Sampath’s post needs to incite action


In a recent viral post on Facebook, Undergraduate Student Government President Rini Sampath recounted a story in which a man allegedly hurled racially charged insults and a drink cup at her as she walked past his fraternity house. Sampath’s popular post — which has garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of shares — implored USC students not only to think about discrimination but also to stand up for fellow Trojans.

Sampath is absolutely correct: Enough is enough. USC should be a safe and inclusive place for all people. It is unlikely that anyone on this campus disagrees with that sentiment.

Trojans know that inclusivity is a problem at USC. In Spring 2013, nearly 80 LAPD officers aggressively broke up a house party primarily attended by black students, arresting six students in the process. USC’s response was to hold a public forum, but little changed. Recently, the “I, Too, Am USC” Tumblr page began detailing harassment against “marginalized communities,” according to the page.

But these words, as well-liked and frequently shared as they are, can only go so far. The greek system is powerful, entrenched and set in its ways at USC. Fraternities and sororities spend more effort on parties, matching t-shirts and hair flips than they do on improving their relations with marginalized communities. Those actions tell the USC community where greek priorities lie.

That’s not to say that everyone involved with greek life on campus is discriminatory or a bad person. Rather, as an institution, the greek system allows a certain level of intolerance from individuals and does not do enough to combat that injustice.

Problematically, USC seems to be gearing up for more talks instead of pressing for action. Monday morning the Washington Post quoted USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni, who said that USC wants “to create a dialogue” about the incident. Soni further said that Sampath will be able to create a conversation on campus. USC has hosted conversations before, from presentations and forums from nearly every group on campus and the high-profile discussion mentioned above after the incident in 2013, to investigations in student publications about race, identity and inclusivity on campus. These are all powerful voices, but they have obviously not changed race relations enough on campus to prevent the alleged racial attack on Saturday night.

Instead of more talks or discussions, the University and Sampath need to act. There are three ways to change behavior: carrots, sticks and sermons. Sampath, USC’s public forums and others have delivered the sermons — now it is time to use carrots and sticks to encourage change. Carrots encourage socially beneficial behavior, such as completing diversity trainings or incorporating new minority members into the greek system, by handing out USC- or USG-backed benefits to compliant greek houses. Sticks discourage socially harmful behavior, like hurling epithets or drink cups at others, by sanctioning noncompliant organizations and revoking their privileges.

To begin, USC needs to investigate this incident and be prepared to punish the alleged perpetrator. Soni correctly encouraged Sampath report the incident to USC’s Bias Assessment Response & Support office, which handles discrimination. But regardless of whether Sampath reports the incident, USC should investigate, and, if the alleged perpetrator is found to be culpable under applicable USC standards, punish him accordingly. USC’s Title IX office is already empowered to investigate sexual misconduct without a victim’s report “where there is evidence that a respondent (whether an individual student or organization) may pose a substantial threat to the safety or well-being of one or more members of the university community,” and the Bias Assessment Response & Support office should be similarly empowered, if it is not already, and should investigate this incident, because this kind of discrimination poses a substantial threat to the university community.

This problem will take more than words because the issue is entrenched in large, slow-changing organizations. No sermon, however powerful, will change intolerant behavior overnight in an institution as big as USC greek life. Instead, USC and Sampath must reward institutional and individual compliance with SCampus anti-discrimination policies, and, more importantly, punish malfeasance. Taking away the parties, matching t-shirts and hair flips that the Row holds so dearly will lead to compliance. Compliance will become acceptance, acceptance will become the norm and eventually diversity and inclusion will be an institutional value in USC greek life.

The student body and the student press should watch and ensure that USC and Sampath follow through with their promises to fight discrimination at USC. The University has a long history of hosting talks, but problems persist. Sampath also has a record of making promises and not following through. In a retrospective on the Menard-Sampath administration published in February 2015, the Daily Trojan noted, “Some of the hoped-for changes have yet to be made, though progress has been ongoing.” While that standard may be satisfactory for the dozens of campaign pledges Sampath made while running twice for school-wide election, it is not acceptable for an issue this integral to the Trojan Family.

Sampath’s words are powerful. She and USC need to follow them up with even more powerful actions to create lasting changes. USC will be watching.

50 replies
  1. Ashley
    Ashley says:

    Why is it so hard to believe that this COULD have happened? I don’t really think a person in her position would claim such an incident happened on a Saturday night on The Row–with allegedly more than one frat brother around, not to mention whoever she was with, and whoever may (or may not) have been within earshot. I think she is avoiding attention by not publicly naming the person or the fraternity, and likely all those involved have been instructed not to discuss the matter by the university’s (or their own) legal counsel.

    If this did happen, it should be the fraternity that should step up and take responsibility for the actions of their members, apologize and punish the member accordingly. Fraternities (and sororities) these days need to work double time to get past their images if they want to stay relevant in the collegiate world for years to come, like it or not. Schools are working hard to become more diverse, and with that diversity comes fewer people who are willing to put up with the status quo.

