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Dorm harrassment perpetrator indentified
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by Micah S. Berken
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Just over a month ago, University of Wisconsin student and Witte housefellow Daniel Steinbring began receiving racially charged phone calls. Since then, Steinbring and university police have identified the person who told Steinbring “nigger, go home” not as some anonymous bigot but as an old friend.
“It was somebody I knew from high school,” Steinberg said. “It just shows that ignorance runs deeper than strangers. Ignorance can apply to who you know, or think you know.”
Steinbring, who identified the assailant only as a Madison Area Technical College student, said he was sure to spread the news to his neighbors as soon as he could.
“When I found out the information, I had a floor meeting with the residents and told them,” he said.
“Yes, that’s true,” said Residential Life Coordinator Jenni Adams when asked about the perpetrator, “But I don’t think that diminishes the act or the actions that this person made.”
“The police made it public when we found out,” Adams added when asked about the disclosure of the case’s outcome. “The residents know what happened.”
Steinbring said he has made no attempt to contact the assailant.
“I will when I feel ready to,” he said. “That won’t be until I can say ‘I forgive you, man’ and when I don’t expect anything back from him.”
Steinbring also stated that the case, despite its origin at a source close to him, is part of a larger problem of racism on campus.
“There’s still a lot of tension in the air for campus minorities,” Steinbring said. “It’s hard to get past the funny looks and the comments about the way someone dresses.”
Steinbring also related a recent story about having a beer bottle thrown at him as he crossed University Avenue near Mad Dogs.
Steinbring said that the throwers yelled “go home Malcolm X” as they sped away.
“There’s a difference between ignorance and not having knowledge of racial issues,” Steinbring added, noting the positive effects of groups like Promoting Racial and Ethnic Awareness.
“Students need to know that stuff like this happens,” Steinbring noted about events in the last semester. “It sounds cheesy, but education is the key to making stuff like this stop.”
