Or even if he left Front Royal, this would not guarantee the safety of other women. Not that simple. As I informed you at the meeting, I do not find these interactions with Adele to be acceptable, appropriate, or in keeping with our Code of Student Conduct. The reporting alleges/implies that young women arent safe at Christendom, that the university has an ongoing culture of assault and harassment toward women which is accepted by the community, and that the University doesnt help women who have been raped. 3) Reinforce this impression with nebulous allegations of serious problems in the current environment. christendom college racism. Because Simcha has an ax to grind. The students dont know Fro Ro very well. nor were the other women I know who hung out with them. Woody Allen has an even more credible allegation against him, but still gets to make movies. Unfortunately we cant actually know if Christendom is safer when they dont even write down that there was an allegation. But here Christendom has done the opposite. This response sounds like a trolling hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! [T]he alleged assault of Adele did not take place on campus. I vehemently disagreed with their misogyny, but never was sexually harassed, assaulted, etc. Simcha does that, see? Goodbye, Christendom College. Its not completely new to me, since Gasp! First, Christendom College could have made their own report to the police. Then send your kids to a Jesuit school where they get free condoms. Just the two of us. The way I see it, and many may disagree with this, but the failure was not a moral failure, but an administerial one(if that).. "[9] Fedoryka resigned in 1992, in order to pursue other educational ventures, including stints at Franciscan University of Steubenville[10] and Ave Maria College in Michigan (later Ave Maria University FL.[11]). [39] Its flexible and accommodating studies allows students of all ages and from all over the world to attend either part-time or full-time, year-round, summers-only, or winters-only, and also to study at a distance through online courses. [15], The total financial assets have increased by 440%, and total plant costs have increased by 397%. So, you are saying that because other colleges deal with it badly, that therefore it isnt a scandal that Christendom handled it badly? Sounds great. I think rape should be a clearly defined and promulgated capital crime so there would be fewer instances and false allegations. And also, there were a number of bad experiences in grad school that shouldn't be neglected. How can young people be prepared to succeed and keep the Faith in such a world? They should be paying me for the therapy I need, not the other way around. You use false logic and your pen is sadly misdirected this time. Please refrain from proselytizing to members of this community. Ask any psychologist who works with seminarians how many enter the seminary struggling in a battle against pornography. Not quoted or described? It would do a lot to restore peoples faith in the institution. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. [33] The college hired Husch-Blackwell to audit campus compliance with best practices in sexual assault and harassment cases, although it is not bound to do so by Title IX as the College does not accept federal funding of Title IV. Accusing someone, officially, with a VIOLENT FELONY, particularly one that even absent a conviction, or even if done falsely can utterly destroy people, is not something you can just get away with. But that had absolutely nothing to do with rape or assault. That is absurd. It was not reported to the police for YEARS. Simcha is right on in insisting that consent be taught at Christendom and in Catholic bubbles. And spent half his classes monologuing about personal-life stuff nobody else cared about. If you read the original article, it was clear that the school failed on many counts to do what an institution that claims to be Catholic should have done. This actually hurts good people doing their best to make the world a better place every day. Here is another crazy thought. Yes! It would do a great deal more to restore faith in their school if they would be open about the affair. The Dean or an RA could drive out and get you. Yes, there were party girls at SMC. i ended up choosing Franciscan University instead because it was my parents choice. I can tell you personally when I read the hand holding policy I thought it was a paper rule, I had no idea the lengths of its enforcement. Thats precisely what happened when Smith was raped by her then-boyfriend, a fellow Christendom student. Christendom College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Sexual harassment and assault is inimical to such an environment. But I dont think we can fully judge any of these stories without hearing the other side. My condolences for all the victims. [27], On January 16, 2018, Catholic blogger Simcha Fisher broke the story of three rape and sexual harassment allegations by students of the college. She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. In fact, my old college had a case like that years back and the girl getting him to admit what he did in a text to her gave them enough to proceed to action. i believe that the world outside of CC understands that sexual assault has many./.. an infinite number of manifestations. You shooting in the dark hoping to hit a target, isnt helping. The school decided to implement internal juridical means for determining the truthfulness of rape allegations outside of the civil process. Going Drinkin with Lincoln before class on Lincolns Birthday and getting buzzed or worse. The basement of the admissions office (a building which, Im pretty sure, is condemned but still functions as an office despite the dangers) had a breaker room in the back behind 2 locked doors. There was that one time I got a booty call from an upperclassman with a key to the administrative