I am so sorry for this woman, rape is a horrible crime on so many levels, maybe one of the worst aspects is the lack prosecution. Not quoted or described? Students to Spend Spring Break on Mission Trips, Womens Basketball Takes Runner-Up in Conference Tournament, Christendom Rugby Punches Ticket to Nationals. If not, then how is the school supposed to levy public punishments that would permittly alter this guys life if the woman would not go forward to authorities? If not, then how is the school supposed to levy public punishments that would permittly alter this guys life if the woman would not go forward to authorities? 154 Following. This gives women more of an opportunity to share a concern or incident with a staff member they trust. It was just a generic example used year after year. Having said that, the culture on campus is not what caused the rape. We trusted each other and believed ourselves to be a self-selecting group of the Good Guys. Theresa, I agree the Admin still needs to prove it is committed and i think the spotlight being held on them by this article will be helpful. Enjoy your freedom. That being noted, it would actually makes MORE sense, and would seem MORE effective, to refuse students the option of leaving, than to allow them make out spots. Ive always thought that would be delightful and I graduated in 2000 from Christendom. No, it takes opening a word document and writing it up: Dont rape people. If theres a single member on your board who has an issue with that, they shouldnt be on that board, Smith said. Oct. 12, 202201:21. And its really sad when a woman is then abused in this way. A journalist should protect his good name until he is proven guilty, but the school should not? In speaking with our counsel, it is my understanding that under Virginia law, the doctrine of in loco parentis as applied to colleges and universities simply means that Christendom has a responsibility to provide a safe campus for its students. To me that sort of practice betrays more about the motivations of the reporter than the matters on which he/she reports. Extraordinary how you miraculously have the ability and the right to judge her soul from an article. A change.org petition in support of O'Donnell was signed by over 1,000 people. P.S. We should demand it be better. Are you a woman (or AFAB)? His behavior is horrible and I hope that he experiences the full extent of the justice system. Seriously. In 2021, the rugby team won the National Collegiate Rugby Cohen Cup National Championship in Houston, Texas, defeating New Mexico Tech. Her hatred for Christendom is glaring. When I approached President ODonnel about it, I was stone-walled. That is no small feat. And certainty this is a universal problem, but Christendom was the first place I ever had to sit at a desk and be talked about in terms like less rational,secondary and obedient. He further harassed her, had told several of his friends that she had seduced him. Their donations requests are a joke. In The Sin of White Supremacy: Christianity, Racism and Religious Diversity in America (Orbis, 2017), Jeannine Hill Fletcher, Ph.D., professor of theology, examines theology's culpability in perpetuating ideas that elevate both Christianity and whiteness over all else. In essence, the earliest vision of Christendom was a vision of a Christian theocracy, a government founded upon and upholding Christian values, whose institutions are spread through and over with Christian doctrine. Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. My objective is to make Christendom more accountable for the safety of its students. Its way too small. We have a new sexual harassment and assault policy published in the Student Handbook with instructions on how to report sexual harassment and assault and how to receive resources for recovery (page 29 of the student handbook). A complete careful investigation, in their own words. I hope and pray that the uncovering of these wrongs will enable the college to properly apologize and make amends for their failures. That is not an easy thing to set up, yet the article claims that adding a sexual assault policy to the handbook is as easy as, opening a word document and writing it up: Dont rape people.'. How can young people be prepared to succeed and keep the Faith in such a world? Probably liability reasons. This puts students at greater risk. Today, we remain among the fewer than 1% of Catholic universities in the United States that reject all federal government aid. The lack of process in place is about the same for most schools that size and design. Doesnt a higher responsibility denote a special power to influence culture? The school does not accept federal funding. von | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | A.M.D.G. Christendom has no love, and without love there is only tyranny. it was that, or sit in a brightly-lit classroom, with room for the Holy Spirit between you, and since its a public area, anybody might happen by and join you. Open your eyes; the inward and the outward ones, Simcha, and realize that the secular law will never be more then a band-aid for these types of crimes with a festering wound underneath. Why do we have to wait for the guy to respond? It still deserves to be addressed adequately by the Admins, but we were much safer than most campuses. From its founding, Christendom College has rejected federal funding. Please think twice next time before you do that. No one doubts that