Colleges cheer on high school students ditching class for gun control protests

The Washington Times ^ | February 28, 2018 | Valerie Richardson

[jazusamo]

Applicants will receive no penalties for walkout-related suspensions

Ditching class won’t hurt your chances of gaining admission to the college of your dreams — and may even help — as long as you’re playing hooky in order to agitate for gun control.

More than 200 universities, including Harvard, Yale and MIT, have rushed to reassure applicants that they won’t be penalized if they’re suspended or otherwise disciplined for participating in peaceful school walkouts spurred by the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Not only that, but some university officials have commended and encouraged would-be protesters, leaving the impression that those who take to the streets during school hours may be better positioned to win admission than those who obey the rules and attend class.

“#ParklandStudentsSpeak College admission officers seek students who stand up for their beliefs. We’ve got you on this side,” tweeted Kirk Brennan, USC associate dean and director of undergraduate admissions.

Dartmouth urged students to “speak your truth,” saying the college “applauds students’ expressions of belief,” while Mount Holyoke declared that “we support you fully as you lead peaceful demonstrations against gun violence.”

“You can be assured that peaceful, responsible protests against gun violence will not negatively impact decisions on admission to Brown,” said the Brown admissions office.

Wake Forest president Nathan O. Hatch gave student protesters his blessing by tweeting, “Prospective @WakeForest students protesting for change: We applaud your courage and would be proud to call you Demon Deacons.”

The overwhelmingly pro-walkout sentiment from colleges threatens to undercut principals struggling to keep the classroom chaos to a minimum, not to mention parents worried about the safety issues associated with crowds of teens flooding the streets during the workday.

[trebb]

I remember such “protests” against ‘Nam when I was in HS - there were more of us who had no protest in mind when we took the opportunity to cut classes with impunity.....some nice Spring days at Mendon Ponds Park with beers and girls ....