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I'm a Student of Color at Syracuse. That Fraternity Video Proves Racism is Pervasive—Even at Progressive Schools


Over the last few days, it’s been painful to watch my university make national headlines for the racist behavior of one of its fraternities. I’m a graduate student in journalism and a woman of color, and while studying at Syracuse University, I’ve been lucky to meet some of the most progressive and thought-provoking people. This isn’t the campus that I know. This isn’t the school that I chose to attend.

If you haven’t read the headlines, here’s a quick summary: Last Wednesday, a professional engineering fraternity known as Theta Tau was suspended for filming a video in which a member, in a room full of several other members, pretended to ejaculate on another fraternity member while professing his hatred for black, Hispanic, and Jewish people.

The language they used is too vulgar and disgusting to print here, and the six-minute video, which was first published on a secret Facebook group and later released by The Daily Orange, Syracuse’s independent student newspaper, has since found its way to just about every major news outlet. [A second video later surfaced of the Theta Tau members miming a sexual assault of a disabled person.]

In response to the offensive videos, protests erupted on campus with many students calling for the university to take action. On Friday morning, the fraternity released a statement saying the video was meant to be a “satirical sketch” roasting a Republican member of the group.

I first heard about the incident through an email I received from the school chancellor. I hadn’t seen the actual video yet, but I felt a sense of dread. To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to see it. But ultimately, I decided it was important to see the faces of every single person in the video—faces of fellow students who are saying they hate people like me. It’s already hard enough being a person of color at a predominantly white institution and trying to navigate college life. Why shame us? Why use our skin color to belittle us?

When I watched the video, I felt many things—sadness, disgust, anger—but I’m sorry to say that surprise wasn’t one of them. Many students of color, like myself, are already aware of just how pervasive racism is in white Greek organizations. I remember vividly when University of Oklahoma fraternity members were captured in a cell phone video singing a racist chant while on a bus to a fraternity event in 2015. Then in 2016, members of a University of Missouri fraternity yelled the n-word and other obscenities at a group of black students on campus. These were public actions caught on tape—it made me wonder how much worse these people behave in private.

It’s one thing to see this stuff on the news; it’s another thing when it’s about your own peers that you walk the halls with.

“I want nothing more than to be able to feel safe and welcome on campus. But these bursts of hate on college campuses seem to show that racism is still a pervasive force among young people—hiding in the shadows, even at the most progressive schools.”

I want nothing more than to be able to feel safe and welcome on campus. But these bursts of hate on college campuses seem to show that racism is still a pervasive force among young people—hiding in the shadows, even at the most progressive schools. I’m lucky to have not experienced racism first hand during my college tenure, but now I know that these attitudes still exist. I just haven’t always “seen” it.

I now find myself constantly wondering if the same peers that smile at me and greet me in the hallways are shaming me behind closed doors. I don’t want this to be my college experience—or the experience of any other student of color at a predominantly white campus. As students, we have to keep calling this ugliness out and demand change from our universities, or it will keep happening.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Subject

Camille Nzengung.

As of Monday, the university has expelled the Theta Tau fraternity from campus, and 18 members have been suspended from school. The university also announced that it will require implicit racial bias and inclusivity training for all Greek and student organization members, as well as advisors.

In a statement, Syracuse Chancellor, Kent Syverud, said the school will conduct “a top to bottom review of all of our Greek life policies, activities and culture, to be commenced this week and completed in time for us to revise all our practices for the start of the fall semester,” which includes “mandatory training for all students, new and continuing, about the values, culture and expectations of our community.”

I don’t think this is enough: I believe that all of the fraternity members involved in the video should also be expelled from the school, because hate should have no place on our campus. Period. As a school we need to set the precedent now that this won’t be tolerated in the future.

What’s going on at my school echoes bigger issues of racism and homophobia we are facing as a nation. If we can’t justly handle some of these issues at the university level, what will happen once we step out in the real world?

Camille Nzengung is a graduate student studying journalism at Syracuse University in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.



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Meghan Markle's First-Ever Royal Speech Proves She's Meant to Be a Duchess


Ever since Meghan Markle announced her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017, her life has been a frenzy of press appearances, events, and hats (like this one!). Despite all this publicity, though, Markle hasn’t really said much—not publicly, at least. Markle and and Prince Harry sat down for an interview shortly after their engagement reveal, but aside from that, it’s been relatively quiet—just lots of smiling, waving, and breaking royal protocol with messy buns.

But this changed last night at the Endeavour Fund Awards in the U.K., where Markle gave her first-ever royal speech. Because it’s Markle, though, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn her speech “broke” royal tradition. Rebecca English from the Daily Mail noted on Twitter that it’s actually unusual for someone to give a speech before they’re officially married into the royal family. Nevertheless, Markle persisted.

