Special Topic: Why Is Racism Still An Issue?

Just a mere few days ago, a video surfaced of members of SAE, a fraternity at the University of Oklahoma, engaging in a chant. But this was not an uplifting chant, nor was it positive in any aspect. The video shows the members chanting racist slurs, further by saying these types of people would never be in the SAE house. The video is extremely deplorable, brutally racist and so bigoted that it would only be a matter of moments before it caught the attention of the internet.

And it caught on like a wildfire. The video went hugely viral, and news of the chant spread not only throughout Oklahoma but to a national scale. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram exploded with backlash of the reckless and cruel fraternity video. For those of you who have (somehow) not seen the video, here is is:

As soon as it exploded, actions were taken swiftly and harshly. The president of the university came out with a public speech condemning the fraternity and its action, saying this in no way reflects what OU stands for and their disgraceful actions would have consequences. The fraternity was completely disbanded and exiled from the campus, the house was dismembered. However, the attention has little but died down. There have been spots on national news, people across the nation are outraged and Oklahoma is in the crosshairs for peaceful protests because of its now perceived racist image.

But why is racism still in issue? Even in this day 2015, 40 years after that historical movement in Selma, Alabama we are accosted with stories about racist offenses. Is this simply internalized from our ancestors? Is there proper education provided in schools and universities about these negative comments, how they affect those they are aimed towards? Is it the media to blame, social media not excluded. No one is quite sure. In a world where we are all uniquely different and each and every one of us is (or should be) capable of success, why?

The fire started by this fraternities ludicrous actions may slowly abide, but it will never be forgotten. They have left another stain on Oklahoma's already tarnished reputation and it seems that we are caught up in a constant game of catch up. Until we, as a state, much more a nation, can truly end racism and live in a realm of equality, we must sleep in the bed we have made.

-Cameron

Personal Update: My First 2 Weeks At Jackie Cooper BMW

Is anyone reading really surprised I work at BMW? Hear me out, hear me out. Through a series of connections, I was set up with a series of interviews and eventually landed the spot for position of BMW Genius. What exactly is a BMW Genius? It is my part to instruct new and returning customers about the vehicles when they purchase them or return at a later date. I pair their phones, set up the radio, show them each and every function of the vehicle. Before I even applied I just knew, this is the perfect job for me!

I am going on my third week now and everything has been wonderful. All of the staff are friendly, funny and engaging. If I ever have any questions, they happily answer it for me. I have taken some time to test drive each vehicle to get a feel for it and learn new functions of it. Ranging from a bare bones 320i to the elaborate 650i xDrive Convertible, I have had some seat time in some amazing cars and am learning every single day.

This coming weekend will the the Oklahoma Auto Show where local dealerships will come to display their latest and greatest and I, along with my two other Genuises have been instructed to help. I actually feel involved and part of a team because of events such as this, I cannot say that about some previous endeavors. My job is not necessarily fast paced but I love it nonetheless. Going from a crummy retail job to something I truly enjoy and have no resistance to coming to work has been a godsend to say the least.

I will try and post more as I get further settled into my position, but I can already tell it will be nothing but smooth sailing from here on out.

-Cameron