passion is difficult, that lust is strong and difficult to master. Or are you saying that governmental control might make this sinful/violent act not happen. It was still seen that women should be revered for other reasons by these men. The idea is that if you dont have make out places, youll get rape places. Note: This subreddit is a support forum and not a debate group and will be moderated accordingly. Never mind the mental health agony I endured in thinking I had brought on myself same-sex erotic involvement. The idea of being torn apart in court by someone with a law degree, and it being in the paper, was too much for me to imagine. The schools rigid rules governing male and female interaction werent just awkward, though. You are very brave. These are Catholic seminarians. To find out more about Student Achievement at Christendom, click here. The message delivered was clear, according to Smith. It is not uncommon, either. Youve pushed the boundaries so far that the man is no longer in control. People will actually believe this ludicrous drivel. I just dont think they could afford it. Which most of us dont want to read. There is no thrill in rape. All I do have is the perspective of a dumb young adult who thought he'd found Heaven's outpost on earth. The college had no policy on sexual assault? It was a good conversation, to this day he is one of the only people I've spoken with in real life who I think truly understood the problem and its implications. We need to hear you and your experience. I sympathize with the people who want a man to be expelled based on one womans testimony (such as in the above article), but we have to admit that is at the expense of innocent men getting expelled as well. It seems to me that men who lure women into back seats of cars in secluded places would have an even easier time saying Hey, come up to my room to watch a movie. With the roommate being already asked to give them privacy. So you know how safe it felt and looked. Again, every college in America that has less strict PDA rules (nearly every college in America) has rape. She links to it directly! Never, though, would I equate that with saying rape is OK. Enjoy your sparkles. Umm okay? The administration handled a tough situation, that had no evidence supporting the claims of the girl, as best as can be expected. Enjoy a visit to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia! higher education Discover more about Christendom College Others Named Mark Fusco Mark Fusco Account Executive at Black Kite Mark Fusco College students are able to refrain the same as monks, office workers, single adults and most adults in public life. Students from over 45 states and 7 foreign countries are attracted to the Colleges Catholic family atmosphere and its dedication to the restoration of a truly Catholic culture. The woman interviewed described what she remembered from the time she was there. Critics claimed that conservative schools, such as Hillsdale College, Grove City College, and Christendom were intentionally left off due to their conservative values. I agree with Ren. Christendom is praised as a safe haven where young students can focus on their studies, grow in their faith, and breathe the Catholic air. But several former and current students say the schools sheltered, highly structured campus culture actually facilitates sexual assault and that the administration works harder to protect its reputation than it does to protect its students. 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. hanging alongside her brown scapula. Going Drinkin with Lincoln before class on Lincolns Birthday and getting buzzed or worse. I emerged with my virginity intact. Question: are the writers christendom 2020 and sophomore girl at Christendom the same girl/ writer? the letters read to indicate the same writer. Gigi, when I dated a man who attended Christendom, we had extended conversations about the philosophy of human nature that led one of the professors to conclude that, among other things, (a) women are ontologically inferior to men and (b) women shouldnt vote. no government financial help??? Christendom College - Niche Whatever happened to justice? I feel challenged, respected, and loved by my teachers and am so grateful to be their student. He said / she said is a real thing and a difficult thing to manage. We have to ask ourselves if its okay for innocent men to have lives ruined for the trade off of punishing all the men who deserve it. Mary Statue By AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (. Inaccuracies did not have to do with Miss Smiths heartbreaking account. Im no longer Catholic, and I think the disillusionment I developed there is part of why or at least sped up the timeline of me leaving. No matter how it is said, when it is said. All I can say is, be happy the shackles are gone. There was nothing to stop this from happening again, Smith said. Her article makes plenty of sense. 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. I love how liberal dissidents throw trad around like its some kind of slur. Back at the time, when I was an 18-year-old fresh convert, it was EXACTLY the kind of place I wanted to be. None of us were involved in the off campus drinking by the riveras were all the Trad kidsand no doubt the sexual assault that went with it. Protected: Podcast 3dunno: Even Wilder Turkey! And I think hearing the other side is always critical. i Love this reply. Smith and her family were floored. complicated memories of the place. Christendom College. And flexed/hid behind his AUTHORITY at the slightest hint of challenge. Its handling of the case may not have been malicious, but it was certainly pusillanimous. No means no. The other allegations against him were also by hearsay, and they put those allegations in writing and asked him to defend himself. Come on. Here he was accused of rape, but they got him on harassment to be banned from the campus. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college offering a time-tested and rigorous education that develops the student's intellect in such a powerful way that he graduates with the ability to master any. You keep going. The article linked directly to the current handbook.. This would be a situation in which shed be even less safe as the university would literally have no leverage over him. 239: Spot the fiendish thingy, Whats for supper, vol. Contact the Site Admin. As of the fall of 2022, the college has over 4,000 alumni, with 2,194 of them having earned degrees (A.A., B.A., or M.A.).[3]. That whole place was dressed in golden robes lined with lead. But more importantly, I think that you might be using the term more broadly than is appropriate in this matter. And on the outside, this torture of wanting to stay chaste yet wanting to see that a man loves you and wanting to fully embrace him comes across in very vague and misleading body language. People are fallible and improvements can always be made but Im sorry, how would anyone miss that rape falls into the category of mortal sin .and yes Moral Theology is covered freshman year. "[35] Luckey was a professor at Christendom College from 1984 until he retired in 2015, according to a statement on the college's website. Students live near the Vatican during the fall and spring, taking classes in St. Peter's Square and traveling across Europe during their time abroad. Smith and her brother stayed long after midnight talking, and Jenislawski told her he knew something had happened to her. Elaine Gunthorpe - Christendom College February 28, 2023 Dissident LGBT Catholic group praises university as 'model' for promoting agenda. He told me he was often bothered by the question about the purpose of satan's existence as a specifically troubling version of the problem of evil. Christendom is very diligent in making sure that it provides a safe campus for the education of our students.. Protected: Ill See Myself Out, Episode 62: Episodic! Racism among white Christians is higher than among the nonreligious However, a private institution has some flexibility in such matters, and it is not entirely dependent upon the acts of civil authorities. The culture on campus protects you from being raped on campus, which is why this incident took place off site. When I left the DHS I got a teaching job at a progressive catholic high school and the culture shock was intense. Would you like to explain, please, what you mean by inaccuracies? I remember at one point breaking into tears talking to someone because I missed the DHS so much. Are you joking? we have reports that indicate that you have violated the Code of Student Conduct by harassing another student and causing emotional harm. I dont know what transpired during their internal investigation, but the college could have called both accused and accuser (separately) to give testimony in the presence of an attorney. Mark Fusco - Priest in Residence - Christendom College | Business Now though, I can confidently say I turned it around. And, of course, they could have gone for a walk down the road if all they wanted was to hold hands. I knew sooner or later someone would bring up the Novus Ordo Mass. I didnt feel like the article clearly painted a picture of how she was personally treated poorly. I considered Christendom, but that seemed a bit too much for me at the time. so: it is either a case of the same writer pretending to be two writer. or CC issues pre-fabed letters that require only a signature- if that. I am not only respected by my peers but also my teachers. The reports indicate that Adele Smith indicated, after a prior incident with you, that she no longer wanted a relationship with you. Smith, who was then a sophomore, says she was so naive, she didnt even know to use the word rape until many months later. 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. While I am not a Christendom graduate, I know many graduates. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Because if there were no chastity policy, people wouldnt be pushed into secret places andcould be openly unchaste. For this reason, I am particularly honored to associate myself with such a fine Catholic institution of higher learning and my prayers are that Christendom College will enjoy many more years of service in the education and formation of young people.[22], Christendom College is also listed as a Recommended College by the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. A few weeks after I got back home, I had my last drink and Ive been sober since. But the job of the press would be to make me out a liar, Smith said, noting that rape victims often find the trial to be more traumatizing than the actual event. Are you saying that these rapists would have been content to make out on a public bench or in a public common room? I do think it unfair and infuriating that in the modern world where young people are wandering in a culture without any norms or mores, women are less protected and offer suffer much more than the men do. And I did end up seeing that friar once for counselling but he activated several gut feelings to stay away, and so I did. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and has been characterized as a conservative Catholic liberal arts college. Have we learned nothing in the past 15 years? Within a month of the fundraiser's launch, roughly 70%, or $28 million, had been raised for the campaign. The fact that they used a separate situation to impose a restriction on him should give you a sense of how they had to act within their own evidentiary boundaries to avoid being sued. You could have discussed it without illustrating it so clearly. This is part of the problem: college kids are not children but adults with agency to make decisions for their life. If you dont have weed places, does that mean youll get crack places? Now, perhaps well-meaning couples end up going farther in private than they would if they could kiss in public, but were not talking about well-meaning couples, were talking about rapists and victims. The students views, whether they arrived with them or picked them up at Christendom, were wildly sexist both men and women. Its also a great way to smear the innocent and destroy reputations or get legally sued into bankruptcy. But I want to illustrate the difficulty in really navigating the issue of consent and assault. : Any other apostate Cdom grads out there, or anyone with a relatable experience of Catholic higher education? Im also trying to highlight what I see as a global problem concerning the question of consent which I think is very nebulous. Off campus. There is a french expression a la folie; when you love someone a la folie, it means you love them to the point of madness. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee in austria i was still unhappy, decided to leave early with an Associates degree. Overview Christendom College is a Comprehensive institution located in Front Royal, VA, in a rural setting. You might think to yourself, as Miss Smith did for example, Is this really happening? with 50% terror and 50% thrill. Adele Smith, class of 2012, experienced some culture shock when she arrived at Christendom. They explained to her that a prosecutor would take her case, but that the chances of going to trial, much less of the young man being prosecuted, were very low. The school promised to conduct a complete and careful investigation.. My inclination is that this was rape and the man is guilty. In 1983, the Institute was permitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to grant degrees. Hurt by Catholics? It would be good if Christendoms response was similarly specific. Why not with the rape? As part of this commitment, the College undertakes to educate the student body about sexual harassment and assault. Its commitment to providing its students with an integrated, rigorous core curriculum, combined with a vibrant Catholic atmosphere that permeates every aspect of the college experience, marks it as a distinctive and precious resource. Never tell a rape or assault victim that consent is nebulous. Why not with the rape? Im not saying that the accused should have been expelled. In retrospect, I can say, Youre a dummy! But back then, I was nineteen. A Christendom drop out here. Hes not going to fall for that. The College offers two/three daily Masses; daily Confession, Rosary, and Eucharistic adoration; and celebrates together many liturgical and cultural feasts. The exhilaration is so much that you cant think straight, you get dizzy. Could the students be provided with more places to hang out together in small groups? Is it supported by super-strength body language? While it is reasonable for a Catholic school to allow chaste PDAs, its not necessary that do so. Huh. They re-wrote the handbook over the summer? The rape occurred on Friday, October 2, 2009, on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, about thirty minutes away from the college campus. So places without rda rules have less rape? Hes not stopping. Ive been guessing and guessing whoever it is seems to still have his good reputation intact. Or how uber conservatives throw trad and Tridentine around like they are some kind of guarantee for sanctity. I've got one that's somewhat similar. I dont know what the college should have done or not done. nor were the other women I know who hung out with them. Campus Reform the #1 Source for College News The guilt I still carry from a year there was crushing - it was constant write ups for dress code, curfew violations because of my off campus job etc. 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 learned to feel simultaneously persecuted, superior, and self-hating in that bizarre Catholic mix; I learned little about the actual human experience or the world around us. This sounds like a solution I would expect from a small school, where something major is placed on them. So I pinned all my hopes for justice on my Catholic, conservative college, to uphold moral principles., So she went to the then-dean, Jesse Dorman, and reported the rape and subsequent harassment. At that point, any option is deteriorating in safety. In this period, members of the Christian clergy wield political authority. Dr. Timothy T. ODonnell Youve been completely infected by the porn saturated culture we live in. In 2018, while delivering the Commencement Address for Christendom, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said, This is a wonderful, wonderful, college a decidedly Catholic college, and I am decidedly and unapologetically Catholic. 