It was for a great cause, too. The Endeavour Fund Awards ceremony honors accomplishments of sick or injured veterans who’ve used sports as part of their recovery. Markle specifically gave the Celebrating Excellence Award to veteran Daniel Claricoates.

Granted, the speech got off to a rocky start—it looks like Claircoates fumbled a bit, but the audience cheered him on anyway. Soon, however, we were off to the races.

“I’m truly privileged to be here,” Markle said, according to People. “Daniel acquired complex post-traumatic stress after multiple tours in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines, during which he was awarded the Military Cross. “Despite his teammates stating that Daniel’s battle with post-traumatic stress was probably the toughest they have ever seen, Daniel joined ’65 Degrees North’ in climbing to the summits of the highest mountains in both Africa and Antartica. Daniel now works with children, assisting them to foster their own spirit of adventure through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Team.”

Check out some clips of Markle’s speech, below:

Spoken like a true almost-duchess, am I right?

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This New 'Tomb Raider' Trailer Proves Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft Is Not Here to Screw Around


Alicia Vikander, who stars as Lara Croft in the upcoming remake of Tomb Raider, is about to join an illustrious crowd of women currently crushing it as lead characters in a genre of film typically dominated by men. Like Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Vikander as Croft is yet another example of how powerful women are changing the face of heroes in action-packed movies, and we are here for it.

Indeed, just one look at the latest Tomb Raider trailer proves that Vikander’s Croft is strong, complex, and deep. In the film, Croft, a woman who lost her father when she was very young, goes on a quest to learn about his last days on a mysterious island…that’s also home to a fabled tomb. Getting to the island is dangerous enough—but once she lands, Croft immediately learns that being there is even more treacherous than the journey. “Lara, there was more to my life than boardrooms and business deals,” her father explains in a video message. He warns her about an organization known as Trinity that is looking to start a global genocide—and, of course, only she can stop it. “You must stop them Lara,” he says. “Promise me.”

The rest of the trailer shows off her true grit, cunning instincts, and determination as she goes on a mission she may never make it out of. All while set to the absolute coolest and most badass remix of the Destiny’s Child classic Survivor that we’ve ever heard.

Check out the full trailer, below, and see Tomb Raider in theaters March 16.

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This Sex Scene on 'Crashing' Proves How Easy It Is to Ask for Consent


“I just want to make sure you want to do this.” These are the simple words Pete Holmes’ character asks his new friend Ali (Jamie Lee) in the season two premiere of Crashing on HBO. At first, the scene is just another unremarkable romp between two intoxicated people; what makes it feel extraordinary and timely is this painless question, posed before the “main event.” The thing is, though, this shouldn’t be extraordinary—it should be considered humdrum sexual behavior.

Still, in the current climate surrounding Time’s Up and our cultural reckoning with sexual assault, it’s refreshing to see a scene on television that proves verbally asking for consent is a normal and positive thing to do. Not only that, it doesn’t deescalate the moment at all. Pop culture is widely lacking in examples that substantiate sex can remain fun, lighthearted—and, yes, sexy—even when you explicitly ask your partner out loud, “Is this OK?”

It’s a necessary scene following the current conversations surrounding Babe’s account of a woman who had a negative sexual encounter with Aziz Ansari. The story, as recounted by a woman called Grace, provoked heavy discourse about sexual assault and a disturbing discussion about what “counts” as a nonconsensual encounter. Amidst such debates, the most prevalent point was the idea of consent. In this post-Weinstein world, women and men are being forced to reckon with what consent has looked like in the past—and what it ideally should look like now.

A pervasive argument in rape culture is the idea that asking for consent ruins the moment. Proponents say, “It’s not masculine,” “It’s not hot,” and, “I know when a woman wants me.” Well, clearly you don’t, and it’s because historically we’ve taught men that asking isn’t sexy—but taking is. Misogynists have created a cartoon-like idea of what seeking consent is like; while kissing a person, you abruptly stop, shove them away, and ask in a 1950s mid-Atlantic bluster, “Say, ma’am, let’s stop for a minute and discuss our intentions!”

“Historically we’ve taught men that asking isn’t sexy—but taking is.”

In reality, asking for consent looks a lot more like the scene in Sunday’s Crashing: Pete and Ali stumble into the apartment, rosy-cheeked and giggling after sloshing back a few drinks. They sloppy-kiss until they hit the bedroom, where they begin undressing. As it’s getting hot and heavy, Pete takes a moment to check in with his partner and make sure she’s on the same page. It’s brief, but clear, and she enthusiastically replies, “All signs point to yes.” This certifies that both he and she want to have sex. The moment never ceased to be sexy, and throughout the entirety of the scene we can trace each moment of verbal and nonverbal consent from both parties. The whole thing had me thinking, “How can someone misread such straightforward signals?”

