# College gives sombreros to students, punishes students for wearing sombreros **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049 "2016-03-05T22:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/41 "2016-03-08T18:28:18Z")
Eh, yoga has totally been culturally appropriated. But You People also took shampoo, cotton and the decimal system from us so we’ll cope. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/42 "2016-03-08T18:55:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I recall reading the other day that the college ‘supplied hats for a photo booth’. That sounds as if they supplied a variety of hats, which included sombreros. That’s different from the college passing out sombreros. So what? If supplying sombreros at a party is culturally insensitive, and deserving of censure, how is supplying sombreros for a photo booth acceptable? Can you lay out some kind of argument where this distinction is relevant? The party was at least Mexican-themed. The photo booth probably just included the sombrero in a set of “funny hats”. Which, honestly, sounds _more_ offensive (if this is a thing to be offended over at all, which I’m not convinced it is). ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/43 "2016-03-08T20:09:11Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > I stopped reading after the sombreros. You might want to keep your rants shorter or include a TL;DR summary. Guh, I know right? Reading is hard. And the worst. I hate reading, especially on message boards. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > When, exactly, did college/university officials become even more stupid and gutless than elementary and high school administrators? > > The latter set a very low bar, but it seems as if the college honchos\* are doing a limbo to get below it. > \*apologies if using this term is a form of cultural appropriation. As a SJW myself I am ashamed that not one of any of you who posted after this post admonished **Jackmanni** for his highly inappropriate insensitive cultural appropriation. You are all now acquired to attend Active Bystander Training and are on Social Probation for one year. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/44 "2016-03-08T20:14:23Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The party was at least Mexican-themed. The photo booth probably just included the sombrero in a set of “funny hats”. Which, honestly, sounds _more_ offensive (if this is a thing to be offended over at all, which I’m not convinced it is). Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/45 "2016-03-08T20:29:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For the record, the two other claims he made in the OP aren’t true either. > > The students at Oberlin were complaining about the new food services company and generally poor quality of the food it was serving. The students provided several examples of different meals they feel were poorly prepared but some internet sources chose to focus on fried chicken. You know, for no apparent reason. > > And the yoga class was cancelled. It wasn’t banned. As far as I know, nobody has the authority to ban a college class. Other posters have already dealt with your point about the yoga class. But you’re also misrepresenting the food issue. It wasn’t “poorly prepared” food. It was that traditional food was being prepared in manners that “range from cultural appropriation to cultural insensitivity”. Which exactly supports the point that ITR made. Worth reading the link. The accusations against ITR in this thread seem to themselves lack integrity. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/46 "2016-03-08T20:48:21Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If you should happen to observe partiers wearing toy sombreros, do you > [list=a][li] Intervene, snatching sombreros off people’s heads, throwing them to the floor, and stomping on them, {Snip}[/list][/li] Are you mocking the revered [Jarabe Tapatio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarabe_Tapat%C3%ADo)? Shame on you! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/47 "2016-03-08T22:17:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Last semester featured some memorable moments in Social Justice Warrior … As soon as I got to that point, I stopped reading. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/48 "2016-03-08T22:23:34Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > So what? > > If supplying sombreros at a party is culturally insensitive, and deserving of censure, how is supplying sombreros for a photo booth acceptable? Can you lay out some kind of argument where this distinction is relevant? The implication was that they did not _only_ supply sombreros for the photo booth. The available hats may have comprised sombreros, top hats, tam o’shanters, fedoras, derbies, trilbies, tuques, chef’s toques, bowlers, cowboy hats, sun bonnets, ushankas, bearskins, pillboxes, choches, bicornes, tricornes, berets, fezzes, coonskin caps, and/or any other style you can think of. > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The party was at least Mexican-themed. The photo booth probably just included the sombrero in a set of “funny hats”. Which, honestly, sounds _more_ offensive (if this is a thing to be offended over at all, which I’m not convinced it is). So they should have not included sombreros? ‘We’ll let you wear any number of funny hats. But not sombreros, because you know how sensitive those Mexicans are!’ :dubious: . ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/49 "2016-03-08T22:51:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The implication was that they did not _only_ supply sombreros for the photo booth. The available hats may have comprised sombreros, top hats, tam o’shanters, fedoras, derbies, trilbies, tuques, chef’s toques, bowlers, cowboy hats, sun bonnets, ushankas, bearskins, pillboxes, choches, bicornes, tricornes, berets, fezzes, coonskin caps, and/or any other style you can think of. > > . So you are saying they might have intended to offend everyone with stereotyping? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/50 "2016-03-08T23:41:36Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > So you are saying they might have intended to offend everyone with stereotyping? So you are saying that costume shops intend to offend everyone with stereotyping? That Halloween is inherently racist? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/51 "2016-03-08T23:57:19Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > As a SJW myself Single Jewish Weirdo? Satanic Japanese Wastrel? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/52 "2016-03-09T00:37:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So they should have not included sombreros? ‘We’ll let you wear any number of funny hats. But not sombreros, because you know how sensitive those Mexicans are!’ :dubious: No, of course not. I’m pretty sure that zero people in this thread think that there’s something wrong with handing out sombreros for the purposes of merriment. Do you actually think that anyone is arguing against the furnishing of hats? What they _should not_ do is punish students for giving out sombreros out at parties. That action is on-its-face ridiculous, regardless of anything else. It is _compounded_ by the fact that the punisher _did the same damn thing!_ ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/53 "2016-03-09T02:47:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Single Jewish Weirdo? Satanic Japanese Wastrel? Social justice warrior. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/54 "2016-03-09T11:10:57Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/55 "2016-03-09T12:50:21Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > a) Intervene, snatching sombreros off people’s heads, throwing them to the floor, and stomping on them, all the while vociferously chastising those people for their disgraceful blatant racism? I thought for sure that “Mexican hat dance” was going to come after the “throwing them to the floor” part. Meh, it’s a teapot tempest anyway. President Trump will sort this out. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/56 "2016-03-09T13:33:19Z")
“Fun has now been banned worldwide on the slight off-chance that it may offend at least 0.5 of a person somewhere.” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/57 "2016-03-09T15:25:37Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Last semester featured some memorable moments in Social Justice Warrior history at college campuses. Your post was a memorable moment in Social Justice Warrior history at message boards. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/58 "2016-03-09T15:31:48Z")
Man, if I was that student that got punished for this I’d be tempted to go full bore first amendment. Black history month? Dress like a Southern Belle. Jewish holiday? Nazi party costume time. Muslim Holiday? Dress like an Orthodox Jew. Heck you could probably fill out most of both semesters with something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/59 "2016-03-09T15:43:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Jewish holiday? Nazi party costume time. I’d applaud when you were expelled. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049/60 "2016-03-11T07:42:47Z")
[The Snopes perspective on this whole thing.](http://www.snopes.com/bowdoin-mini-sombrero-controversy/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-gives-sombreros-to-students-punishes-students-for-wearing-sombreros/748049.md?page=4)