Are women safe in Christendoms bubble? Is it worse to let a rapist remain on campus or expel an innocent student? Your charity is overwhelming. Class of '13 here, BA in History, Magna cum Laude. Actually, if you read what the new sexual assault policy is, it is much more than Smith claims. I dont know what the contents of the interview between the college and the perp are. Protected: Podcast 28: The beast with one back, Protected: Podcast 27: My interview with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminists, Protected: Podcast 26: sorryFOR FUCKS SAKEsorry, Protected: Podcast 25: On the tip of my tongue. Very interesting. Adele Smith, class of 2012, experienced some culture shock when she arrived at Christendom. This gives women more of an opportunity to share a concern or incident with a staff member they trust. Which they could now do on campus anyway. 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! Basically, Christendom University has set up a parallel court system to try these cases and determine guilt outside of the civil court system. Its commitment to providing its students with an integrated, rigorous core curriculum, combined with a vibrant Catholic atmosphere that permeates every aspect of the college experience, marks it as a distinctive and precious resource. There was that one time I got a booty call from an upperclassman with a key to the administrative building. Ask any psychologist who works with seminarians how many enter the seminary struggling in a battle against pornography. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. What parent would not yank their child from that situation immediately? Rapes happen far more frequently on college campuses where anything goes. The incident does not seem too unlike the OJ trial in that OJ killed someone and was trialed for something far less severe later on. Vol. At that point, he does not see the difference between this no and that one. But by not questioning the accused on the matter of rape (it wasnt mentioned in his disciplinary notice), the college forfeited responsibility altogether. I was in grad school at Yale during the first part of my deconversion. An RA friend, Elizabeth Foeckler, also encouraged her to go to the administration. But honestly what is Smith talking about when she refers to the only cafe in town?? The reports indicate that Adele Smith indicated, after a prior incident with you, that she no longer wanted a relationship with you. Thanks; I've largely shed myself of the Catholic mental baggage by this point, so don't worry. Small, comfy (by Catholic standards), friendly, followed Church rules, Catholic-focused academics (theology classes, everything oriented toward Europe and Church history, etc.). want more proof of sexual assualts? I wasn't really prepared for the amount of raw heresy I was surrounded with. There were witnesses there that confirmed that. Would you like to explain, please, what you mean by inaccuracies? In April of 2011, Smith decided to tell the police about the rape. This has been mine. Their response was a poor excuse for an apology. They should be able to express themselves romantically in a public setting, which is a safer setting to learn how to navigate as a couple.. Thats not how it works in any of the college towns Ive lived in, and I live in one now, where we also have a military base, and the base police dont have jurisdiction outside the base, for the most part. For the unfamiliar, Christendom is a small conservative-Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, VA. Its intended mission is to equip Catholic students to 'restore all things in Christ' (though you can guess how well that turned out with me). The college has not released the results of this audit to the public. You can see it, you can feel it on the campusWhile some colleges in this Guide may match its Catholic commitment, it is unlikely that any exceeds it., Six months after graduation, the members of the Class of 2022 had an overall success rate of, based on a survey with a 100% knowledgerate. 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. The passion rises. She said she realized she could not stop the man. [38], Christendom College has two schools offering graduate and undergraduate degrees. Im giving Simcha the benefit of the doubt and assuming she had good will in this reporting. A week later, in a letter dated May 23, 2011, President ODonnell responded. It can, however, cost people their livelihoods and smear the reputation of people and universities. Yup, I sure did do it! Reading the few witnessed sentences we have from the perp, the man sounds like a TRUE sociopath. I'd imagine that (patriarchal misognynists being patriarchal misogynists) the experience would've been a lot worse for those folks. She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. A US NEWS & WORLD REPORT article says it isnt working too well. Carroll remained as president until 1985 when Dr. Damian Fedoryka was named as the second president. My sympathies. He RETIRED a year or so ago. When the things that are prohibited include normal and moral activities, then there is something wrong with them. A handbook that has to be revised and reviewed by the colleges legal team I assume? Smith thinks he might have been trying to make it appear that she was the one who assaulted him. In what world is this okay? Smith said. unless you are a member of the clergy etc YOU ARE IN THE SECULAR WORLD. Following allegations that Christendom College mishandled student sexual assault reports, the college's administration has said it is committed to doing better. i Love this reply. Christendoms 86-hour