3) Reinforce this impression with nebulous allegations of serious problems in the current environment. My sympathies. And the fact that there was not even a hearing to address the rape allegation when it was brought to light is terrible. Smith, who was then a sophomore, says she was so naive, she didnt even know to use the word rape until many months later. Sure, they could get threatened by the student with a lawsuit, but accusations of rape could then be brought up in court, and such accusations are much easier to prove in a civil suit, so there would be protection for the college. There are not a lot of options if you dont have a car. The way I see it, and many may disagree with this, but the failure was not a moral failure, but an administerial one(if that).. By whose definition are they adults? The fact that the school is Catholic really seems quite irrelevant. To those students who have been harmed, I am deeply sorry. Like Christendom, Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) in Santa Paula, Calif., is one of many small Catholic liberal arts colleges well known for faithfulness to the magisterium. I used to ask my fiance when we were engaged, do you love me a la folie? Trying to live as a chaste couple before marriage, I was constantly struggling with worries over love and acceptancemany times after making out wildly with him but then walking away and saying goodnight. It would do a lot to restore peoples faith in the institution. Enjoy your freedom. Simcha you must not be very up on your news, because from what I have been reading in the news of the secular world, it seems that these types of crimes sometimes take twenty years to detangle.Why mention Title IX?? 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. Racist remarks by Los Angeles City Councilmembers overshadow years of She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. 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. Never did they go so far as to say the Imago Dei was less in us, either. As part of this commitment, the College undertakes to educate the student body about sexual harassment and assault. Thats certainly not Christendoms fault. Yet, it is offered without proof of any sort, or even a source willing to go on record. I said the college had an obligation to investigate by questioning him directly (in a private setting) about the rape. It is difficult seeing as how the incident was years old before she brought it to Admins attention and it happened without witnesses, like the on campus stuff, to determine one way or the other. How come more worldly girls get raped too?Even from your writing it seems that Christendom did stand up from inside when Miss Smith felt comfortable telling her Theology! Sexual harassment and assault is inimical to such an environment. This whole story made me so sad, especially reading it as a Christendom graduate and now mother who is raising sons and daughters in this confused and fallen world. And boy, you are right. To think that anyone could do that to such a young child is eye-opening indeed, and helpful to know for those of us raising kids to know what to beware of. A reasonable process may not have been able to do anything about the situation, but a reasonable process still should have been pursued. If they had to leave public areas to show affection, then they might as well go to the prettiest. I hope and pray that your bravery results in changes that help other women. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. Karl Petrick Assistant Director of Advancement Services Protected: Podcast 36: She googled THIS on a Friday night and what she saw made her lose her mind! He further harassed her, had told several of his friends that she had seduced him. Similar to the reasonings at Hillsdale College, Carroll believed that the government might eventually intrude on Christendom's academic and religious freedom.[4]. 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. Christendom College is a small Catholic liberal arts schoolit now enrolls about 500 studentsand has long needed a new chapel. I am astounded that the article says rapist rather than alleged rapist. In the late 1970s, Christendom College . The accused do NOT have to prove their innocence. 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. Inaccuracies did not have to do with Miss Smiths heartbreaking account. Thats certainly not Christendoms fault.. It only works with Weinstein and Cosby because there were like 30+ allegations. The old one, which stands at the heart of the campus, is too . Real piece of work. The whole narrative actually seems quite dependent on that, as they pretty much did everything shy of that. Protected: Podcast 38: In which we hit rock bottom. I kept up with a few of my friar classmates over the years. You described an inability or unwillingness to use your words to say, this is hard, but Im saying no! Smith does not remember getting dressed after the rape. I also attended Christendom in the early 90s and while I loved it there I finally heard the truth about what the Church teaches student life was neurotic. Rather, it is a guide the way, the truth, and the life.[26], By refusing to accept most forms of federal funding, Christendom College is exempt from many federal guidelines concerning sex-based and other forms of discrimination (e.g., Title IX), investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, and the sharing of information about on-campus crimes. That is absurd. This is America. Badly bungling? Of course, the university wouldnt be so tactless: thats the engineer in me coming out. The reports indicate that Adele Smith indicated, after a prior incident with you, that she no longer wanted a relationship with you. All graduates of the undergraduate college are awarded a bachelor of arts degree in one of the following fields of study: The Christendom Graduate School offers masters-level courses with a comprehensive grasp of the Catholic faith, preparing students for advanced graduate studies and for various ministries in the Catholic Church, according to the school's website. Theyre usually published in any article Ive ever read regarding assault. Let your no mean no and your yes mean yes. No, it takes opening a word document and writing it up: Dont rape people.. An authentically Catholic college that prepares you for the future. That bothers me as well. I feel so freaked out right now. And its really sad when a woman is then abused in this way. The administration handled a tough situation, that had no evidence supporting the claims of the girl, as best as can be expected. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Christendom College, a small, Catholic, liberal arts school in Front Royal Virginia, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Contact the Site Admin. Is that whats happening right now?'