The 2009-2010 school year was filled with new campus developments, student activism and controversy, allowing Wash. U. students to make their mark on the events of the year.

Another Fall Break has passed, and with it went another senior class trip to Chicago. Though this year’s trip wasn’t without its snafus thanks to a renegade hotel, the uproar pales in comparison to that from last year’s trip.

Following the town hall forum on the Mothers bar incident held two weeks ago, student group Connect 4 hosted a roundtable on Monday to create task forces for addressing racial discrimination and profiling on campus and to bring greater awareness of diversity issues to the student body. The student group hoped to focus the current energy sparked by the Mothers bar incident on creating long-term action plans for making positive change on campus and in the surrounding community.

Senior Class President Fernando Cutz told the student body in an e-mail this week that a Chicago rally, planned in response to the recent incident of alleged racial discrimination against six students at the Original Mothers bar in Chicago, will no longer occur.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been an integral player in the response to the Original Mothers bar incident. The ADL contacted the group of six black students three days after the original incident to offer them access to the organization’s infrastructure and advocacy from the group.

Six Wash. U. students initially filed civil rights charges with the Illinois Attorney General’s office against a popular Chicago nightclub, Original Mother’s bar. Allegedly, these black students were denied entry into the establishment under the “no baggy pants” policy even though fellow white students were admitted wearing similar clothing. As of now, the two sides have reached a settlement, and the charges have been dropped against the nightclub.

Senior Class President Fernando Cutz, along with the six black students who allege they were racially discriminated against by the Original Mothers bar in Chicago, said on Wednesday that they will not be pressing charges against Mothers, as part of a legal agreement between the two sides.

In America today, it is easy to forget that there are some things that lawsuits cannot settle, things that legislation cannot change.
It makes sense to sue those who embezzle money for financial damages; similarly, it makes sense to put dangerous criminals behind bars. The former ensures that wealth is redistributed appropriately; the latter makes certain that the accused do not commit similar acts of violence again. In these cases, the punishment is appropriate and contributes to a just, secure society.

Senior Class President Fernando Cutz announced at a press conference Wednesday that the six black students who allege they were discriminated against by the Original Mothers bar in Chicago have reached an agreement with the bar.

Students expressed anger at the Original Mothers bar and demanded that the establishment issue an apology during a town hall forum Monday night. “I’m flabbergasted that an apology hasn’t been given because the first step is admitting that you have a problem,” senior Jessica Strong said at the forum.