To the Editor:
As the members of Boar Pen, we would like to respond to an opinion piece published two weeks ago titled “Yes, Your Hawaiian-Themed Event is Appropriative.” The article attempted to align our club with racist and appropriative behaviors, suggesting malicious intent and insensitivity of the club leaders. We would like to amicably clarify our intentions.
First, Boar Pen intended to hold a beach-themed, not Hawaiian-themed, event. We understand that a Boar Pen representative misspoke at school meeting, thus we clarified the misunderstanding via social media accounts and in-person interactions later. We hoped that people would be willing to look past the misuse of a single adjective and focus on the idea of coming together as a community instead.
We would like to sincerely apologize to the Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team, for this miscommunication directly tore fans away from their competition.
Though the aforementioned opinion piece surrounding this confusion asserts a valid point, that we need to be aware of borrowing others’ customs and using them for our own purposes, we hope that all understand that our words and actions are aimed at fostering the spirit and identity of a community that we care about a great deal. Boar Pen is about togetherness, connectedness, and school spirit, not separation, division, or tension. We hope our student body is able to put this misunderstanding behind us and embrace the true mission of Boar Pen: to celebrate one another in our respective fields of excellence. Whether it be on the field, on the stage, or in the stands, Boar Pen wants to be there to support you in all endeavors.
Sincerely,
Will Field ’17, Emilia Furlo ’17,
Jack Hutchinson ’17, Alex Jarvis ’17
Boar Pen Leaders