. Simchas piece was very specific. Podcast #57: And then the internet took off. After graduation, she went to a catholic high school that was run by nuns. Never mind the mental health agony I endured in thinking I had brought on myself same-sex erotic involvement. Take a second to support simchajfisher on Patreon! And it is these serious issues which led the Fishers to dedicate a great deal of time and energy into researching and writing this article. [13], Since 1992, student enrollment has grown from 144 undergraduates to nearly 550 students, not including graduate school students. We should demand it be better. The Semester in Rome includes a continuation of the College's core curriculum program for juniors (THEO 301 Moral Theology during the Fall; and THEO 302 Apologetics in the spring), as well as courses in Italian, Roman Art & Architecture, and the Language, Culture, and History of Rome. 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. You are very brave. Rob, earlier in the comments, gave wonderful suggestions as to what the school could do, and what he would expect them to do(that they did not), but its still worth noting that the article itself mentions things the school DID do to try to protect the students. Like the stuff sang at the FOPs. 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? These are some of the difficult questions the college should have asked itself. There was nothing to stop this from happening again, Smith said. I remember loving the lushness of the area. In 2021[46] and 2022,[47] the men's rugby team also received the #1 national ranking from National Collegiate Rugby. This is part of the problem: college kids are not children but adults with agency to make decisions for their life. Where would be a better Catholic college to send your daughter, Simcha? 1) Paint a picture of the college not doing crap to help victims. Hes obviously prideful and arrogant. you are correct about the implications. [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. She fled to her dorm and went to bed. Each day she is persuaded that the college has no intention of supporting her. The policies the college had were precisely the ones that make sexual assault unlikely to occur on college grounds. The young man was charismatic, well-known, and well-liked on campus. Theres still a problem of not having places to have on campus dates. Have girls refuse to be allowed in cars with boys, since it requires cars to go to Skyline Drive? Part I", "FAQs | Sexual Misconduct | Christendom College", "As alumni claim sexual assault is mishandled, Christendom College vows to improve", "Christendom College alumni call for Title IX response to sexual assaults", "Christendom College 'Professor Emeritus' arrested on child sex abuse charges", "Former Christendom College professor arrested on charges of soliciting a child", "Statement Regarding Former Professor Dr. William Luckey", "Former Christendom professor charged with taking indecent liberties with child", "Former Christendom College professor avoids trial, pleads to lesser charges", "Christendom College Claims NSCRO 7s Title", "Christendom rugby wins school's first national championship | News, Sports, Jobs - The Northern Virginia Daily", "Christendom College Wins College Rugby National Championship", "Christendom Earns #1 Ranking from National Collegiate Rugby", "Christendom Rugby Earns #1 National Ranking for Second Straight Year", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christendom_College&oldid=1125876208, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 09:55. Its bad because just by the quotes of things hes said, Im pretty sure hes exactly the kind of guy who would force himself on a woman. Her subsequent behavior is entirely consistent with that of someone who has been traumatized and assaulted. The fact that you view consent as nebulous is a personal problem. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. Tweets. Most of the responses have been supportive. There is a moral failing when a founders son is a perpetrator and this is covered up continually over the years, Andrew, you said: I still live in Front Royal, and until very recently our police have been a joke when it comes to stuff like this. There is no statute of limitations for rape in Virginia (https://www.rainn.org/pdf-files-and-other-documents/Public-Policy/Legal-resources/2009-Statutes/09VirginiaStatutes.pdf). jlhyacintha wrote: A school can also take rape allegations seriously, and remove the accused person from campus. Hes not going to fall for that. I am very sorry to hear of any sexual assault and it can happen in Front Royal. Small, comfy (by Catholic standards), friendly, followed Church rules, Catholic-focused academics (theology classes, everything oriented toward Europe and Church history, etc.). So, you are saying that because other colleges deal with it badly, that therefore it isnt a scandal that Christendom handled it badly? In April of 2011, Smith decided to tell the police about the rape. But actual campus police on a campus of 400? Changed to a practical degree, learned about the real world. Rapists should be tarred and feathered (or worse). But by not questioning the accused on the matter of rape (it wasnt mentioned in his disciplinary notice), the college forfeited responsibility altogether. No, they simply made the decision not to accuse someone of a violent felony with zero evidence. Im sad to hear about his victim, especially since I had a similar experience with a non-Catholic pastor. The man was not charged, let alone convicted of rape. The fact that their anger is not directed towards say the park police, the legal system, but at a school that issued the ONLY punishment(however minor), is basically proof of this. Imply that there is a pattern and that the pattern is indicative of the current campus environment. That comment So goes the other way. It wasnt until the beginning of her junior year that she heard the word rape applied to her ordeal. The college has strict rules about students of opposite sexes being alone together. Were charged ever filed? no government financial help??? And Im sure you also understand our need to be loved an accepted. Ive seen way too many crises in my time, where people just went on acting as if nothing happened, not because they didnt care, but because its all they knew how to do and werent really able to fathom it, much less solve it. P.S. Undergraduate students combine a liberal arts core-curriculum with eventual upper-level courses in their major field (or fields) of study. Thank you for writing that. : Any other apostate Cdom grads out there, or anyone with a relatable experience of Catholic higher education? And if the woman involved was going to say yes anyway to whatever he suggested in terms of where they were going, as she said in the article, how would this have been any different even if there were different or no PDA rules? If we want to read that sort of thing, well buy cheap romance novels. Ive always thought that would be delightful and I graduated in 2000 from Christendom. Going Drinkin with Lincoln before class on Lincolns Birthday and getting buzzed or worse.
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