They say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions", and the same could be said for the story surrounding Harvard University as of recent. As what started out as a chance to meet incoming students turned into a nasty debacle.
Harvard’s Facebook page, “Class of 2021” was meant to let new students get to know one another before they officially started at the university. However, the group of 100 members soon branched into another private group chat of its own. Harvard Crimson reports that the new group, “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens” spiraled from the original carefree and upbeat nature of its predecessor.
Instead, it centered on foul jokes about sensitive subjects such as suicide and sexual assault that ultimately ridiculed minorities and events like the Holocaust. Harvard’s Response was to email students who participated, at least 10, retracting their admission into the university.
While some may think this action harsh because it was meant to be a “joke”, and that Harvard might simply be removing these students to save their own image and reputation, the move itself is solid.
The jokes allows closed-minded attitudes and lets others who actually have those judgments to justify their ideals because of the “support” it seems to get. It is important to remind people, especially young adults still developing, that there are consequences to their actions.
This is also not the first instance of slander via mockery in Harvard’s presence. The Crimson also noted that the Class of 2020 stemmed off into an official group chat of “dark” and offensive messages. However, despite public condemning from Harvard, the students went unpunished. By letting it slip by, Harvard let their students think their actions may be frowned upon but not exactly forbidden.
Harvard’s actions to revoke the admission of students is a strong move that shows students that they must be aware of their media presence as nothing that exists on the web is private. This action is also a reminder that their online words are monitored and that many see their messages as a reflection of their mindset.
Harvard’s new standard proclaims that privilege doesn’t make people exempt to repercussions from their behavior, which is a notion that everyone should understand.