Lessthan two weeks ago, the University of Wisconsin apologized fordoctoring the cover photograph of its undergraduate application inorder to portray its student body as diverse.
Now, it’s the University of Idaho’s turn.
A photograph on the front page of the school’s Web site depictednine students smiling and playfully hanging onto each other against aplain marigold backdrop. However, two of those students, one blackand one Asian, weren’t in the original photo, which was taken infront of a brick building and featured nine white students.
University President Robert Hoover issued orders to remove thephotograph, which had been on the site since early September, afterstaffers at UI’s student newspaper, The Argonaut, alerted him of thegaffe.
Computer technician David Embleton, who reworked the image afterofficials urged him to find a photograph featuring minority students,will not be fired, according to university spokesperson KathyBarnard, who added that the photo was an isolated mistake and hardlyrepresentative of the university’s commitment to diversity.
“We’ve had a long-standing commitment to diversity, and have avery active multicultural affairs office,” said Barnard.
Hoover concurred, saying that the flap should be viewed as animportant lesson rather than a setback or a representation of theuniversity’s attitude toward diversity.
“This is an educational institution and this is a learningsituation for all of us,” he said. “We have to learn to harness thecharacter of the digital world, both its opportunities and itsacceptable norms.”
Hoover said university officials have met with and plan to issueofficial apologies to the two students inserted into the photo, aswell as the two students who were replaced.
John Evey, one of the students whose head was replaced in thephotograph, told The Argonaut that while he wasn’t offended byEmbleton’s decision, “it is inconsiderate that they didn’t ask mefirst. It is probably not the most ethical thing to do.”
Elmbleton could not be reached for comment, but told The Argonautthat it was a “photo collage” and that he felt no need to inform hissupervisors of the changes made to the photograph.
— Billy O’Keefe, TMS Campus
DePaul U. student attacked in dorm
A 20-year-old DePaul University junior fended off a knife-wieldingman who entered her unlocked dorm room and attacked her as she exitedthe shower Tuesday.
After a brief struggle and lots of screaming, the woman scared offthe intruder without sustaining injuries. Police do not have anyonein custody.
The attack happened about 3 p.m., after the woman returned from awork out to her dorm room. The woman said she may have passed the manin the hallway on the way back to her room, which is located in heartof one of the Chicago’s more affluent neighborhoods, Lincoln Park.
After she took a shower, the woman exited the stall, wrapped atowel around her body and saw the intruder’s reflection in themirror.
She began to scream and the man walked toward her with a knife.The two began a struggle and fumbled into the hallway and fell to thefloor. The man placed one hand over the woman’s mouth and threatenedher life.
By this time, the woman’s screams had garnered the attention ofneighboring students who came to her aid as the man fled, said DePaulspokeswoman Denise Mattson. A Chicago Police Department search of theco-ed residence hall and surrounding neighborhood came up emptyhanded.
The student shares the dorm room with two other women who were nothome at the time.
DePaul officials were examining how the attacker could have gotteninto the building, which is equipped with a card pass system andattendant at the front desk. Following the attack, officials met withstudents to discuss the incident and review safety procedures.Counselors were also made available to any student who had additionalconcerns.
Despite DePaul’s location in an upscale neighborhood, the incidentserved as a reminder that the students live in the middle of a majormetropolitan city, Matteson said.
“Generally this is a very safe area but we reminded all of ourstudents that crime happens every where in urban environments,”Matteson said.
— Matthew McGuire,
TMS Campus
