Education

Dartmouth student who spoke ‘mock Chinese’ remains on the lam

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American college students seem to be facing massive self-esteem problems. For evidence of this mounting crisis in generational confidence, look no further than Dartmouth College, a revered member of the Ivy League that dependably ranks among the world’s academic elite.

On Jan. 23, two unnamed students were insulted on campus, in the building containing the school’s central dining hall, according to The Dartmouth, the country’s oldest college newspaper.

“Two students reported that another student walked by them, made eye contact and verbally harassed them by speaking gibberish that was perceived to be mock Chinese,” Justin Anderson, Dartmouth’s director of media relations, told the paper.

The students — who are presumably in some way of East Asian descent — did not laugh off the alleged incident. They didn’t tell the gibberish speaker that his (or her) mother wears combat boots, either. Or make fun of his ethnic background.

Instead, these two tender reeds promptly reported the utterance to the Office of Pluralism and Leadership. As The Dartmouth explains, the school’s Department of Safety and Security then launched an investigation. Something called the Bias Incident Response Team also sprung into action.

All of these bureaucrats had but one goal: to find the person responsible for possibly briefly speaking in an ersatz East Asian tongue.

As of today, however, the perpetrator of the vile mumbo jumbo remains at large.

Campus Reform contacted officials at Dartmouth, and has since updated the story.

“It is completely unacceptable for students to behave that way…ways that are completely offensive, period,” John Cramer, Dartmouth’s associate director for media relations, told Campus Reform.

The perpetrator could face expulsion if caught, Cramer added. Lesser punishments could include a fine or compulsory sensitivity training.

Cramer explained to Campus Reform that the two students never felt threatened. Nevertheless, he swore that communicating in fake Chinese is an act Dartmouth simply will not abide. Also, he said the two students were offended, which is enough to warrant a campus-wide investigation — and, possibly, an expulsion.

“It does not have to involve a physical threat,” Cramer noted. He added that the two students were “shocked at such idiocy.”

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