By Stephanie Fasano
A note to our viewers:
We would like to point out two moments from the story above that have received some attention.
First, it is noted incorrectly in the piece that Gruber is a former foster child. She is in fact currently a foster child, and expressed in her original interview with Q30 News that she will remain in foster care until August 2015.
Second, concern has surfaced that one of Gruber’s quotes was taken out of context in the above piece. After reviewing Gruber’s original, uncut interview and comparing it to the finished product, we have located the area of concern. Below you will find the question and answer from Gruber’s original, uncut interview, along with the published version that unintentionally takes Gruber’s quote out of context.
From the uncut Gruber interview:
Question: What would you say to all the people who would say, ‘Ok, we respect your opinion, but why do you have to put it on social media where someone could say you’re kind of asking for feedback, whether it be positive or negative?’ What do you say to those people?
Gruber’s Answer: I think they have a point. I think probably social media wasn’t the best place to post that. That was probably not the brightest decision. I just did not, and probably could not, expect that people would react in the way that they did.
From the published story:
Voice-over: Gruber was then caught in a web of social media threats. These threats surfaced to websites like Total Frat Move, Total Sorority Move and Barstool…all blaming her for being the one who shut down the event.
Gruber’s Quote: I think they have a point. I think probably social media wasn’t the best place to post that. That was probably not the brightest decision. I just did not, and probably could not, expect that people would react in the way that they did.
We would like to clarify that Gruber’s response of, “I think they have a point,” is referring to anyone who may ask why she decided to post feelings on a public platform like social media. Though entirely unintentional, the published version makes it seem Gruber was saying the three websites that published articles about her “have a point.” This is untrue.
We apologize for any confusion caused by these mistakes. As always, we at Q30 News strive to report stories both factually and fairly.
Thank you,
The Q30 News Team
***Revised Write Up Posted 3/6/15***
The power of social media was well represented this week on Quinnipiac’s campus. An advertisement for Kappa Alpha Theta’s yearly event, Queso for CASA, became the center of controversy after a student expressed concerns with the ad.
Senior Lexie Gruber posted to Facebook and Twitter her feelings about the advertisement, which showcased maracas to represent the event that raises money for foster children by selling Mexican food. Gruber claimed using the maracas to represent a Mexican-themed event was cultural appropriation.
“Taking a maraca, which is a stereotypical Hispanic symbol, and saying ‘this is Mexican’ and saying okay we are going to raise awareness of this population with really a stereotypical Mexican ad,” Gruber said.
Gruber is both a Latina student and foster child, and has worked with CASA in the past throughout her time in foster care.
After she took to social media to express her feelings, harassment began occurring on Facebook, Twitter and Yik Yak in response to Gruber’s words. As the exchanges progressed online, certain Greek life members went to their advisor, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Courtney McKenna, to show her what was happening.
McKenna said she then spoke to the president of Kappa Alpha Theta, and worked with Theta advisors to determine the event would be cancelled because of the exchanges on social media. Once the cancellation was announced, rumors began spreading online that Gruber was to blame for going to Greek life advisors to cancel the event, and people began threating Gruber for it.
“Actually members of our [Greek life] community who saw it going on Facebook and then Twitter actually brought it to my attention,” McKenna said.
Gruber said she did not want the event to get cancelled, and only wanted to raise awareness of what she believed to be cultural appropriation on the advertisement. She did recognize that expressing her feelings on social media might have not been the best platform to do so on.
“I think social media wasn’t the best place to post that [feelings],” Gruber said. “That was probably not the brightest decision. I just could not predict that people would react the way they did.”
Quinnipiac Panhellenic released a statement following the cancellation of Queso for CASA. The organization stated the negative dialogue that took place online went too far, and that ultimately, all students in the Quinnipiac community deserve mutual respect.
McKenna said certain students involved in the exchanges online have already been spoken too.
“Whether they’re Greek [life] or otherwise, it’s to make sure they recognize the impact that words can have,” McKenna said. “And whether it’s social media or not, it all can impact people pretty significantly.”
