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[RedSwirl]

Read this article a while ago and I'm still trying to understand how St. Johns Catholic University in Australia has apparently gone "Lord of the Flies meets A Clockwork Orange by way of Slytherin" as someone put it.

I have no idea how Catholic schools work in relation to outside society. For a place to descend into anarchy like this wouldn't it have to be somehow physically isolated from the outside world? Are there some workings of Australian law enforcement that I'm missing here?

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/culture-of-anarchy-at-a-college-in-crisis-20121103-28qvh.html

The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has been urged to help save St John's from the mob-rule mentality that almost led to the death of a teenage girl.

When a degrading initiation ritual left a teenage girl clinging to life in hospital, the fallout was supposed to bring order and cultural change to Australia's oldest and most prestigious Catholic college, St John's.

Eight months on, nothing has changed. Police have been called to investigate widespread vandalism including smashed windows and doors, furniture broken or set on fire, and graffiti. Faeces are routinely found in common areas and bedrooms. Every second Friday, the student committee has decreed that all Johnsmen not speak to any female students - who are known as ''Jets'': the term is an acronym for ''just excuse the slag''.

Freshers are still being forced into initiation rituals, including the consumption of toxic drinks. And some senior students are showing a cavalier disregard for the fallout from the poisoned girl's near-death, and have even printed T-shirts that celebrate the incident.

''Anarchy has broken out and anarchy is not too strong a word,'' Professor Arnold said.

''An external review of the governance of the college needs to be conducted urgently because the fellows are responsible for what happens on campus … I've been in universities for almost 40 years and, to be quite frank, I've never seen anything like this.

''In the external world, the incidents taking place could be considered criminal. I believe Cardinal Pell is the person who is ultimately called if things spiral out of control and become really tricky. In my opinion, we are well past that stage.''

In an unprecedented move, Bongers suspended all 33 students who had been present at the ritual and when he later failed to flush out the ringleaders, he demanded they all serve between 15 and 20 hours of community service. In a further attempt to stamp out initiations in the future, he banned the entire group from standing for office in the college's house executive.

But a Sun-Herald investigation reveals that, since then, a report was compiled for the college by former Supreme Court Judge Roger Giles. He didn't exonerate the students, upholding the suspension, but did excuse the boys from community service, and said it would be "double jeopardy" to also deny them the right to stand for election to the students' council.

The reversal hampered the rector's authority, but insiders claim the ''turning point'' came last month when he tried to expel one of the same boys for setting off a fire extinguisher and causing damage. A student source said: ''The Student Club presented the College Council with a dodgy petition to say he should be invited back - so he was invited back. From that day on, the group have considered themselves more powerful than the rector. They've turned tribal, causing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage [on campus]. In modern-day terms, it's like stepping into The Twilight Zone.''

Pretty long article. I suggest you read it all, but at the end they put down a timeline of events:

Year of discontent
MARCH

Female student poisoned and hospitalised in ''Justice'' ritual involving a cocktail of dog food, shampoo, sour milk, tabasco sauce and alcohol.

33 students immediately suspended.

APRIL

After deliberation, college rector Michael Bongers hits students with double punishment of community service and a ban on running for the student council executive. They appeal.

College executive Roslyn Arnold resigns in protest.

JULY

Student breaks school code and causes property damage with fire extinguisher. Bongers expels student. The boy immediately appeals.

AUGUST

Supreme Court Judge Roger Giles overturns both punishments inflicted by Bongers for the student poisoning in March but upholds suspension.

SEPTEMBER

The college fellows overturn the fire extinguisher-related expulsion and power shifts to the students.

OCTOBER

Mob rule takes hold. In the final month of the school year, students rampage across college.

 

[Canis lupus]

Female student poisoned and hospitalised in ''Justice'' ritual involving a cocktail of dog food, shampoo, sour milk, tabasco sauce and alcohol.

What?? :s

I'm attending a catholic university aswel, and really there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[wenis]

Everyone finally realized that "Catholic Guilt" is complete bullshit.

 

[WedgeX]

It sounds like a typical college...

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Have you seen the way some Notre Dame fans act in CFB Gaf?

But, seriously, what is going on there?

 

[Fusebox]

St Johns is a very privileged old-money school, so their idea of debauchery is more in line with The Skulls than it is with regular university mayhem.

 

[RedSwirl]

St Johns is a very privileged old-money school, so their idea of debauchery is more in line with The Skulls than it is with regular university mayhem.

But are those grounds like, exempt from the outside laws or something? I just don't get how all that vandalism is allowed to go on for starters.

 

[Fusebox]

Certainly not exempt from the law, but there's much more pressure than usual to keep the story from the press and to keep the offenders from receiving any kind of punishment.

 

[Medalion]

Trying to enforce strict rules on young people going through puberty and wanting to assert their independance, going through rebellious phases, surprise it doesn't happen more often.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Ineffective policing.

 

[MightyHealthy]

For some reason, the whole "jets" terminology really pisses me off.

And this actually makes me appreciate Zero Tolerance school policies.

 

[BocoDragon]

It sounds like a typical college...

.

 

[MightyHealthy]

update: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/pell-steps-in-over-loutish-behaviour-at-uni-college-20121104-28s9j.html

 

[RedSwirl]

It sounds like a typical college...

To the point of the student body overruling the authority of the faculty/dean/etc.?

 

[Alucrid]

How do you appeal an expulsion from, what I assume is, a private school?

 

[Salazar]

How do you appeal an expulsion from, what I assume is, a private school?

You appeal to the huddle of palaeo-motherfuckers on the college board.

 

[Alucrid]

You appeal to the huddle of palaeo-motherfuckers on the college board.

Oh, I guess I got confused since the next month said "supreme court judge", I'm guessing that's for something totally different than that other expulsion then.

 

[Conciliator]

Ugh I can't wait until the catholic church finally burns out. Hope it happens in my lifetime.

 

[injurai]

b/c college

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Lol at a student group being able to overturn an expulsion. My Jesuit alma mater's president ruled like Emperor Palpatine.

 

[The Awesomest]

This is insane. I hope more updates come.

 

[Affeinvasion]

I'm confused. What does this actually have to do with the institution being Catholic? This sounds like institutional ineptitude which can characterize any group of humanity.

 

[bonesmccoy]

OP, the answer is right in the article you linked us to:

A Sun-Herald investigation has found he is not only battling students with a mob-rule mentality, he has also been consistently undermined by some of the college's fellows. Among them are several old Johnsmen who appear determined to preserve the college's outdated traditions.

So it's not a 'church' thing at all, but the influence and actions of alumni who are utterly out to lunch and are disrupting the ability of school officials to exercise any kind of authority.

 

[Zzoram]

I'm confused. What does this actually have to do with the institution being Catholic? This sounds like institutional ineptitude which can characterize any group of humanity.

It is yet another demonstration that Catholic schools can be as bad or worse than public schools.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Ah, Australia.

 

[Horseticuffs]

What pisses me off is that I think calling young ladies "Jets" is pretty awesome. Makes 'em sound all cool and badass-like.

But, no, it's just a rude turn of phrase! Pricks!

 

[Kinyou]

From that day on, the group have considered themselves more powerful than the rector. They've turned tribal, causing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage [on campus]. In modern-day terms, it's like stepping into The Twilight Zone.''

So... why aren't those guys getting arrested by the police and banned from the campus?