building. . Can confirm. Amanda Graf, the current Director of Student Affairs at Christendom, confirms that student handbook did not include a policy against sexual assault until 2013, two years after Smith reported her rape. Their donations requests are a joke. One of my classmates was seriously over the top and has gone on to make her name as a self-appointed investigative journalist and spiritual director online. Her hatred for Christendom is glaring. They didnt make any changes until after pressure had been applied over the course of several years. Omigosh. Civil authorities operate under much greater constraints. Basically, Christendom University has set up a parallel court system to try these cases and determine guilt outside of the civil court system. Carroll decided not to accept federal funding at the college, choosing instead to rely on generous benefactors. They say your views are dangerous, hateful, fearful, or racist . And meanwhile, you get a certain thrill from seeing that now youve unleashed his passion and he DOES love you a la folie. I distinctly remember going back and forth with a friar who had a terminal degree in theology about whether the immaculate conception implies hard determinism and thus refutes the notion of moral responsibility and therefore Catholicism in general. That would have at least been SOMETHING besides heresay. faculty, staff, etc.). The message delivered was clear, according to Smith. And what possible jurisdiction would the college have for activity that did not take place on its property? You keep going. The whole In loco parentis thing was alive and well and enforced. In the late 1970s, Christendom College . Thats certainly not Christendoms fault. Fixing a problem and addressing a problem are two different things. Its not 50% excitement its 100% terror. The College is actually small enough, and physically remote from the built-up town center, that it is more ignored than anything. Im not saying that the accused should have been expelled. No matter how it is said, when it is said. I know even as a young adult my guard was down, and I was vulnerable, as are so many others, especially when we have no reason not to be trusting. The old one, which stands at the heart of the campus, is too . The men with whom I interact at school have consistently shown me respect whether it be through opening doors for me, saying good morning, supporting my academic pursuits, or courteously taking part in a discussion. Class of '13 here, BA in History, Magna cum Laude. Hit pieces only need to be tangentially accurate to get 1st amendment protections. [43] The team defeated St. Mary's College of Maryland in overtime to capture the title, earning the school its first National Championship.[44]. It is beyond belief that the man has not ever been punished. But thats not entirely relevent here. An RA friend, Elizabeth Foeckler, also encouraged her to go to the administration. Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan donated 19th Century wooden stations of the cross to the Chapel, and it was dedicated by Cardinal Jan Schotte, Pope John Paul II's Secretary-General to the World Synod of Bishops. I would posit that when a woman is ovulating her sex drive out strips a mans, I think womens sex drives tend to be ignored because men are more sexual which isnt the case. And victims have the right to be taken seriously, to not be dismissed. We dont stand for PDA, we certainly dont allow for men grabbing arses in public. This gives women more of an opportunity to share a concern or incident with a staff member they trust. Thank you! Question: are the writers christendom 2020 and sophomore girl at Christendom the same girl/ writer? the letters read to indicate the same writer. Smith says the school claimed it takes a long time to implement changes in school policy. The rape occurred on Friday, October 2, 2009, on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, about thirty minutes away from the college campus. So this rape would not have occurred if the dorms were mixed gender? yes! The woman interviewed described what she remembered from the time she was there. Wow, I just cant even! Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. It felt like a human zoo.. Not really much in her comment to provoke a snippy answer anyway. And I think the criticism of the PDA policy is quite apt. unless you are a member of the clergy etc YOU ARE IN THE SECULAR WORLD. Yeah, the campus is pretty, but the culture is weird. O'Donnell's biggest building contribution was the new Chapel of Christ the King, which he promised in his inaugural address as president. A handbook that is not going to stop a rape. Under her tenure, the graduate school began offering M.A. Her subsequent behavior is entirely consistent with that of someone who has been traumatized and assaulted. The more men have to be heroic, the more women do as well. Your article doesnt make sense . We need to hear you and your experience. No matter what your belief now, or if you have no belief at all. I cant think of anything more serious than that, thats shy of expulsion. Required fields are marked *. The last thing Christendom needs is a kangaroo court that believes everything that comes out of accusers mouths. If you think writing dont rape people would solve anything it should be noted that most universities dont have a dont commit mass genocide policy either. In 1997, Warren Carroll acknowledged the debt Christendom College owed to L. Brent Bozell Jr. and Triumph magazine in his obituary for Bozell: In 1979, the College acquired its new campus in Front Royal, Virginia, overlooking the Shenandoah River. 2,933 Followers. Now the students may be less prepared for rape, rape that happens off campus(like a clean house doesnt prepare a person for germs), due to their sheltered background, but thats not exactly the schools fault. Is that whats happening right now?'