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. Just to hold hands, theyd go off campus for a date; and by off campus, it could in be in the woods, or in a field down the road. Congrats for finding a better life path. Especially, never talk about the training RAs have undergone and all the other things the university has done to improve their support of women in rape cases. christendom college racism - seth-yang.com Another day, while other students played some sort of game on campus, the young man approached her and began to insist that she slap him across the face. Students are prohibited from doing something reasonable on campus. Episode #60: Who or what is a Malcolm Gladwell? It has nothing to do with thinking that drinking is worse than sexual assault. Its not 50% excitement its 100% terror. the men of tis campus are filled with a joy in being a gentleman to every girl. (frankly, my dear, i would stay clear of all of those guys. Its not completely new to me, since Gasp! The town and the college have a very interesting relationship. Finally comfortable in my own skin, as long as I avoid the dreaded Catholic bubble. It specifically mentions witnesses. A US NEWS & WORLD REPORT article says it isnt working too well. The curriculum consists of three years of study in Theology, three years in Philosophy, two years in English Language and Literature, two years in Classical or Modern Language, two years in History, one year in Political Science and Economics, one year in Mathematics and Natural Science, and 4 years of Education for Life career preparation coursework. Its portrayed here as poorly as possible but you cant just go ruining guys lives like this. Because Simcha has an ax to grind. Thank you for writing that. )Total Undergraduates: 544 (from 45 States and 6 foreign countries)Male/Female Ratio:45:55, Freshman Standardized Test Scores:Average SAT score (out of 1600): 1270Average ACT score (out of 36): 27Average CLT score (out of 120): 89, Tuition: $28,500Room & Board:$12,150Required Fees: $1,020, Freshman Retention Rate: 85%Graduation Rate: 69% 4 years (2018-2022 average)% Courses with fewer than 20 students: 59%Student/Faculty Ratio:15:1% Courses Taught by Teaching Assistants:03 Most Popular Majors:History, Philosophy, Political Science% Students Living on Campus: 90%% Students receiving need-based financial aid:55%% Students receiving need-based or merit-based aid: 80%Acceptance Rate: 77%Yield Rate: 50%. The Christendom scandal, is about an administration, who got ahold of a case after the legal authorities were already informed and failed to do anything, and then tried to fix the problem in a very lowkey diplomatic way, that would prevent them from being sued by the kids family. Smith had hurt her back in a car accident when she was a freshman. Same; I also feel like I wasted my college years on Catholic garbage, but I also broke free and am living much more healthily than I was back there. I know I do. They had to drive. As far as I can see, either your outrage should be with park police and the legal system that did nothing, as opposed to the school which actually did something(albeit minor), or you should be mad at yourselves for not hiring a bounty hunter to mutilate the guy. He started kissing her. [17] The actual reason was that, because the colleges all refused to take federal funding, they did not report the data used to compile the scorecard to the federal government. I used to argue with the Dominicans at St. Mary's in New Haven (close to campus). Since 1977, Christendom has been providing the best Catholic liberal arts education to prepare students to restore all things in Christ. Her subsequent behavior is entirely consistent with that of someone who has been traumatized and assaulted. Christendom College was gestated in the womb of, Student sexual assault and harassment allegations, Christendom College Graduate School of Theology, See Ibby Caputo and Jon Marcus, "The Controversial Reason Some Religious Colleges Forgo Federal Funding,", The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, The John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, The Founding, the Building, and the Glory of Christendom College, "A History of Christendom College | Christendom College", "About Federal Funding | Christendom College", ":: Christendom College News and Events:: The Origins of Christendom College", "Rankings & Endorsements | Christendom College", "A Catholic university providing undergraduate and graduate degrees in a vibrantly Catholic environment | Franciscan University of Steubenville", "Christendom Launches 45th Anniversary Year with Record Enrollment", "Christendom Defies National Enrollment Trend, Implements Waiting List", "Undergraduate Faculty | Christendom College", "White House 'College Scorecard' shuts out conservative schools", "Christendom College to Dedicate New Chapel Next April", "Pope St. John Paul II Meets with Christendom College", "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College", "Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivers the commencement address at Christendom College", https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-controversial-reason-some-religious-colleges-forgo-federal-funding/490253/, "Are women safe in Christendom's bubble?