Posted by GWRising  10/26/2023 8:46 am | #1 |
Whether or not Chris Caputo will lead GW back to NCAA tournaments and wins over P5 schools remains to be seen, but what he did yesterday will leave a lasting legacy for years to come and ultimately is more important than any wins/losses that will will happen at GW. He took a stand. He saw what has gone down on campus over the last two weeks. So he went over to Hillel to have lunch with the Rabbi and some students to show his support for them. Not as Israelis versus Palestinians but as Jewish students at GW under threats, intimidation and harassment by others. It was more than could be expected of a basketball coach and way more leadership and support than anyone else at GW has shown to Jewish students thus far which is being discussed in the other thread. Huge props to Coach Caputo! I think the appropriate word is "Mensch."
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Posted by Gwmayhem 10/26/2023 9:30 am | #2 |
Very glad this was posted. I'll comment on a broader perspective by saying that CC really seems to "get" a lot of things. As a first time head coach, you might think that he would act indecisively at times, feeling unsure what the proper protocol might be. Instead, you have a coach who seems to be his own man and follows his own path. The other day, he was photographed with Trey and Darren inside a fraternity, undoubtedly convincing these GW students how much they will be counted on to help give the team a home court advantage. He's getting a practice facility built because he convinced those holding the cards that this was a necessity with respect to recruiting. He's chartering flights because he knows this will result in far less class time missed, and was able to convey the importance of this.
Rising's post illustrates that CC has a strong moral compass. One needn't be Israeli or Jewish to understand right from wrong. A school statement came out yesterday condemning the protesters for violating school policy (projecting antisemitic images against the Gelman Library does in fact violate school policy) while empathizing with all who have been victimized or offended. But without real punishment, real consequences for individuals who are spewing hate speech, this has the look of the school condoning this behavior, even if this is not the intended consequence. The matter is still being investigated so there is time for the school to take the proper stance. This time, they will absolutely need to do so.
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Posted by Joel Joseph 10/26/2023 1:44 pm | #3 |
CC's moral character and humanity doesn't need to be propped up by a GW basketball board.
He is no different than the last 4 coaches we have had (JC, MJ, ML and KH) and those before them. While different results on the court, each of these men were honorable, hard working and ethical (something I can't say for all other GW administrators, faculty, students, alumni, athletes and employees).
Our current world affairs puts this season in proper prospective. While I hope for a successful season this year (finally!) I hope more for world peace.
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Posted by GWRising 10/26/2023 1:52 pm | #4 |
Joel Joseph wrote:
CC's moral character and humanity doesn't need to be propped up by a GW basketball board.
He is no different than the last 4 coaches we have had (JC, MJ, ML and KH) and those before them. While different results on the court, each of these men were honorable, hard working and ethical (something I can't say for all other GW administrators, faculty, students, alumni, athletes and employees).
Our current world affairs puts this season in proper prospective. While I hope for a successful season this year (finally!) I hope more for world peace.
Who said JC, ML, KH and MJ were any different? The only difference is CC is here and now at this moment in history. You're right that his character doesn't need to be propped up. But explain to me the harm in recognizing it.
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Posted by jf 10/26/2023 4:17 pm | #5 |
Results are important.
But so far in numerous ways, CC has shown good character, the ability to recruit good character players and represent the team and the university well. Look at any of his interviews.
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Posted by GW Alum Abroad 10/26/2023 5:14 pm | #6 |
The University made a stong statement after the projections were made and is investigating to (one presumes) identify and punnish the responsible individuals. Not sure what is wrong with that response-- or do you just want it to rush to impose collective punnishment?
Of note-- the article on the incident that the BBC ran calls GW a "prestigious" university in the lede!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67209848
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Posted by GW0509 10/26/2023 7:38 pm | #7 |
I want to second Mayhem's observation that CC seems to be more engaged with various elements of the university than our past coaches. When I was an undergrad, I remember seeing Hobbs walking around 22nd street but don't recall any sort of "Coffee with Coach" events in the (formerly) Marvin Center. Granted, if GW were the #6 team in the country, maybe CC wouldn't be doing it either. I don't recall ML doing much with the various student groups either.
However, the outreach to greek life, religious community, et al will pay dividends as the team continues to improve. As I've written here previously, we need to get back to a time when attending basketball games is as much a part of the GW undergrad experience as an internship on the Hill. I believe CC is laying the foundation to do exactly that.
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Posted by GWRising 10/27/2023 11:21 am | #8 |
The University made a stong statement after the projections were made and is investigating to (one presumes) identify and punnish the responsible individuals. Not sure what is wrong with that response-- or do you just want it to rush to impose collective punnishment?
Of note-- the article on the incident that the BBC ran calls GW a "prestigious" university in the lede!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67209848
GW has known exactly what they were dealing for much longer than 2 weeks and has swept it under the rug. This is far from the first incident but perhaps the most visible one. SJP harassed Jewish students last year in front of the Hillel Center with the same well before the current events. This is far from anything new - it just has finally received the spotlight. There is no rush to judgment. Time to go. Get those responsible (the SJP members who paticipated) the hell out of GW. No place here for this in 2023.
Last edited by GWRising (10/27/2023 12:02 pm)
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Posted by Gwmayhem 10/27/2023 11:24 am | #9 |
GWAA, as long as you are asking the question....
I am normally not one who advocates rushes to judgment. But in this particular scenario...
university police identified four individuals who were responsible for projecting the images. It would stand to reason that these four individuals can each be identified by name. It's been acknowledged that they violated university policy. Unless the decision has been made to expel these students and what's being investigated is whether criminal charges will be brought against them, I'm a bit in the dark as to what's being investigated.
