The Hearing - Part 4

CASE HEARING RACISM

Chair:                           Professor Deltdrick Ross, Head of Electrical Engineering

Department

Committee Members:   Professor Floyd Bohrer, Architecture

                                    Professor Elena O’Brien, Civil Engineering

                                    Professor Moses Fogel, Mineral and Mining Engineering

Witnesses:                    Delbert Ballas, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Frank Covington Posey, Electrical Engineering student

Agnes Davis, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Carlo Erickson, Electrical Engineering student

                                    John Martin, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Yolanda Miller, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Angeline O’Connell, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Jennifer Wallace, Electrical Engineering student

Logan Wittels, Electrical Engineering student

Professor Phyllis Bligh, Electrical Engineering

Professor Richard Grant, Electrical Engineering

Victim:              Frieda Pianas, Electrical Engineering student

                                   

Accused:                      Jennifer Miller, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Dina Wise, Electrical Engineering student

While Agnes Davis leaves, Deltdrick Ross looks for the next witness.

DR:                              Mr. Carlo A. Erickson next, please.

Carlo Erickson shuffles in, looks to the ground and is uncomfortable.

FB:                               Mr. Erickson, please tell us what you remember about the incident

                                    three weeks ago.

Carlo Erickson (CE):    Well, we all were a bit curious what was so funny. That’s why we went all to Ms. Wise and Ms. Miller. She told a joke about swans

                                    and Hispanics. I thought it was pretty cool. The second was not so

                                    nice, but I … I didn’t want to stick out, so I laughed. Now I’m

                                    ashamed about it. I should have told Ms. Miller to stop.

FB:                               Can you remember what the jokes were about?

CE:                              Hm, the first was something along the line why Hispanic women hate swans. The answer is: Swans are beautiful and know who the father of their children is. The second was about a meeting of a Hispanic, a Middle Eastern guy and an American in a bar. I think it went along the line that the Hispanic states: “Where I come from glass is so cheap, we don’t have to drink from the same glass twice.” He grabs his pistol, throws the glass in the air and shoots it to smithereens. Next is the Middle Eastern guy. He empties his glass and says: “Where I come from, we have so many deserts and sand we don’t need to drink from the same glass twice.” He also grabs his gun, throws the glass in the air and shoots it to pieces. Then there is the American, he downs the content of his glass in one huge gulp, draws his gun and shoots the Hispanic and the Middle Eastern men, saying: “We have so many illegal immigrants here, we don’t need to drink with the same twice.”

FB:                               Neither of them is funny and is racist. I’m glad you realized it with the second joke. I’m just sorry you felt the need to belong was stronger than not taking part. Has anyone of you further questions? (Floyd Bohrer addresses his fellow committee members.)

 Professors Deltdrick Ross, Elena O’Brien and Moses Fogel shake their heads.

Carlo Erickson hangs his head low in shame.

DR:                              You can leave, Mr. Erickson. Our next witness is John Martin.

©2012