So this rape would not have occurred if the dorms were mixed gender? 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. I know I do. They have further to go to create safe environments for women. There was nothing to stop this from happening again, Smith said. best foods to regain strength after covid; retrograde jupiter in 3rd house; jerry brown linda ronstadt; storm huntley partner The only time that happens is when the entire story is based on a provable lie that they should have known about. I still have very fond memories of my time there and still actively keep in touch with my classmates and friends there, despite living across the country from most of them. I left at the end of my freshman year (wouldve been class of 17 if I stayed). My legs were tightly closed. Christendom is NOT in the Arctic Circle. The teachers provide a well rounded education of philosophy, history, theology, literature and political science. Justice, and not just criminal secular justice, but justice from our institutions, is a part of Catholic moral theology. Recently, one of the priests who was a major force on campus has charged with rape of a mentally-ill woman. That sounds like quite the emotional roller coaster. Because what you have doesnt pass the smell test. The truth matters little. And victims have the right to be taken seriously, to not be dismissed. I'd imagine that (patriarchal misognynists being patriarchal misogynists) the experience would've been a lot worse for those folks. Out of curiosity, why did they choose to single out Christendom of all places? She in now posting anti-church, pro-LGBTQ, pro-choice etc stuff. Ive never read porn, eeek! Please refrain from proselytizing to members of this community. She didnt want to accept that something so ugly had happened to her. The fact that little can be done in this tragedy is very much a fallen world problem, a human nature problem, and a justice system problem. Christendom has taken several steps forward. That doesnt really sound like they didnt take it seriously, but that they went above and beyond the accusation at face value and tried to address it by doing extensive research. 2023 Christendom College. Instead, youre put into remote, isolated areas where things can get out of hand.. 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. Could more evidence have been gathered? It does truly permeate the campus. Karen, So you end up having couples potentially isolate themselves. Smiths father consulted with a lawyer friend, who said that the best they could realistically hope for would be that the young mans record would include an accusation of rape. All I do have is the perspective of a dumb young adult who thought he'd found Heaven's outpost on earth. It still deserves to be addressed adequately by the Admins, but we were much safer than most campuses. Lol there was the one time I said I was suicidal youll go to hell he replied I dont care I responded your psychotic he said. You described lust and difficulty mastering it. That bothers me as well. And your describing it as such in the comments on a piece about rape is insulting and denigrating. Experience the most popular, well-attended, and highly-ranked pre-college summer program of its kind. This puts students at greater risk. Which of these rights do you want to see eliminated? [3] In 2002, Fr. Adele Smith, in the article above, expected to perpetrator to be expelled based on her narrative that she presented. The upperclassmen represntives of what Christendom molded you into slapped my hand away. 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. Such a different vibe from my Canadian background. She had no objection, as they had kissed before. von | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | 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. Christendom College offers an amazing Liberal Arts education that is immersed in the Catholic Faith. I believe Adeles story 100%. Thank you for writing this. A longtime economics and political science professor at Christendom College in Virginia has been charged with solicitation of a minor under the age of 16 and two counts of . I mainly left because they wouldnt give tenure to the head of the sacred music department because he refused to teach the history of contemporary Christian music. However, I avoided the professors whose reputation for being ultra-trad proceeded them as much as possible. Never did they go so far as to say the Imago Dei was less in us, either. But hes also smart enough to skate around any blame when there isnt any proof. It was oppressively stifling there. He responded by calling her a bitch and a prude, and saying, You know you liked it. She blocked his number. Our on-campus nurse and counselor are available at no cost and can help with trauma and recovery. When I left the DHS I got a teaching job at a progressive catholic high school and the culture shock was intense. Because Christendom is in a rural, isolated spot with few restaurants, clubs, museums or theaters, going off campus generally means going into the woods or into a field. If she simply made an error in judgment and regretted the decision, she would be stating she had sex and lost her virginity before she planned to. These are very serious accusations, and the reporting does not match the seriousness of those charges. And one of the most glaring incidents you chose to report on didnt even occur on campus, it occurred 30 minutes away. Et cetera. Do this by bringing up older, isolated issues and make it sound like the college has done next to nothing to improve. Protected: Podcast 38: In which we hit rock bottom. Ive been guessing and guessing whoever it is seems to still have his good reputation intact. Never mind the mental health agony I endured in thinking I had brought on myself same-sex erotic involvement. FORTIFYING A COLLEGE THAT PROUDLY REJECTS FEDERAL AID. Im not sure I agree with this. Tag: racism National Congress on the Word of God: A Two-Edged Sword. A few weeks after I got back home, I had my last drink and Ive been sober since. The accused have rights the right to an assumption of innocence, for one. Youve pushed the boundaries so far that the man is no longer in control. It would do a lot to restore peoples faith in the institution. Its way too small. And flexed/hid behind his AUTHORITY at the slightest hint of challenge. Then on November 24, 2009, you sat next to her on a bench and made unwanted contact with her by placing your hand on her knee. regina coeli hallBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. student centerBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, churchBy AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, mens dorm By AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, sealBy Niall ODonnell (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (. Having said that, the culture on campus is not what caused the rape. [36] He has had no interaction with the school since 2015, the college said in an interview with the Northern Virginia Daily, adding that Luckeys relationship with the school would not continue. Hurt by Catholics? He kept saying, Hit me. He kept grabbing my hand and trying to make me slap him, Smith said. The PDA does NOT push kids into private remote areas. I say, if you rape off campus, when you come back to campus, youre still a rapist.. All PDA-rule-free. . Then he tried it again, and I pushed his hand away, and said, Please, I dont want to do that. He said, Okay. Then he tried a third time, she said. I am very sorry to hear of any sexual assault and it can happen in Front Royal. If it was truly necessary that students seek sexual/affection outlets, then I dont blame Cdom for wanting to have no part in policing or monitoring, how far is too far. Chastity is their moral prerogative and they would rather err on the side of caution than participate. Catholic apologists will be perma banned without warning. I went to an elite secular college and had a pretty bad experience. Her article makes plenty of sense. 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. The steps they have taken are a good beginning, but only that. She was at a party hosted by her theology teacher, Eric Jenislawski, after a meeting of the Chester-Belloc Debate Society. The last thing Christendom needs is a kangaroo court that believes everything that comes out of accusers mouths. If the intent here is to correct inaccuracies rather than, as it appears to be, an attempt to discredit Simcha as a journalist then it would be appropriate to say what exactly was misleading or inaccurate in the original post(s). 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. A current professor (Dr. McGuire) who was actually involved in the Adele alleged rape case has come forward in the comments and stated things that were done to help Adele that the Fishers never reported on. Congrats for finding a better life path. . For the record, my first year of university was spent at a secular institution in mixed accommodation with no regulations on behaviour between the sexes. There are more than a few other academic institutions whose rates of rape and sexual assault are much higher and/or go under-reported. 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. Smith says that the administration cracked down on professors hosting off-campus parties, because they involved drinking. in Theological Studies degrees online. The school has a very thorough policy in place, and anyway, this was not in Christendoms jurisdiction, so their hands were legally tied in their dealings regarding the actual rape. The cultural revolution of the twentieth century continues to take its toll on the world and on Catholic higher education. Case in point, when I started going off the rails I would have expected my fellow Catholics to guide me back, especially the older more experienced upper classman I tried to lean on. So we expect sexual intimacy to be all nice and clearly delineated? ), Protected: Podcast #48: Accidentally unnamed, Protected: Podcast #46: Mamas little snakey loves bananofee pie, Protected: Podcast #45: Sharples and cocaine, Protected: Podcast 44: Some degree of martyrdom, One long dad joke: My interview with EOTTs S.C. Naoum. Your experience is absolutely not inconsequential, in any way, on any level. Before I went to Christendom I was the head of my diocesan youth council, so to say I was active in my faith was an understatement. There are so many other choices that dont have these rules. But like I said, you can tell this guy is a true, slick sociopath. The Churchs teaching on this, particularly Pope John Paul II really upholds a woman in her own right and this was taught quite clearly at Christendom. 154 Following. Basically, Christendom University has set up a parallel court system to try these cases and determine guilt outside of the civil court system. In 2013, after Smith had graduated from the school, she again downloaded the student handbook and was aghast to see there was still no language forbidding sexual assault by students. Smith thinks he might have been trying to make it appear that she was the one who assaulted him. The other allegations against him were also by hearsay, and they put those allegations in writing and asked him to defend himself. Each day she is persuaded that the college has no intention of supporting her. His career and family may well be affected by that casual reference. i would find out who is funding this school of etiquette masking as an institution of higher learning before i would give them a plug nickle.. Addressing the first tier of SRT, individual racism, Christians should be on guard against secular teachings that provide extra-biblical definitions of sin. 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. No matter what your belief now, or if you have no belief at all. I dont wish to discredit those who are appalled by the rape epidemic and Adele Smiths case, as it is horrific matter; but there are campuses where this stuff is much more frequent, and its not because they arent Catholic in a nominal sense, nor is it because they endorse rape, but its because theres not always a clear procedure as to how to address it. Opposite sex couples PDA was forbidden, while some young women regularly shared dorm beds with their friends. I propose for your consideration numerous scenarios of young women and men wherein even if the woman is saying no with her voice, her body language is communicating something entirely different. Not a rapist. 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. This is a favored tactic of shoddy journalists who want to do a hit piece, and the Fishers followed the recipe quite well. yes! [T]he alleged assault of Adele did not take place on campus. I left the church partially because of this problem (and several other more severe issues). Its something I can share with bubble parents. The reality is men can say no, men can control their actions and they are humans with free will. The rape occurred on Friday, October 2, 2009, on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, about thirty minutes away from the college campus. I was struggling with my sexuality and trying to flee from the fact that I was gay and ended up doing so by going to grad school at the Dominican House of Studies in DC while I discerned joining the OP as a novice. If they do, their efforts to grow as a Catholic college will surely be blessed by greater growth in virtue. Christendom is an excellent college with a delightfully wholesome atmosphere. She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. In 2021[46] and 