Vulgar, tasteless dipwads: Harvard material?

[Elok]

https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/6/6/15741198/harvard-withdraws-admission-facebook-memes

In case you missed it: some kids started an ironic Facebook group to share sentiments along the general lines of "we're going to Harvard in the fall, let's be self-deprecating about it." A subset of those students created a second, private group for making jokes that were flagrantly offensive (racist, sexist, whateverist) in addition to being self-deprecating. Some members of the group leaked pictures of the vulgarity to Harvard, who after a period of consideration withdrew admission from several of the students involved. Was this warranted?

[-Jrabbit]

Ah, first-world problems. Haven't read the link, but my guess is that most of these kids could use a little adversity in their lives.
Freedom of speech is great, but learning that there are consequences is greater.

[Kidlicious]

We're they self-deprecating feminists? That would be hilarious.

[Jon Miller]

I didn't actually read the article, but I need more information before the little I have heard (basically what you posted, in a couple of different places). Like an example.

In general, if you got into Harvard you can get in somewhere else that is roughly equivalent and still have a 'charmed life'.

JM

[BlackCat]

You americans are weird Yes the jokes are pretty bad* (found some of them here) but it's friggin teens and they have brains that not yet works properly. If they should have done anything, they could have send letters saying something like "we have noticed you have... We at Harvard do not consider that as proper tone and expect you to act better in the future". Expelling them for that is pretty stupid.

* Bad as in

[Kidlicious]

If it were Europe they would be reported to police

[Elok]

After seeing BC's pics, it seems the material was mostly of the "hey let's be as shocking and offensive as possible because wrong is always funny bro!" variety popular among meatheaded frat boy types. Fairly harmless, all in all, though the little twerps should have known you can't put crap like that on FB, private group or not. I'm guessing that, if Harvard had somehow chanced across the material without a public outcry, they would have pulled the kids aside and suggested, in a non-written way, that they remove all traces of the college's name from the group, or better yet shut it down, because they were being morons and that crap is traceable. As there was a controversy, probably they had little choice but to boot the kids.

[BlackCat]

If it were Europe they would be reported to police

If it had been in europe, people would have said "stupid kids" and carried on without further notice.

[rah]

Hey, if they applied to Harvard I would expect them to be smarter than that. So screw em. Send them to Yale.

I put this up on the level of college athletes that end up with pictures of themselves doing bong hits on line.

They deserve what they get. And really glad I didn't have to worry about this kind of crap when I was growing up.

[-Jrabbit]

Yale? Screw that. Ship them to Cornell!

[rah]

Or U of I

[Kidlicious]

If it had been in europe, people would have said "stupid kids" and carried on without further notice.

Here's just one example of someone getting the police called on them for saying they were going to mail poop to Parliament.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cele...to-police.html

[BlackCat]

Here's just one example of someone getting the police called on them for saying they were going to mail poop to Parliament.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cele...to-police.html

Considering how Trump goes beserk when news and judges opposes him when they tell real facts, this is a pretty relaxed reaction - as police says :

"We have received a complaint and officers will be reviewing the programme to see if any offences have occurred."

[Aeson]

I don't see how this information is any less valid ... and is likely much more valid ... than the other criteria used to differentiate between applicants.

[Elok]

Fair enough. I think it's okay to say that if any of them mentioned wanting to study anything related to online security, they should be kicked out.