core curriculum of carefully selected subjects required for all of its undergraduate students prepares its students for their role as lay apostles. The fact that you view consent as nebulous is a personal problem. When we do so, the conversations about purity culture and what people wear will also become moot points, because it is about power and consent, regardless of gender. Youve been completely infected by the porn saturated culture we live in. The irony is not lost on me that the one institution that offered any solution, band aid solutions they may be, is also the one institution least responsible for the event, and the one thats being blamed the most. Because Christendom is in a rural, isolated spot with few restaurants, clubs, museums or theaters, going off campus generally means going into the woods or into a field. Why insinuate the government is going to do it better. Now the students may be less prepared for rape, rape that happens off campus(like a clean house doesnt prepare a person for germs), due to their sheltered background, but thats not exactly the schools fault. In 1983, the Institute was permitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to grant degrees. 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. It is this faith that has been the guiding beacon during some difficult and seemingly hopeless times, even when I had turned my heart against Him and turned my back on [faith]. ), Protected: Podcast #48: Accidentally unnamed, Protected: Podcast #46: Mamas little snakey loves bananofee pie, Protected: Podcast #45: Sharples and cocaine, Protected: Podcast 44: Some degree of martyrdom, One long dad joke: My interview with EOTTs S.C. Naoum. These are Catholic seminarians. Episode #60: Who or what is a Malcolm Gladwell? And so on. Can confirm. If I didnt know better (and you know, I actually dont) it sounds like you dont like Christendoms brand of Catholicism, and so youre more than happy to treat them unfairly from your rapidly shrinking bully pulpit, using the #metoo zeitgeist to do your dirty work. I just dont think they could afford it. #2. letter kind of reminds me of sessions of my 8th grade social dancing classes Protected: Podcast 33: Hes a very nice guy. Maybe that needs to be spoken about more openly among students. Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan donated 19th Century wooden stations of the cross to the Chapel, and it was dedicated by Cardinal Jan Schotte, Pope John Paul II's Secretary-General to the World Synod of Bishops. I still have a lot of tenderness for those guys, deep down, even if my larger experience with the church has made me hostile toward Catholicism generally, and deeply cynical about the priesthood. BUT. It says she felt like the provost didnt care which is entirely subjective, and wasnt able to respond promptly, especially since extra duties were imposed on him and probably didnt have an exact answer ready for them anyway. Thats certainly not Christendoms fault. The Christendom scandal, is about an administration, who got ahold of a case after the legal authorities were already informed and failed to do anything, and then tried to fix the problem in a very lowkey diplomatic way, that would prevent them from being sued by the kids family. Your opening arguments point to the dorm situation on campus as a cause for a students rape. 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. Christendom College is a four-year coeducational Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College with undergraduate and graduate programs offered in locations in Front Royal and Alexandria, Virginia, Donegal, Ireland, and Rome, Italy. [2] Carroll, who was a contributor at L. Brent Bozell Jr.'s Triumph magazine, decided to found Christendom in the aftermath of the Land O' Lakes conference in 1967. Maybe you didnt mean to imply this to be the case for her, but using her name in the example makes it seem so. The young man then started unbuttoning her jeans, and she again told him No. He pulled her down so she was flat on the back seat. Umm okay? Smith says that the administration cracked down on professors hosting off-campus parties, because they involved drinking. Her husband, Warren H.. The teachers provide a well rounded education of philosophy, history, theology, literature and political science. In addition: Christendom is welcome, indeed it would be very good, if they could give an accurate list of the inaccuracies and mistakes in this article. [33] The college hired Husch-Blackwell to audit campus compliance with best practices in sexual assault and harassment cases, although it is not bound to do so by Title IX as the College does not accept federal funding of Title IV. Not everything that the school chooses to ban has to be a sin. People might think they are trying to help women, and that is an unacceptable conclusion. A few weeks after I got back home, I had my last drink and Ive been sober since. Throughout the letter, ODonnell refers to the young man by his last name, but refers to Adele Smith by her first name. Christendom is not perfect, as far as I can tell, they are doing the best they can to foster an environment of spiritual and educational growth. Men should feel degraded by this way of thought. Perhaps they did mention it. One of a half-dozen links at the bottom of the article. Christendom is praised as a safe haven where young students can focus on their studies, grow in their faith, and "breathe the Catholic air." I remember hanging out with some of them. Around 540 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university. It specifically mentions witnesses. Im only speaking from