2022,[47] the men's rugby team also received the #1 national ranking from National Collegiate Rugby. All it did was push people into secret places where chastity was more in danger. But then into your mind jumps the thought no, I wanted to be married. She says that the rules against romantic public displays of affection were so restrictive, it drove couples off campus. I have to wonder why people entrust a liberal arts school board to be able to fairly assess rape allegations, when law enforcement werent able to. Hit pieces only need to be tangentially accurate to get 1st amendment protections. I did experience the misogyny. I had been waiting for marriage. Despite those inaccuracies, the hearts and prayers of our entire Christendom College community go out to all involved in the incidents described and to anyone who may be a victim of sexual harassment or assault. I am with you that Christendom should enumerate the inaccuracies it sees in here, it would go a long way towards communication in this area. The rape in question occurred because two students of opposite sexes were alone together. My inclination is that this was rape and the man is guilty. I wasn't really prepared for the amount of raw heresy I was surrounded with. If you presume that because Catholic teaching is against rape, that must mean that theyre able to appropriately address rape allegations, I think the fault is in your expectation and the reality of the situation, but not the school itself. [14] The school has also broken enrollment goals and records numerous years in a row, defying declining higher education enrollment trends across the United States. Furthermore, it is alleged that you continued to harass her by trying to provoke her to slap you, hit you or kiss you. They do not invalidate the substance of the story. Up until that point, I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, she said. I hope the girls involved will know that sharing what happened will help others. The matters of consent and power (and agency and autonomy) are at play here with parents as well as with dating relationships. Funding for the creation of this archive was generously provided by Christendom College. In many cases, I doubt it. We Dare to be Great. Deciding to proceed with creating a parallel court system over allegations as serious and difficult to determine as rape is a momentous decision fraught with difficulties both legal and practical. The victims always blame themselves.. But in that year, 2012, a year after she reported her rape, the school still had not added a policy against sexual assault to their student handbook. In 1997, the Institute was merged with Christendom College and became the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College, now the Graduate School of Theology. And I still have some fond memories of the place, even today. It would be good if Christendoms response was similarly specific. You are right, men do absolutely do have that ability to control themselves. The college has strict rules about students of opposite sexes being alone together. Have girls refuse to be allowed in cars with boys, since it requires cars to go to Skyline Drive? Going Drinkin with Lincoln before class on Lincolns Birthday and getting buzzed or worse. And people worrying too much about specks in other peoples eyes and not the planks in their own or if they did worry about their own planks, it was to an extraordinarily high level of scrupulosity. Unfortunately sometimes the police are notified and when they investigate the alleged crime they find out that everything does not add up as the accuser states it happened. Like that has never happened before on a less stringent campus. There was no mention of her accusation of rape, either in the charge letter or in the sanction letter. What did this mean about me in my conservative Christian culture? Ive told him three times not to. Thats just scratching the surface. And then we blame schools that are actually making efforts to establish some social mores to help guide young people? The college cracks down on professors hosting parties with drinking, because theyre professors. While it is true that Cdom, as I understand it, expels people for far less, it is usually for things in which there is more evidence or for matters that are more in their jurisdiction. I, a female, was molested at 10 by a female with power who was near to my age (but who wielded unequal power to me). Dont like it? Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee Christendom has no love, and without love there is only tyranny. 1) Christendom is very small and a step off campus puts one right back in the non-PDA world. After all, how is this no different from the one you whispered 20 minutes ago when his hand brushed your breast and you were actually pleased, but you said no because you knew it should stop? The inaccuracies you mention are minor. Asking questions are really good thing if you Extraordinary how you miraculously have the ability and the right to judge her soul from an article. 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. [23][circular reference] The Guide, which seeks to defend and promote Catholic higher education,[24] calls Christendom "a national model of faithful liberal arts education and Catholic formation. You have just illustrated the way of thinking that is a big problem: women being taught that they are responsible for mens actions. A school can also have clearly defined sexual assault policies on the books, and discuss these policies with their students. Should rapists be burned at the stake without incontrovertible evidence? Her point is absolutely credible and relevant. She has nightmares about the incident. Im so sorry you were raped, Jenislawski said. "[25], Over the years, the college has also received praise from political leaders in the United States. 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. But this is all a rather side-issue of the #metoo movement more than a discussion of how Christendom is to blame. The woman interviewed described what she remembered from the time she was there. Mr. Dorman showed no apparent interest in pursuing any sort of investigation, Scott Smith wrote. Once the implication is in place and the false picture is painted, insert a link to to one of several things theyve done in order to cya. Since the story initially broke, additional allegations of at least 18 previous cases of sexual harassment and assault over the past 45 years have been made. 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.. Are you joking? Racism among white Christians is higher than among the nonreligious. I think rape should be a clearly defined and promulgated capital crime so there would be fewer instances and false allegations.
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