. Not a one that I knew. Very interesting. Im glad to see Christendom has made some changes and I certainly hope it will continue to educate its students and do all they can do to minister to needs and address wrongs. Episode #60: Who or what is a Malcolm Gladwell? Im a Canadian and while on a bus road trip around the US at 17 (amazing I wasnt murdered), I stopped there to check it out at my dads prompting. If a Catholic institution is not doing this better than anywhere, what is their justification? [28] College President Timothy O'Donnell acknowledged victims in an official statement, saying, "We have failed some of our students. If these girls arent worldly and thats why this happened then there really is no safety left anywhere. For a piece of journalism like this to make such accusations without even one example just shows what a hack job they did on this hit piece. That is a philosophical question where I think people can legitimately disagree. After graduation, she went to a catholic high school that was run by nuns. They know they are not as upstanding as they would like. Christendom College does not receive federal funding, and so is not subject to Title IX regulations, which would legally require it to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments. Just like all men who overpower women should, personally Id like to know if he grew up in a Novus Ordo mass if we are going to start taking these types of potshots.and if his parents did too.. Money should not stand in the way of your dreams, Those looking at Catholic colleges frequentlyask: How can I afford this education? Whenit comes to Christendom College, the realquestion families should be asking is: Howcan I afford not to attend Christendom?. In my head I thought he was able to walk away does he really love me? We women all love being loved, and physical intimacy is such a natural sign of love and acceptance. Burning at the stake fits the witch-hunt analogy, because thats what this article amounts to. While I am not a Christendom graduate, I know many graduates. A school can also take rape allegations seriously, and remove the accused person from campus. Youve pushed the boundaries so far that the man is no longer in control. Their response was a poor excuse for an apology. Christendom is praised as a safe haven where young students can focus on their studies, grow in their faith, and "breathe the Catholic air." Graduates can choose from three theological concentrations: Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, and Catechetics. There were crazy people, there were priests who dispensed truly awful guidance in spiritual direction. But current students and alumni say the school has a boys will be boys attitude which allows the male students to harass and grab at the women. I dont think beyond reasonable doubt is a necessary criterion in such a situation. Andrew, This has been mine. The school apparently based its response on two facts: First, there was, in 2011, no clause in the student handbook prohibiting sexual assault. duplicitous. Was there ever a police report filed? Could it be because the policy might show the school in a favorable light? National Congress On The Word Of God: A Two-Edged Sword By WILLIAM H. MARSHNER. And St. Peters church (or rather the organ there). Asking questions are really good thing if you She describes the open houses that would take place in the dorms once a semester. For the unfamiliar, Christendom is a small conservative-Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, VA. Its intended mission is to equip Catholic students to 'restore all things in Christ' (though you can guess how well that turned out with me). Of course, the university wouldnt be so tactless: thats the engineer in me coming out. I dont like it, but I do get why they cant sling accusations around. It specifically mentions witnesses. I feel so freaked out right now. I attended Steubie in the mid 2000s. Accustomed to a large, sociable, extended family, she knew Christendom would be conservative, but was bemused by the strict segregation of males and females. Actually, if you read what the new sexual assault policy is, it is much more than Smith claims. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and has been characterized as a conservative Catholic liberal arts college. While not commenting on this particular scenario, it got me musing (once again) on the whole problem of sexual assault and the current #metoo movement. Thats not how it works in any of the college towns Ive lived in, and I live in one now, where we also have a military base, and the base police dont have jurisdiction outside the base, for the most part. I always find it interesting they always try to punish students for drinking off campus, if you come back to campus drunk, Smith said. We Dare to be Great. Frankly I think you have misused a term that is quite affectionate.school is a place to learn and at this particular school it is a place to strengthen ones faith. Christendom offered a bulleted list of things they have done which were not reported on by the Fishers, implying that this is basically a smear campaign which is only willing to report on one side of the story. Second, I havent seen any evidence in this article or in Christendoms response that the accused was placed before college authorities and questioned regarding the incident. Critics claimed that conservative schools, such as Hillsdale College, Grove City College, and Christendom were intentionally left off due to their conservative values. This is still America. BUT you say it with a sigh and throw your head back the man interprets it all as an indication that you actually want him to keep going. It creates an unhealthy culture. Christendom College University of Toronto-Regis College Experience Priest in Residence Christendom College Oct 2021 - Present1 year 2 months Assistant Professor Santa Clara University Sep. Ive always thought that would be delightful and I graduated in 2000 from Christendom. The entire passage