    You’ll never be the jerk for feeling angry that this might have happened, but you will definitely be the jerk assuming it didn’t.

    • Alex Hartmann
      Alex Hartmann says:

      “You’ll never be the jerk for feeling angry that this might have
      happened, but you will definitely be the jerk assuming it didn’t.”

      You hit the nail on the head and destroyed your own argument. She is using her lie to grandstand and garner attention. In today’s society, especially on college campuses, the benefit goes to the woman or the minority claiming these things happened; in her case it’s a double whammy. Women like her make shit like this up all the time. Just look at the woman who carried around the mattress she was allegedly raped on, she was proven to be a liar.

      • Ashley
        Ashley says:

        It’s cute that your tactic here is to try to be the most offensive to garner the most attention. What was that again about attention seeking behaviors?

        • Alex Hartmann
          Alex Hartmann says:

          Then obviously you need to learn how to present more concise and precise points. Perhaps you should take a few more English classes and pay less attention to social issues.

    • Michael Wittmann
      Michael Wittmann says:

      She claimed the incident happened. Said she does not want to make a big deal about it. But she posts on public social media platform which people WILL SEE. She accepts to do interviews with website like Cosmopolitan which people WILL SEE. And the incident leads to opinion articles like this which people WILL SEE. Sounds like she seeking attention for her greater aims. Dragging public support with her under the banner “You don’t agree with my position than your a jerk and part of the problem”

    • Michael Wittmann
      Michael Wittmann says:

      Why don’t you ask the young girls and boys of Germany how diversity is going for them? Or you could ask the 1400 odd children of Rotherham, England how forced cultural diversity helped them too.

    • Michael Wittmann
      Michael Wittmann says:

      “I don’t really think a person in her position would claim such an incident happened on a Saturday night on The Row–with allegedly more than one frat brother around, not to mention whoever she was with, and whoever may (or may not) have been within earshot.”

      –“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”

  2. louis redfoot
    louis redfoot says:

    if it happened, at least it was overt. micro/passive/overt aggression is much more common. ever look at an asian with a tilted head? that’s prohibited in some companies (someone at starbucks actually got fired for doing that).

    and who took away the capital letters on the university homepage?

    • Alex Hartmann
      Alex Hartmann says:

      So asking someone who speaks broken English to repeat himself is racist now? What is I asked an American with a thick Virginian or Minnesotan accent to do the same? Would or should I get fired from Starbucks then? What kind of sick ride are we on?

      • louis redfoot
        louis redfoot says:

        it depends, but that is my point exactly: passive aggression is a dangerous problem because it’s hard to prove. in that sense it’s like stealing: it allows someone to make an attack without owning up to it. it’s a problem of the generation and only something i really started noticing post-9’11.

  3. Doodoo
    Doodoo says:

    Her facebook post indicates she was walking with her friends on Saturday night when the alleged incident occurred. Thus, it should be no problem for law enforcement to investigate the alleged “hate crime” and interview each and every one of these friends individually to get the exact details of the alleged incident.

    That NO ONE has come forward publicly with CORROBORATING evidence to support this claimed incident, now over 4 days later, speaks volumes as to the reality of this claim. Much as with Rachel Dolezal and her fabricated hate crimes as well as many MANY others like it, I am certain the truth of the matter will come out eventually.

  4. technoreaper
    technoreaper says:

    This is ridiculous, Rini is a freaking whiner who just wants attention. This incident has been overblown.

    • Michael von Juden
      Michael von Juden says:

      She is grand-standing with the incident. She is using this situation as a precedent for a propaganda push for “safe zones, gender neutral bathrooms” the list goes on. It is all in her interview with cosmopolitan.

        • Michael Wittmann
          Michael Wittmann says:

          All people in any political position have ideologies and objectives when they hold any office regardless of power level. They have objectives that do not fit the needs the people who elect them. She has shown her true colors here by such a statement and by her recent moves.

          • Varadarajan Ravindran
            Varadarajan Ravindran says:

            Please do not preach to us about discrimination. We have got MS and PhD degrees as foreign (Indian) students in USC. We used to encounter a lot of discrimination, well over two orders of magnitude of what was faced by Rini Sampath. By the way, people like me in India had learnedto speak like Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn, Michael Caine, Roger Moore, and Gregory Peck (different accents in English language). Yet we ere overlooked for teaching positions because we were raised in a foreign country. The teaching positions went to some Eastern Europeans and Western Europeans who had problems related to both speaking and writing.

          • Alex Hartmann
            Alex Hartmann says:

            Why are you promoting the discrimination of Eastern and Western Europeans? You are literally triggering me right now. Please censor yourself and check your Indo-Aryan privilege!!