experience to illustrate what I see as a very nebulous scenario for both parties. And meanwhile, you get a certain thrill from seeing that now youve unleashed his passion and he DOES love you a la folie. Smith does not remember getting dressed after the rape. We can use this process to address inappropriate comments or unreasonable behavior that makes students feel uncomfortable. Men have the ability to take custody of their thoughts and control their actions regardless of any other circumstance. I could go on, but my point is that we MUST see sexual assault as a bigger issue than something that men perpetrate upon women. [45] This was the school's first 15s rugby National Championship title. Or how uber conservatives throw trad and Tridentine around like they are some kind of guarantee for sanctity. In 2021, the rugby team won the National Collegiate Rugby Cohen Cup National Championship in Houston, Texas, defeating New Mexico Tech. Thank you for writing this. Smith, who was then a sophomore, says she was so naive, she didnt even know to use the word rape until many months later. In 1992, Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, who had been a professor at Christendom since 1985, was named as the college's third president. We are committed in our policies, our procedures, and in our on-campus culture to uphold and promote the dignity of women and men. [17] The actual reason was that, because the colleges all refused to take federal funding, they did not report the data used to compile the scorecard to the federal government. They had to drive. In Adeles case it sounds like the college really did blow it by not giving credence to her rape charge, but did you *really* try to get their side of it before you published your hit piece here? . Bear in mind I never heard of anybody calling security if they were at a party in South Bend that got out of handbut I didnt run in very party-like circles. i actually looked into going to Christendom College and got accepted. A.M.D.G. Two months later, the school explained what the young man would be charged with: harassing Smith after a prior incident. The charges do not mention rape. Vol. Extraordinary how you miraculously have the ability and the right to judge her soul from an article. No one doubts that passion is difficult, that lust is strong and difficult to master. Only as an adult did I see the dynamics of power, coercion, grooming and (lack of) consent at play, and even when I began to tell my story, many people brushed it off as in onsequential. The men with whom I interact at school have consistently shown me respect whether it be through opening doors for me, saying good morning, supporting my academic pursuits, or courteously taking part in a discussion. For what its worth, I believe Adeles story, and as someone who has been sexually assaulted (but not raped) and not gone to the authorities, I understand why she didnt at first. Rights to a speedy trial. I felt safe there. When I left the DHS I got a teaching job at a progressive catholic high school and the culture shock was intense. The point has also been made if a guy really is a rapist, do you think he would settle for PDA on campus anyway? She said, Im not comfortable with that, and he said, Okay.. But he did take it away from her, she says. Her point is absolutely credible and relevant. I hope and pray that the administration can get it together and respond better to sexual assault claims, because it IS a great place. They have further to go to create safe environments for women. For example, Dr. Divietri is just mentioned in passing but it did not say which side the author put him on, so you are left to assume that all names mentioned were complicit in the negligent handling of this case. Christendom is nearly unique among Catholic colleges and universities in that, because it accepts no federal funding, it is not subject to the legal constraints of Title IX. It seems hypocritical to demand that the school find him guilty of rape and expel him if you are going to hide his name until he tells his side of the story. Good job trying to romanticize rape, but your writing would be more appropriate in a pornographic novel, where creeps actually try to convince themselves women enjoy being raped. [T]he alleged assault of Adele did not take place on campus. Merely printing something against rape seems redundant, though. No means no. . I understand that everyone has a different experience at college. Discouraged, Smith hesitated, then eventually called law enforcement rangers and met with them at Shenandoah National Park. She fled to her dorm and went to bed. Come on. This sounds like a solution I would expect from a small school, where something major is placed on them. O.o. Theres still a problem of not having places to have on campus dates. 