'Scalp 'Em': Another Perspective

By Eugene Long | Monday, April 30, 2001

Editor's Note: Gene Long and Will Hughes stand accused by the College of threatening an anonymous female student early one night this past winter term. What seemed a harmless event at the time escalated further than most expected: Long's and Hughes's fraternity, Psi Upsilon, has already been put on probation for two terms as punishment for their conduct that night (see TDR 4/9/2001), and now Long, Hughes, and another fraternity brother face disciplinary action for what they saw at the time as non-threatening, if unfriendly and increasingly unpopular, speech.

Their anonymous accuser's story circulated widely in emails. These emails formed the basis for the College's action against Psi Upsilon and now against these three students.

What follows is Mr. Long's account of the events of that night, the official statement that he has presented to the College. His anonymous accuser's words have been given great weight, despite the unknowing emptiness behind them. At the least, Mr. Long's account fills in the until-now sketchy story of Friday night festivities gone awry. Contrasted with his anonymous accuser's account, it highlights the schema of persecution into which Mr. Long and his cohorts shouted that night.

At 9 PM on Friday, February 16, Will Hughes and I were on the lawn of Psi Upsilon. We decided to say the old football chant, 'Wah- Hoo-Wah, Scalp 'em,' something that we had done numerous times at Dartmouth football games. We had been drinking moderately in the basement of Psi Upsilon the night of the incident. Although the house had elected not to buy beer that weekend, it was understood that brothers of age could buy and consume their own alcohol on the premises. Two brothers, one of whom was Kevin Watkins, poked their heads out of the third floor window. After a couple of moments, we asked them to join in the cheer, saying, 'When we say ' Wah Hoo Wah', you say ' Scalp 'em''. This call and response was said perhaps three times. Kevin then joined Will and me on the lawn on his way to Food Court. At this point, I noticed a lone girl walking along Massachusetts Row in front of Psi Upsilon towards West Wheelock street. At no point did we alter our cheer, address said female, or display any awareness of her presence. When she arrived directly in front of the house, she shouted what I heard to be 'Why is Psi U so cool?' I responded by shouting, 'Why are you so fat?' At this point, Kevin approached the edge of our property and attempted to apologize: 'I apologize for my drunk brothers.' The female did not respond, and continued on her way down Mass Row. She crossed the street. We concluded our chanting and walked into the house. The entire incident lasted less than three minutes.

I categorically deny the assertions of the anonymous accuser that there were between seven to twelve members of the fraternity shouting from the porch and the lawn. There were only four of us involved: three of whom were on the lawn at some point, and an additional member who had merely leaned his head from the window. Nor was there any way that a reasonable person could construe what we did as threatening. The event took place at 9 PM, and the woman was on a public thoroughfare a good twenty yards from the incident. At no time did we address the female, until she shouted at us. At that point I responded, merely in a derogatory, not threatening, manner. Furthermore, I do not ever recall uttering the phrase 'Scalp those Bitches'. That the woman at the time did not feel threatened is evident in her shouting at us and in the calm manner that she continued on her way after the incident.

Let me further add that the way in which this incident has been handled by the College has been reprehensible. My name and Will Hughes's have been known since the beginning of the incident. But rather than interview us immediately to ascertain what really took place, Deans Larimore and Redman gave undue credence to anonymous accusations as a basis for their statements to the community and in organizational adjudication. At no time have we been allowed to know the name of our accuser. Our names have been public from the beginning. And it is only after the conclusion of said organizational adjudication, wherein Dean Redman explicitly overrode the recommendation of the Judicial Committee and dismissed the will of the elected student government almost without consideration, that we have been subjected to yet another process.

Furthermore, I find that the assertion of Dean Redman and the Judiciary Committee that the word 'scalp' implies a threat of actual violence to be patently ridiculous. Scalping is a blatant anachronism and has not been practiced in New England for centuries. Furthermore, this is a well-known football cheer that, until recently, was frequently used by a large portion of the student body.

The sordidness of this entire process has made me deeply cynical about the nature of this administration, and I doubt that I will be treated in good faith here, as indeed we have not throughout this affair. Let me add that I have no remorse whatsoever for anything I did, and I find your attempts to punish me ridiculous.
This is the first time I have expressed my feelings on the issue.

'Scalp 'Em': Another Perspective

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