Thread: MS. pep band members disciplined for 'green card' chant

5 Southern Miss pep band members disciplined for 'green card' chant

Published March 20, 2012
Associated Press

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Mississippi has revoked the scholarships of five members of its pep band who took part in the heckling of a Kansas State basketball player at last Thursday's NCAA men's basketball tournament game.

The school announced Tuesday that the five students also were removed from the band and will be required to complete a two-hour cultural sensitivity training course this week.

The students have not been identified.

Southern Miss issued an apology last week to Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez after he was the target of chants of "Where's your green card?" during the Wildcats' 70-64 second-round victory in the NCAA tournament. Rodriguez had 13 points and four assists in the game that was played in Pittsburgh.

Video of the chanting went viral after being posted on YouTube that same day.

Rodriguez said he heard the chants and USM's athletic director and personnel from the school came to the team hotel to apologize.

"The students have been forthcoming, cooperative, contrite and sincerely remorseful. They acted rashly and inappropriately, and now see the gravity of their words and actions," Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Joe Paul said in a statement. "This is a teachable moment, not only for these students but for our entire student body and those who work with them."

Mississippi Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds has said the state's College Board would leave any disciplinary decision to Southern Miss.

Rodriguez said last week that he accepted the apology because "there's ignorant people and I know that's not how they want to represent their university."

Rodriguez said he doesn't pay attention to that "nonsense, especially because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, so we don't need no type of papers."

Bill Chandler of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliances said Tuesday he was pleased Southern Miss took action "to stop this overt expression of racism that was against a Latino."

"This demonstrates the ignorance of many people when it comes to immigrants whether they are students in college or legislators or the governor of Mississippi," Chandler said. "As in the past, public officials create the atmosphere for hateful acts in their pronouncements against people of color and others. It leads to latent racism and they need to stop it."

MIRA lobbies for immigrant rights issues at the state and local level.

5 Southern Miss Pep Band Members Disciplined For 'green Card' Chant | Fox News

How can college students NOT know that Puerto Ricans are American Citizens?

Puerto Rico - Wikipedia
Puerto Rico - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens in 1917 . . .

I think its funny that a College student doesn't know PR is a U.S territory...However

Its ridiculous and harsh to take their scholorships just for words...they didnt touch the Rodriguez boy...

And HOW MANY Illegals CHANT and Protest Agianst Americans, and Spew Racists slurs against Americans DAILY...but nothing is done to them..and the U.S is NOT even their country!!!

If you will punish American college students for 1 lousy incident...Deport the Millions of Racist ILLEGALS who Chant and Protest regularly!!!!!

Such one-sided BS these days, racial card my A**, Im mixed, and to many I may even (unfortunately) look hispanic...Guess what? I dont care, If Im ever Asked to PROVE my Birth Citizenship,and that of My Parents and Grandparents, Ill do so PROUDLY, with a smile on my face, because Im American and got NOTHING to hide!

This is outrageous. They are virtually destroying these students for saying what they wanted to say in the United States of America.

Those kids are being punished over politics and those dishing out the punishments want to create fear and intimidation among any other Americans that would dare piss off the thought police.

We need to call on Mississippi state lawmakers to cut funding to Southern Mississippi.

W

Southern Mississippi has revoked the scholarships of five members of its pep band who took part in the heckling of a Kansas State basketball player at last Thursday's NCAA men's basketball tournament game.

The school announced Tuesday that the five students also were removed from the band and will be required to complete a two-hour cultural sensitivity training course this week.

That's a lot of punishment.

I blame the school. If they were EDUCATING these students, the students would have KNOWN PR was our territory and no green card is needed. It is the old liberal philosophy, if the truth makes you look bad, attack.

American students lose their scholarships for a chant, yet illegals violate our laws, block streets, make demands of our elected officials, falsify documents, etc, etc, and are rewarded for it.

Exactly why we need a Brand New administration with a backbone! No more Cowardly, Spineless lames.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

American students lose their scholarships for a chant, yet illegals violate our laws, block streets, make demands of our elected officials, falsify documents, etc, etc, and are rewarded for it.

And where in the heck in the student handbook does it say not to chant "Green card" or not to make immigration status an issue? Unless the University can claim these young students violated a particular code in the handbook, they have no right to take away their scholarships.

The tyrants inside this university pushing these pep band kids around need to lose their state jobs.

W