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. Our on-campus nurse and counselor are available at no cost and can help with trauma and recovery. You shooting in the dark hoping to hit a target, isnt helping. There are more than a few other academic institutions whose rates of rape and sexual assault are much higher and/or go under-reported. I didnt say they should immediately assume hes a rapist, call him a rapist, and publicly expel him as a rapist. I had my arms pushed together, my elbows to my hands pushed together in front of my chest, trying to keep myself covered. I am very sorry to hear of any sexual assault and it can happen in Front Royal. She said all of that, and you are intelligent enough to have reading comprehension. I didnt feel like the article clearly painted a picture of how she was personally treated poorly. In my head I thought he was able to walk away does he really love me? We women all love being loved, and physical intimacy is such a natural sign of love and acceptance. Christendom College was founded in response to this cultural revolution, providing a fully integrated liberal arts education in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church. I could leave my laptop lying out anywhere on campus, with no password, and be confident I could come back and find it un-stolen. The faculty at this school is one of the most remarkable aspects of Christendom. Desiring a return to a Catholic university education adhering to the teachings of the Catholic Magisterium,[3] Carroll and four founding faculty members, William Marshner, Jeffrey A. Mirus, Kristin (ne Popik) Burns, and Raymund P. O'Herron, started the college in an abandoned elementary school in Triangle, Virginia, housing a total of 26 students[2] and five faculty. But yeah, there was definitely navet in spades. How clear is our no, really? And I still have some fond memories of the place, even today. Off campus. Such a different vibe from my Canadian background. All the fancy theology was useless for anything except further torturing myself for not being a good enough Catholic, not following the rules enough, and not being spiritual enough. And did in fact say no with her body language with arms crossed and legs locked tight? Clearly, both the young man and the young woman had people on their side who believed one person over the other in this he-said-she-said situation. THANK YOU! Undergraduate students combine a liberal arts core-curriculum with eventual upper-level courses in their major field (or fields) of study. We have video footage of crimes being committed and the persons pictured are still spoken of in the media and elsewhere as the alleged perpetrators. reads as if composed by a hypnotized 5 year old. Sexual assault happens to 1-6 women. Holy crap, anonymous. People were mostly really nice, and there was this kind of lovely cocoon of ideological sameness that I'd never experienced before. It wasnt until the beginning of her junior year that she heard the word rape applied to her ordeal. Should rapists be burned at the stake without incontrovertible evidence? I distinctly remember going back and forth with a friar who had a terminal degree in theology about whether the immaculate conception implies hard determinism and thus refutes the notion of moral responsibility and therefore Catholicism in general. But you dont know more than that. It is getting totally repetitive, but here goes: Simcha, Im not quite sure what any of the rape allegations have to do with Christendom College. When she was there, it wasnt possible. He took his knee and pushed my legs open, pulled my shirt off, and pulled my jeans down. I was not aware that in journalism, one protects the names of alleged rapists. After graduation, she went to a catholic high school that was run by nuns. You described lust and difficulty mastering it. It makes it hard for a young woman to keep herself safe if *all* the places where a date might happen are private. For the record, my first year of university was spent at a secular institution in mixed accommodation with no regulations on behaviour between the sexes. No is no is no. She says that the rules against romantic public displays of affection were so restrictive, it drove couples off campus. Um, no. The school restraining order, if properly enforced(which I suppose to the authors credit, could very rationally be called into question), should at least be acknowledged as an attempt to guarantee her safety. Lately, I've started "coming out" as an agnostic to most of my friends from there. From what I understand, the school has only gotten worse. And St. Peters church (or rather the organ there). These are some of the difficult questions the college should have asked itself. christendom college racism. Regarding specific inaccuracies, one source has come forward to say her quote was taken out of context to imply something that she never meant it to. Not a rapist. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. Its a campus so safe, that rapist actually have to convince their victims to leave in order to rape them. Its portrayed here as poorly as possible but you cant just go ruining guys lives like this. And boy, you are right. I wonder what people do with degrees from schools like Christendom. should be torn down. She didnt want to accept that something so ugly had happened to her. She is very careful not to mention the perpetrators name without permission, but this courtesy given to the attacker is not given to any of the teachers and staff at the school. [40], Christendom has several varsity sports, and has a variety of intramural sports throughout the year. Eh, Simcha? [in loco parentis] is not a phrase that I use with any frequency, ODonnell wrote toward the end of his letter to Scott Smith. Lol there was the one time I said I was suicidal youll go to hell he replied I dont care I responded your psychotic he said. ok, but what evidence did the college have that he did? This response sounds like a trolling hay day, so if thats what you were going for, good job! All we know is that they did some kind of inquiry and issued that statement. Recipe for a Hit Piece Smith texted her boyfriend the next day, saying she didnt want to see him again. Her point is that they did not do their best. To those students who have been harmed, I am deeply sorry. Why not with the rape? Its something I can share with bubble parents. I attended Steubie in the mid 2000s. I want trying to make things seem like