describing his offense is as follows: Specifically, you admitted: to placing your hand on Adele Smiths knee, attempting to provoke her to slap you and or to kiss you to deal with her frustrations with you, and finally for telling some students around campus that she had seduced you. Bishop Finn of Kansas City was convicted for failing to report suspected child abuse because he HESITATED to report it. Her parents, brother, and friends encouraged her to transfer. Whatever happened to justice? I think people in leadership positions, especially those who are tasked with ensuring the safety of communities, have to man up and make difficult decisions sometimes, even at the risk of being regarded as unfair. Students werent forced off campus to have sex; they always found some place to do it, even if it was in a medieval dungeon. Banning them from living on campus and allowing a professor to shelter them does not protect other students. When I tried to figure out what had happened, I would say, He had sex with me, but I didnt, she said. We trusted each other and believed ourselves to be a self-selecting group of the Good Guys. Your email address will not be published. [3] The college also retired nearly $600,000 in debt without disrupting the growth of the college.[8]. I cant stop him, apparently, she recalled thinking. Christendom has taken several steps forward. It says she felt like the provost didnt care which is entirely subjective, and wasnt able to respond promptly, especially since extra duties were imposed on him and probably didnt have an exact answer ready for them anyway. A male Residence Life staff member also lives on campus to assist the men. Be a patron of the (f)arts! It can, however, cost people their livelihoods and smear the reputation of people and universities. Like Christendom, Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) in Santa Paula, Calif., is one of many small Catholic liberal arts colleges well known for faithfulness to the magisterium. While Ill admit Im not sure management dealt with the matter as well as they could have, I have zero doubt a great deal of these complaints are from people that want to exploit Christendom as a hypocritical Catholic institution. How unromantic! I am very sorry to hear of any sexual assault and it can happen in Front Royal. Now that everyone has cellphones, it would be cool if the school set up a service where you could text for a pickup if youre in trouble for instance if youre at a party where youre being pressured to drink, or alone in a car with a pushy guy. Rather, it is a guide the way, the truth, and the life.[26], By refusing to accept most forms of federal funding, Christendom College is exempt from many federal guidelines concerning sex-based and other forms of discrimination (e.g., Title IX), investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, and the sharing of information about on-campus crimes. Some of those rapists are in places like Christendom, places you would think would be safe, you know, like the company of priests when you are an altar boy. 2) The schools which do not have PDA rules, or whose rules are less strict still have rape. What drives couples off campus is the desire to do things that are prohibited on campus; things which the college prohibits precisely because they can lead people to tempt themselves and each other. This article sounds like Stephanie Meyer had a hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! When you have an educational institution; especially a residential one that does not have an explicit sexual assault policy on the books in 2010, its absolutely reasonable to criticize the institution and its actions. That isnt acceptable, even in secular workplaces, and is a breathtaking accusation. Founded in 1977 in response to the devastating blow inflicted on Catholic higher education by the cultural revolution which swept across America in the 1960s, Christendoms goal is to provide a truly Catholic education in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and thereby to prepare students for their role as lay apostles to restore all things in Christ. [18] The Chapel will officially be dedicated and opened to the public in the spring of 2023. Rapists should be burnt at the stake, but going on a witch-hunt for rape culture does not help. It only works with Weinstein and Cosby because there were like 30+ allegations. President The inaccuracies you mention are minor. The Semester in Rome includes a continuation of the College's core curriculum program for juniors (THEO 301 Moral Theology during the Fall; and THEO 302 Apologetics in the spring), as well as courses in Italian, Roman Art & Architecture, and the Language, Culture, and History of Rome. False accusations may be relatively rare, but they are still real. Unfortunately, sexual assault is happening throughout the Catholic (and homeschooling) community in Front Royal, not just Christendom. Small, comfy (by Catholic standards), friendly, followed Church rules, Catholic-focused academics (theology classes, everything oriented toward Europe and Church history, etc.). Carroll remained as president until 1985 when Dr. Damian Fedoryka was named as the second president. Gary Althen, the editor of the campus paper, refused to apologize for running the article, writing an editorial in which he explained that he himself "hated his country, and had learned to hate it at the University of Colorado.". Im so sorry you were raped, Jenislawski said. Although the school imposed sanctions on the young man, he was taken under the wing of one of its founders and professors, William Marshner, and he lived in Marshners house for the semester he was barred from living on campus. After Adele did slap you, you allegedly said, If you slapped me really hard and it really hurt, I wouldnt want to kiss you. It is further alleged that on other occasions you went out of your way to volunteer with groups of friends that Adele had seduced you.
