Hope never dies—this maxim has always been at the forefront of human endeavor on earth. And yet again, it stands to be true. Since September 6, Gettysburg College in Philadelphia has come to the center of the limelight after a fateful incident took place on its swimming team. The complaint is that in the social gathering of the men’s swimming team, the perpetrator marked the N-word on one of the Gettysburg swimmer’s chests using “a box cutter.” Furthermore, as per the reports, the victim was the only Black swimmer attending the said gathering on September 6, and the perpetrator was someone whom he had once considered counting as his ‘friend’. Whammies did not end with these. 

According to the victim’s parents, their son was dismissed along with the attacker from the swimming team within 48 hours of the incident. But they are yet to lose hope. Rather, despite being on the receiving end of the circumstance, they supported their son’s handling of it and believed in the system. 

The Gettysburg swimmer shows patience at a crucial point

In a detailed interview with the Gettysburgian, the victim’s parents expressed their grief over the outcome of the situation. However, the negative emotions have yet to shake their belief in the system. They felt angered by the suspension decision of their son, despite having the tag of victimhood. But they steadfastly admitted, “The punitive action was taken prior to the commencement of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities own investigation. This does not appear to have followed the policies and procedures stated in the Gettysburg College Student-Athlete Manual.”

Meanwhile, they also eulogized the utmost following of standardized procedures, active on the ground to give their son justice in the comment, “We remain hopeful that Gettysburg College officials will maintain transparency and execute a just application of its rules.” Above all, they showered praise on their son for a unique reason. 

As it had been mentioned earlier, the Gettysburg swimmer remained the sole Black swimmer to attend the ‘informal’ meet. Eventually, he was motivated to join as the event also held several swimmers who were his friends. So the parents backed their son’s obvious attitude toward his friends, despite the occurrence of the issue. Furthermore, they also clapped at their son for ‘not returning the hate’ to anyone, including the perpetrator, in his vulnerable moments.

Rather, to them, their son’s behavior is emblematic of he who “has chosen to embrace the strength and diversity it [the community] represents.” They also displayed their thankfulness toward their son’s fellow swimmers’ families, who came forward to pacify them. However, their unwavering belief in the college’s maxim, “Do Great Work,” stands to see a positive light as many news stories have come in recent days. 

The authorities skirt the problem of delayed justice

“The justice delayed is the justice denied,” the parents of the Gettysburg swimmer had tried to signify those lines. But on September 11, things started to shift as more and more media outlets began to cover the story. The next day, Bob Iuliano expressed his deep concern over the issue, calling it “profound distress.” Later, the firm action started to take place on the ground.

The college administration shared the incident’s details with the relevant parties and pledged to handle the resolution on its own. Simultaneously, the Gettysburg Police Department later informed that the victim had his belief in the internal system to solve the matter quickly. 

Lastly, on Sunday (September 22), Anne Ehrlich, the Vice President for College Life, sent an email, announcing a development on the issue. She pointed out that the “investigation is nearing its conclusion, and we can report now that the individual who scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the college.” She also mentioned reaching out to the Gettysburg swimmer’s family and discussing how to end the issue constructively. But it is still not clear whether the perpetrator has been expelled or he has left the college on his own. However, things are now looking to be settled down with a better conclusion.