MY NEW HERO
Dr. Joe Paul
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Mississippi has revoked the scholarships of five members of its pep band who took part in the heckling of a Kansas State basketball player at last Thursday’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament game. The school announced Tuesday that the five students also were removed from the band and will be required to complete a two-hour cultural sensitivity training course this week. The students have not been identified. Southern Miss issued an apology last week to Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez after he was the target of chants of “Where’s your green card?” during the Wildcats’ 70-64 second-round victory. Rodriguez had 13 points and four assists in the game.
It was as immature as it was reprehensible; fans from the University of Southern Mississippi chanting “Where’s your green card?” at Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez during a NCAA tournament game. Classy stuff. I think we all understand that college students on occasion engaging in all manner of excess. If I recall my dissolute college days with any degree of clarity, moderation wasn’t often on the menu.
The problem comes in when excess comes with a side of racism. Given that this is 2012, you might be thinking that overt racism went out with Jim Crow and George Wallace. Au contraire, mon ami…it’s getting a college edumication in Mississippi.
There’s some good that came out of this sorry episode, at least. Southern Miss’ athletic director and a bevy a school officials went to Kansas State’s hotel to apologize. Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Joe Paul acted quickly to discipline the students involved, and it seems a lesson was taught to those responsible for behaving poorly. Kudos to Dr. Paul for coming down hard on the students involved and making it clear that represent Southern Miss in such a reprehensible manner is unacceptable.
Rodriguez, to his credit, said that he heard the chants, but left it at that. At least one college student in this sorry saga acted with some class.