          • Varadarajan Ravindran
            Varadarajan Ravindran says:

            I am not promoting anything. You are trying to cover up things that will not augur well for our great university. It will end up like the heavily over-blown Reggie Bush matter and that caused severe but damage to USC football,

          • Michael Wittmann
            Michael Wittmann says:

            I do not think he is covering up anything…I doubt he flagged your comments like others have done to him. Your comments are here and this article is here for everyone to see. He is attempting to provide a rational angle to this whole fairy tale.

        • Michael Wittmann
          Michael Wittmann says:

          Your adhominem and discrimnatory attacks have no place here. Come back once you have thought your life over.

    • Varadarajan Ravindran
      Varadarajan Ravindran says:

      Our university is the hub of racism, and you want Rini Sampath to keep quiet! She also won the election as an undergraduate student president.

      • Michael Wittmann
        Michael Wittmann says:

        You have pretty much defeated yourself there. “We have Racism!!!!!” But the majority White European campus elected an Indian undergraduate president…… You seem to defeat your own argument.

    • Doodoo
      Doodoo says:

      None. Absolutely none. Certainly not randomly as her facebook alleges. Either this is hardly the full story, or, as is my strong suspicion, this is yet another false claim by yet another victim desperate for attention and/or to deflect from some conflict or turmoil in her life. There is a story making its rounds that she is under investigation for controversially and most likely illegally filling positions in the USG with her friends and cronies.

  5. Keepingup
    Keepingup says:

    To Alex Hartmann-I hope that post is a joke even though it isn’t a good one. You sure have rights to your opinion but something tells me you would object if you were the subject of an attack other than the one you posted. To be able to live through something like that and come out learning from it is a reason to be proud. Unfortunately, you seem to be proud of your attitude towards certain members of our community. It won’t make anyone go away nor will your fears. You need to find an African-American that doesn’t fit your stereotype and find out why you feel the way you do. You also need to find a woman that will teach you what an important part of society they are; life 100+ years ago was much different and that fit your sentiment. Thankfully things have changed. I’ll bet you have very few friends that don’t fit your profile and that will cause you problems in the future. USC and adulthood go hand in hand; learn something new each day or quit school and move to somewhere that everyone looks like you. That is not so threatening and you will still feel like you do 50 years from now.

    • Alex Hartmann
      Alex Hartmann says:

      Women were never meant to survive in a man’s world. It’s been that way since our ancestors walked upright. Traditional gender roles weren’t created as some sort of handcuff to keep the other sex down or lift the other up, they organically took shape over thousands of years. Since the women’s suffrage movements these gender roles have been more and more turned on their head, against the will of most women. Situations like this will occur, men have had to deal with the abuse of other men throughout history but they’ve for the most part dealt with it and persevered. Now women face these issues so they bitch and moan about it because they can’t deal with their problems and struggles by themselves because they’re the weaker sex. So now it’s not only the man’s job to do the lion’s share of humanity’s workload, but now we are also tasked with protecting women who, by their own freewill, thrust themselves into a man’s world.

    • Alex Hartmann
      Alex Hartmann says:

      As far as colored folks go, I’ll keep my distance and make sure they keep theirs. Their criminal statistics, not their stereotype is the reason for that.

    • Michael Wittmann
      Michael Wittmann says:

      If one does not take pride in his beliefs what else is there for him to live for? To hold one’s belief in the highest regard is at the forefront for the absolute victory of his goals

  6. Alex Hartmann
    Alex Hartmann says:

    To be fair there is no proof that the events Ms. Sampath recounted in her social media post ever happened. We need to keep in mind that she is a woman and women are pathological liars. I was robbed at knifepoint by two African American men. I think they should be removed from the campus so it can become more of a safe place. Whenever I see blacks about it triggers me. They also stink and should use different bathrooms, they always make the place smell of musk and cocoa butter. If Sampath can’t handle the bantz maybe she should go back to her ancestral homeland and take her rightful place in the designated shitting street. These frat guys sound like they’re too big of guys for her.

    And for you

  7. Ras5555
    Ras5555 says:

    Racists are a subset of a**holes. We seem to be focused on the fact when a**holes act mean towards a “victim-group”. The truth of the matter is being an a**hole is reprehensible regardless of the fact if the meanness is being acted upon a minority group or not. Would it actually not be as much a slight against our fellow human being if the frat douche said something mean towards another frat bro and threw a cup at him?

    • Michael Wittmann
      Michael Wittmann says:

      If he said it to another male there would not be an issue here. Both of them could have either confronted each other or the guy (or victim) could get over it. Why the opinions of probably drunk student matter to her personal well-being is beyond me and beyond reason. However, because she is a girl she takes emotion into account and decides to play the victim card when nothing of value was said and nothing of value was lost by saying it. Hartman was right about emotional and physical differences between women. No idea why he was censored for stating his opinion wether its fact or not. In the words of John Stuart Mill “But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they [society] are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and the livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”

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