http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/07/sorority-cancels-kentucky-derby-party-because-theme-is-offensive/
KDE is replacing thd Derby theme with a Woodstock theme.
8-|
Have you been in the infield at Churchill Downs during the race? Not very elitist.
Aren’t sororities just kind of economically elitist anyway, though?
Oh good lord. It’s a THEME. I have an acquaintance who was born and raised in KY who throws a KY derby party every year. Really. Enough.
I have been to the Derby. Not the infield , but in box seats next to the track (in-laws knew somebody 
). I don’t see why this is a racist theme.
I wonder if any of the complaining students have ever been to the Kentucky Derby.
Im not seeing it.
I wonder if there was something else going on here. The original lyrics to “My Old Kentucky Home” (which is sung at the Derby) has some racist lyrics, though that has been changed. Perhaps there was some aspect of this party in the past that included racism.
I’ve been to the derby in the infield. I was in my 20’s. It was easy not to know racing was even taking place. 
I suspect it’s just another case of kneejerk Yankee prejudice that anything related to the South = racist.
I read plenty of CC posts w similar ignorant sentiment.
Wait a minute, replaced by a Woodstock theme? Who was at Woodstock? Predominantly middle and upper middle class kids, as the poorer ones were off fighting the war, I think that’s a microaggression.
I don’t even really think of Kentucky as the south, @GMTplus7, and I’m a yankee.
The Civil War ended 151 years ago today. Just sayin’.
@Pizzagirl wins this thread! One of the best comments ever.
I’m usually fairly sympathetic to this kind of thing, but give me a break.
As a dyed-in-the-wool Yankee horse-racing fan, the Derby these days has ZERO to do with racism and the Old South.
I mean, if this sorority had exclusively black waiters at their party, a la Paula Deen’s fantasy, okay, it’s racist. But no one is making that claim. There is nothing to prevent everyone from dressing up in big Derby/Ascot hats and having a blast. Including black women.
another article, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/9/dartmouth-sorority-cancels-kentucky-derby-party-ov/
the one fact from the story.
If your going to protest, at least get the facts straight.
Not necessarily.
Many Woodstock attendees were Vietnam Vets who had already served their 1 year tours in Vietnam or taking some leave from Vietnam.
A couple of Woodstock attendees I knew were from the former group…and were from working-class NYC backgrounds. One of them felt he really stuck out as he had just gotten discharged from the army and was one of the tiny minority with short hair in a sea of long haired attendees.
Here’s a military.com article about a Marine Vietnam vet who attended:
I don’t understand the protesting this time. WITH THAT SAID, the sorority decided to do this on their own. They took into account the protests (which I tried and failed to find a source for that wasn’t from a right wing source which has been known to embellish details…) and decided to change it. (Woodstock seems WAY more fun to me anyway.)
I’d guess there’s more going on than was reported in these stories but even if there’s not, the sorority is allowed to change on their own. They weren’t forced to by the university or anyone else. So who cares?
When everything is offensive, nothing is offensive.
Cracks me up that Ivy League school students are complaining that, “the exclusive party was racist and economically elitist”. Not like there’s any economic elitist stuff going on in Ivy League schools. Were they mad they weren’t invited? Who cares?
To @romanigypsyeyes’ points, here is a more balanced article directly from the campus newspaper. Seems like there was a thoughtful discussion and open dialogue and an almost unanimous vote for the change.
http://thedartmouth.com/2016/04/07/kde-derby-theme-changes-after-last-years-protest/
(I’m sure some of you will find the comments to the article entertaining. 
)
Here are several quotes from the article with more color:
"KDE president Allison Chou ’17 said the theme change from Derby to Woodstock represents the mission and values of the house. Chou said over 96 percent of KDE members voted in favor of the change and just under 4 percent voted against it.
“We want to be positive contributors to campus climate and campus conversations around really important issues like race and class,” Chou said. “This is one actionable step that we as a whole house have voted on and are planning on taking to fulfill that role as positive contributors to campus.”
KDE vice president Nikol Oydanich ’17 said that after speaking to last year’s protestors as well as individuals in the Afro-American Society, the sorority wanted to change the theme because of its racial connotations.
Chou said the protest offered KDE the opportunity to reflect on what it stands for and the inconsistencies between Derby and the sorority’s values.
The current KDE executive board prioritized the Derby theme change as soon as they took up their positions this spring, Oydanich said.
The eight core executive members held a house-wide meeting Tuesday night and presented their case for the change. The house then held a short question-and-answer period before sending out a survey to members present at the meeting, who had an hour to vote for either Derby or Woodstock.
“The house was overwhelmingly supportive of the decision to discontinue Derby and change it to Woodstock,” Oydanich said, adding that there was no vocal opposition toward the theme change.
“We realized that if anyone on campus felt uncomfortable or upset with the theme, then we obviously shouldn’t have it,” she said.
Chou said the new theme will minimize any offense to sisters within the house and peers across campus.
KDE is currently under social probation by the College, and this year’s Woodstock event will be dry."
“KDE is currently under social probation by the College, and this year’s Woodstock event will be dry.”
A dry Woodstock event? Sacrilege.