Aziz responded to Grace’s account by saying he was “surprised” they weren’t on the same page; in his mind, everything “seemed OK.” But is it really that hard to misread verbal and non-verbal cues? In Crashing, Pete and Ali are very visibly having the best time together. They’re laughing while undressing, both are smiling and excited, and they each equally push the moment forward. In a story like Grace’s, one that has resonated with so many women, it’s absolutely mind-boggling to me that a person can move forward with a sexual encounter without these verbal and physical affirmations. Aziz didn’t rape this woman, but she clearly was exhibiting both physical and verbal signals of, “I don’t want to do this.” And yet, he moved forward.

That’s why Crashing‘s sex scene was such a powerful statement of how easy and hassle-free it is to get consent. As a queer woman, I’ve noticed that it’s actually quite common amongst LGBTQ women to check in with each other during sex. Often, my partner and I will offer sentiments like, “Do you like this?” Or, “Is this OK?” There are easy ways to make your partner feel wanted—and safe—that aren’t just important, they’re mandatory. The #MeToo movement has inspired both women and men to definitively outline what feels good and what doesn’t. And now, we’re insisting that the pushing and coercion tactics that Ansari—and so many other men—have used to escalate a situation are undoubtedly not OK.

While this episode of Crashing was a positive example of what consent looks and sounds like, it’s important that more shows and movies demonstrate this moving forward. Reinforcing the idea that consent doesn’t ruin the moment—but rather enhances a feeling of shared safety—is a vital part of this #MeToo and Time’s Up conversation in pop culture and, more importantly, IRL sex.



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Hillary Clinton's New Book *What Happened* Proves She's Not Going Away. That's a Good Thing


On the morning of the 2016 election, I slipped on some of the only pants that accommodated my pregnant belly and a “Hillary” T-shirt. Climbing up the steps after I checked off a box for my namesake, I stopped for a moment and put my hand on my stomach, right near the kicking foot of my unborn daughter. I had just voted for a highly qualified, highly intelligent, highly suitable woman for President of the United States of America, and she was going to win. Her inauguration would come just days before my daughter was due to arrive in the world.

Instead, I cried for most of the next week. And my story is no different than that of millions of other women across America who felt like they too had personally had a rug ripped out from under them on November 9.

On that post-election morning, as Hillary delivered her concession, I sputtered out loud, “How the hell is she doing this?” Imagine losing the presidency to an admitted sexual predator with the personality of a petulant Big Mouth Billy Bass.

What the hell happened?

In Hillary Clinton’s new book, aptly titled What Happened, she digs into the question, even if she doesn’t offer any comforting explanations. She discusses how she spent the day after her concession (“I don’t remember much about the the rest of that day. I put on yoga pants and a fleece almost immediately”), throws barbs at some of her critics (claiming that Bernie Sanders “impugned” her character), and puzzles over why exactly so much scorn has been fired at her over the decades (“What makes me such a lightning rod for fury? I’m really asking. I’m at a loss.”)

The book itself has already become a lightning rod (it just came out Tuesday), especially for Democrats who want to tuck Clinton into a special lined and scented drawer for failed candidates and never let her out again. Who think that her book distracts us from the future of the Democratic party because it’s wrapped up in the past. Who offered up such opinions as the former Clinton surrogate who proclaimed, “I wish she’d just shut the fuck up and go away.”

Apparently everyone in this country gets to dissect the 2016 election—except the woman who lost.

We don’t typically ask losing candidates to imprison themselves in their homes for all eternity—Al Gore recently completed the talk show circuit for his new film, John McCain is still mavericking through the Senate, and Mitt Romney is sitting on a beautifully appointed sofa somewhere. But Hillary? She should gracefully bow out of public life, her critics proclaim. Apparently everyone in this country gets to dissect the 2016 election—except the woman who lost.

A woman’s role in the world is exactly what a large portion of What Happened delves into. In three chapters—the least discussed bits of the book so far, of course—Clinton outlines her own history as a woman in politics and the contours of the still raging fight for gender equality. It’s clear Clinton is relieved to get this off her chest, to rant about the young man at the law school admissions test who told her “If you take my spot at law school, I’ll get drafted, and I’ll go to Vietnam, and I’ll die.” About the bizarre spectacle that surrounded the “tearful moment” (she says, “I didn’t even cry, not really”) she had on stage at the 2008 New Hampshire primary. About the impossibility of pleasing people as a woman in politics: “If we’re too tough,we’re unlikable. If we’re too soft, we’re not cut out for the big leagues. If we work too hard we’re neglecting our families. If we put family first, we’re not serious about the work.”

