What’s happening at Oberlin?

After posting “The spreading virus: Oberlin edition” this morning, I was struck by the fact that the bizarre and threatening student demands hadn’t been reported anywhere. Could the 14-page document be something other than what it purports to be?

This stuff is hard to parody, and there is no wit apparent on the face of the document, but it is way over the top. If it’s the real deal, how can it be the case that Oberlin alum Michelle Malkin, for example, hasn’t gotten around to explicating it?

I should have thought of that before I posted the item, but I didn’t. I followed up with several phone calls to Oberlin seeking to confirm the authenticity of the document. Between 9:00 and 9:30 this morning, I called the office of Oberlin President Marvin Krislov and spoke with the receptionist. She heard me out and said she would have Oberlin Director of Communications Scott Wargo call me as soon as we got off the phone. I called Wargo’s cell phone myself and left a detailed message asking him to call me back. I also spoke with Assistant to the President/Communications Ferd Protzman and Assistant to the President Jennifer Bradfield, explaining to each why I was calling. They both referred me to Wargo. Wargo never called me back. I also called the Multicultural Center and left a message with the ABUSUA which was not returned.

I then put out a call for help to Power Line readers in an update to my post. Bill Jacobson let us know that he had gotten to the story about the time we did in “Oberlin College students circulate 14-page demand list.” Bill also notes that students have circulated a signature list that has hundreds of names on it. The mania is spreading across the campus. It’s unclear if the document and signature list have been promulgated under the official auspices of ABUSUA. Bill advises that the college didn’t respond to his email seeking comment.

Michelle Malkin, call your office!

Best of all, we received a message from a reader inside the belly of the beast:

Hi, I am an occasional reader of your site, and noticed your post on the demands issued by Oberlin College’s black student group, ABUSA. I work for the college (so please do keep me anonymous) and can confirm this is real and very much in keeping with recent campus conversations both this semester and going back at least three years. It’s funny how these types of things always happen around midterms and finals, isn’t it? The demands are too specific to be fake and build upon a teach-in session held by faculty in November (see here.

All of the people they are naming specifically to be fired are employees, many of whom are caught up in a feckless bureaucracy and scarcely racist.

Rather than describe the protesters’ actions are Marxist, I tend to think they are more inspired by Mao’s concept of criticism and (enforced) self-criticism.

In other Oberlin College news, college food sometimes tastes bad (see here).

And, sometimes anonymous online comments are mildly critical (see here).

Thanks for publicizing this more widely.

I could go on, but I think we can conclude that we have happened on to a story in process. We will stay tuned.

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