'Water buffalo' case not forgotten

A year has passed since the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta sorority last commemorated their organization's Jan. 13 founding. Many at the University, however, will remember the date for a certain 1993 incident which gave new meaning to the words "water buffalo." A year ago yesterday, then-College freshman Eden Jacobowitz, disturbed by the Delta Sigma Theta sisters' loud celebration in Superblock, leaned out of his High Rise East apartment window and uttered those now-famous words. The women who subsequently charged Jacobowitz with racial harassment – College seniors Suzanne Jenkins, Ayanna Taylor, Nikki Taylor and Denita Thomas, and College graduate Colleen Bonnicklewis – dropped their complaint in May 1993. While Jacobowitz faces no current charges, the effects of the incident, as well as the national media attention which followed, linger on for those involved. Many people close to the case declined to comment on how the case affected them personally. But Jacobowitz said the incident has made him "more cynical, less trusting." "I have to question any action by the University, because there are always underlying reasons they do things," he said. The "water buffalo" case also had an impact on Jacobowitz academically. Jacobowitz said he dropped two classes last spring so he would not have to worry about finals when he returned to campus this fall. Now, he said, he will have to take five classes each semester for the rest of his college career in order to graduate on time. Denita Thomas and Ayanna Taylor, former complainants, said they are simply trying to get on with their lives. After last night's ceremony, which included traditional songs performed in a circle and choreographed against a rhythmic bass, each spoke briefly about the past year. "[The case] doesn't matter," Thomas said. "What counts is [our sorority's] working in the community to make it a better place." "I can't say it made us stronger, because we were already strong," Taylor added. "As black people, 'water buffalo' didn't hinder us – we deal with that kind of stuff every day. Hopefully, the incident made other people on campus more sensitive." The theme of black strength was echoed by Zoila Airall, Thomas' and Taylor's advisor when the "water buffalo" case first entered the University's judicial system. "There aren't words to describe the impact that it's had on all the people involved," said Airall, assistant director of staff and programs for Residential Living. "It's not hard for me to deal with [it] because I am African American, but it's hard for me to talk about because I don't think anybody can understand. "Things just ran away," she added. "What started out as something that was going to be handled within the system at the University ended up exploding. Was justice served?" Engineering sophomore Vivek Rao, one of Jacobowitz's freshman roommates, had the same question. Rao said he felt the Judicial Inquiry Office considered Jacobowitz "guilty until proven innocent." "I think [the case] had a positive impact," Rao said. "The University realized that the rules and regulations of the judicial process had to be revised. "It's not something I like to dwell on, but I've learned to think before I speak," he added. Robin Read, the assistant JIO who handled the "water buffalo" case, was not in the office yesterday. But current JIO Steven Blum explained that he was hired with the understanding that he would make significant changes in how the JIO is run. "These changes respond to many incidents that occurred and the community as a whole," he said. "I propose to make the Office of Judicial Inquiry less intimidating for students, to bring a far greater emphasis on students taking responsibility for their mistakes." Despite the changes being made to the JIO, Jacobowitz's advisor, History professor Alan Kors, said the case "didn't change [him] in any way." "I've been fighting for due process and free speech and the absence of double standards at Penn for well over a decade," he said. "[The case] just took up a whole lot of time."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.