There is nothing new or exciting in what Hillary Clinton offers from her own biography—but that’s precisely the problem. These issues aren’t new, but they aren’t going away. One of the most accomplished women in the world still doubts whether she did the right thing when she was literally stalked onstage by her opponent during a nationally televised debate! The exchange has been widely reported (“Donald Trump was looming behind me … My skin crawled”) but the followup hasn’t. Clinton did not, as she considered, turn to him and say, “Back up, you creep, get away from me.” But she wonders to herself now, “Maybe I have overlearned the lesson on staying calm—biting my tongue, digging my fingernails into a clenched fist, smiling all the while, determined to present a composed face to the world.”

He stalked her and she’s still left doubting if her reaction cost her crucial votes. That’s the state of gender relations in our country today.

And Clinton doesn’t just hash out the details of her own issues. “Something I wish every man across America understood,” she explains, “is how much fear accompanies women throughout our lives. So many of us have been threatened or harmed.” And interrupted, and castigated, and told our voices are too shrill and our opinions too forceful. Clinton traces all that. “It’s maddening,” she writes, “that the basic fact that sexism is alive and well should be up for debate.” And yet it is—and it is specifically up for debate when you question the role sexism played in the 2016 election. It seems the country doesn’t want to re-litigate that question—just try telling a man that you think misogyny was a large factor in Trump’s rise and Clinton’s defeat.

It’s nearly impossible to discuss the election without being offered an explanation of Hillary’s failures as a candidate (Those pantsuits! That cold demeanor! Those celeb endorsements!) as if her opponent were Franklin Delano Roosevelt and not a real estate tycoon who was caught on camera boasting about committing sexual assault. We’re still free to hate on Trump—but not to love on Hillary.

We’re still free to hate on Trump—but not to love on Hillary.

I can feel myself rehashing the election right now. You’ve done it, too. How could this happen? How could democracy fail us on such a fundamental level? Clinton deserves her chance to work through that question, too—publicly if she chooses. She campaigned publicly. She battled publicly. She can certainly now wonder publicly about the day she lost the presidential election. Think about it: If it happened to you, wouldn’t you want your say?

The book, then, is an act of women’s liberation. A woman who failed in public wants to work towards course correction. And yet here comes the parade of people prepared to tell her that her voice—the one for whom all this has mattered the most—should go for a literal hike in the woods of Chappaqua and keep her feelings to herself. She should keep to the Netflix binges she writes so fondly about in this book, apparently, and ignore that the failed election was only one smaller portion of a decades-long career in public service.

But that makes Clinton just another woman in a long string of suppressed voices. Yes, she lost. But that doesn’t mean she’s less equipped to tell the country where we all went wrong. In fact, it may make her better informed.

It’s not going too far to say that a lot of women have been traumatized over the past year. If a former Secretary of State, Senator, First Lady, accomplished attorney and Yale Law graduate is repeatedly dismissed as a “flawed candidate” because she boasts policy over reality TV theatrics, then what does that say about our country’s attitudes towards women? That’s not the kind of wound that heals in 10 months–for the populace or Clinton herself. Why shouldn’t she tell her side in gritty detail? And why shouldn’t we take that particular narrative as a welcome reminder of how important the fight for women’s equality has become?

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Cher Proves She's a National Treasure With Epic DACA Repeal Clapback


PHOTO: Tara Ziemba/Getty Images

Over the years, Cher has earned her reputation as a legitimate Twitter icon, frequently shading President Donald Trump by using the toilet emoji instead of his name. And her latest political clapback has everyone cheering once again in the wake of Trump’s order to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a federal program created by Barack Obama in 2012 that protects undocumented immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children, also known as Dreamers, from deportation.

Cher went on a Tweetstorm about the decision, saying, “Those Who Can Must Take a DREAMER In2 Their Home & Protect Them‼️I’m Ready 2 Do This & ??Others in MY BUSINESS WILL DO THE SAME‼️SANCTUARY.” One Twitter user, @bwebb56, who has since made her account private, doubted that the singer would actually put her money where her mouth is, writing that she’d “believe it when she saw it.” And, well, we found out what happens when you question Cher. She called the naysayer out to her millions of followers in six simple words: “Then keep your eyes open bitch.”

Needless to say, people were shook, writing things such as, “RT if you’re okay with using tax dollars to mosaic the walls of Trump’s cell with Cher’s tweets,” and “gotta delete your whole account now.” Cher hasn’t been the only celebrity to speak out against Trump and his DACA policies. actors, singers, tech leaders, and and Barack Obama himself have all condemned the latest ruling.

cher screenshot

PHOTO: twitter.com

Related: What is DACA, Exactly? 5 Key Things to Know



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