a cheap sex novel, just trying to illustrate that things can happen quickly without us really knowing what is going on, which we can later regret. If it was patently false, the college would have grounds for a law suit. Rest assured, I've cast off my own self-imposed shackles; it's much easier to approach the world and the people in it without worrying that they're not living up to Catholicism's impossible standards. Never, though, would I equate that with saying rape is OK. The college had no policy on sexual assault? But there were many inaccuracies about the school: we never had to get outfits approved for dates, you are allowed to sit next to each other, and we didnt have to wear skirts all the time. Sure, maybe. Christendom College is a four-year coeducational Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College with undergraduate and graduate programs offered in locations in Front Royal and Alexandria, Virginia, Donegal, Ireland, and Rome, Italy. So you end up having couples potentially isolate themselves. Well be waiting forever. Yes, the prosecutor has to prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT the guilt of the accused. If not, then how is the school supposed to levy public punishments that would permittly alter this guys life if the woman would not go forward to authorities? Take a second to support simchajfisher on Patreon! Miriel. Teresa, if the school is a place to strengthen ones faith, but they have a history of taking rape and assault lightly, then what does that example say about the Catholic institutions ability to accurately guard and present the faith to these students? Because Simcha has an ax to grind. But then into your mind jumps the thought no, I wanted to be married. The problems with rape at Christendom are the problems with rape anywhere. Smith and her family were floored. Justice, and not just criminal secular justice, but justice from our institutions, is a part of Catholic moral theology. A longtime economics and political science professor at Christendom College in Virginia has been charged with solicitation of a minor under the age of 16 and two counts of . 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. Sexual harassment and assault is inimical to such an environment. If some believe that our efforts and policies have failed to bring justice to their particular situations, please understand that despite being fallen human beings, the faculty and staff do their very best every day to provide a just and safe environment. I miss the sacred music program there. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. The idea of being torn apart in court by someone with a law degree, and it being in the paper, was too much for me to imagine. The victims always blame themselves.. christendom college racism. I went there for one semester (spring 2014). We have a new sexual harassment and assault policy published in the Student Handbook with instructions on how to report sexual harassment and assault and how to receive resources for recovery (page 29 of the student handbook). Good. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I feel challenged, respected, and loved by my teachers and am so grateful to be their student. Gross means the opposite of minor. Please teach your children that no always means NO so they will not be victims or predators. . It was very competitive, I constantly felt like I didn't have my shit together enough to keep up with my peers, felt threatened by the overwhelmingly progressive social atmosphere. The young woman went to the police, and due to the lack of evidence, they could not press charges. I emerged with my virginity intact. Simchas piece was very specific. Forgettable as most commencement addresses are, I remember yours clearly, Scott Smith wrote to ODonnell. None of us were involved in the off campus drinking by the riveras were all the Trad kidsand no doubt the sexual assault that went with it. The young man left Christendom in Smiths senior year. Carroll decided not to accept federal funding at the college, choosing instead to rely on generous benefactors. regina coeli hallBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. student centerBy AgnosticPreachersKid Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, churchBy AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, mens dorm By AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (, sealBy Niall ODonnell (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (. The school does not accept federal funding. Neither of which am I suggesting. And victims have the right to be taken seriously, to not be dismissed. Openly. in austria i was still unhappy, decided to leave early with an Associates degree. The schools rigid rules governing male and female interaction werent just awkward, though. Thanks for writing this- I hope the college considers educating more students on assault and consent. Rapists should be burnt at the stake, but only if the survivor immediately provides incontrovertible evidence of the rape happening and of the rapists identity, and if theres any doubt, we will give the alleged rapist a slap on the wrist and tell the survivor she should get over it. Aaaand we wonder why women dont immediately report their rapes. Im sorry, but your logic is misconstrued here. This puts students at greater risk. We care if you drink off campus, but not if you rape off campus, she said. Protected: Podcast 3dunno: Even Wilder Turkey! 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. Were charged ever filed? But more importantly, I think that you might be using the term more broadly than is appropriate in this matter.