably a black student who planted it in order to gain more sympathy. In addition, there are rumors of a threatening note sent to the Guardian and a second noose, there was no second noose, and the threat seems to be just a rumor.

(6) UCSD: Protests basically happen at all schools in support of the students. There are various sit-ins, and teach-ins, and what have you. School administrators become pushed to be more active in fixing what’s going on.

I have not seen this noose person, but most of you blame her and conveniently forget wear this all originated. Dear Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush and Savage your chickens have come home to roost.