Kelley Hungerford – assistant editor. Rumors, insults, sympathetic comments and political slams are flying across campus, social networking Web sites and in the user comments of online news stories regarding the suspicious packages incident and senior Melissa Davaz. I can’t say that what she did was smart, justified or logical, but I can say that a majority of the remarks made about this event definitely are not.
One Web site features debates of whether the mug shot of Davaz and the Facebook profile picture of her are actually the same person because the Facebook photo is of a “hotter” woman. Other comments here grossly discuss having sex with her.
A comment on kptv.com’s story says, “Not surprising to hear about a young privileged white girl who has never worked a day in her life and has been given everything to her practically in a silver spoon.”
On a Facebook group called “It’s your Linfield,” which exclusively discusses the incident, one student says, “She doesn’t need coddling or support, she needs to be put in her place. A dark, lonely, cold place in my opinion.” Another student replies to this comment with, “If Jesus is truly your friend — as you claim on your Facebook page — then maybe you should start following what he instructs.”
Comments both criticizing and supporting Davaz are plagued with disgusting, libelous content.
I would like to ask Linfield students and affiliates to keep two things in mind when making any remarks about the incident.
First is that anything you say about Davaz and her actions directly reflects on Linfield. To a large portion of the media audience, her name and the college are the same at this point.
For instance, one student on the Facebook group writes, “I really hope the school doesn’t plan on presenting her with a diploma because she has obviously hasn’t learned jack since kindergarten anyway.”
Remember, though, that you go to the same academic institution as Davaz. If you claim that Linfield hasn’t taught her anything, then it wouldn’t be a far stretch for outside observers to interpret this as calling Linfield a poor-quality college with an ineffective academic program. If she hasn’t learned anything, then have you?
Comments such as these harm Linfield, its alumni and its reputation more than the suspicious packages incident itself.
Also, remember that the only thing comments such as these do is hurt. They hurt her, her family and her friends, while offering no productive discussion. This includes some statements said in her defense.
One student on the Facebook group said that, if Linfield Community Public Safety & Security hadn’t overreacted, then “maybe a couple people would have an anxiety attack that Osama bin Laden is probably hiding in Renshaw.” I understand this remark to be sarcastic, but please realize that it still compares Davaz to bin Laden, which is in no way comforting.
One of the only logical comments on the Facebook group is from a student who states that many would feel differently if the hoax had been carried out by a McMinnville resident. This is true, but it made me realize that we make comments such as the above about everyone, all the time.
As a community of college students, let’s try to watch our mouths, especially because, now, these scathing remarks directly affect us.
It’s like one student’s post on the Facebook discussion: “There are so many things already on [Davaz’s] plate; let’s not add to it.”