President Lovell’s son withdraws from MU after posting racist, sexist remarks

[warriorchick]

Many years ago, shortly after he became MU president, REV. ALBERT J. DIULIO, S.J., visited Houston. A reception of the local MU Club was held in his honor at the home of a couple of MU dentists/brothers.

We all stood around while he sat in a chair (throne-lol) for a Q&A. The first question was ...What attracted you to take this job?...Oddly, he responded..."well of course the free Marquette tuition for his niece and nephew was a great bonus."

This was received by me and others as a rather off putting response. I did not get a good vibe from that guy, at the time...he kind of came off as aloof and arrogant.

He interviewed me for a job a few years back. He does have a very odd sense of humor.

[muwarrior69]

Good thing Mike is a University President and not a soccer player.

[wadesworld]

Good thing Mike is a University President and not a soccer player.

Huh? He probably wouldn’t have a 19 year old son if he was a Marquette soccer player. Just a guess though.

[Lennys Tap]

Many years ago, shortly after he became MU president, REV. ALBERT J. DIULIO, S.J., visited Houston. A reception of the local MU Club was held in his honor at the home of a couple of MU dentists/brothers.

We all stood around while he sat in a chair (throne-lol) for a Q&A. The first question was ...What attracted you to take this job?...Oddly, he responded..."well of course the free Marquette tuition for his niece and nephew was a great bonus."

This was received by me and others as a rather off putting response. I did not get a good vibe from that guy, at the time...he kind of came off as aloof and arrogant.

Sometimes first impressions are the most accurate.

[muwarrior69]

Huh? He probably wouldn’t have a 19 year old son if he was a Marquette soccer player. Just a guess though.

I was referring to this. He was fired for what his wife posted.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/05/mls-team-releases-player-after-wife-mocks-protesters-instagram/

[Pakuni]

I was referring to this. He was fired for what his wife posted.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/05/mls-team-releases-player-after-wife-mocks-protesters-instagram/

That's a terrible analogy.

[Golden Avalanche]

I was referring to this. He was fired for what his wife posted.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/05/mls-team-releases-player-after-wife-mocks-protesters-instagram/

His wife advocated for homicide. That's a hard pill to swallow for any sports club that claims to be a functioning member of the community.

[Billy Hoyle]

this didn't happen with the kids of our previous Presidents.

[NWarsh]

Being a racist (or not being a racist) is too often seen as a binary choice.  It's more a matter of degree - how much of a racist are you?

This is a great way of putting it.  I recently heard it put as an equation...racist = prejudice + power.  Being white you are in power and we all have prejudice (be it conscious or unconscious), so any white person is to some degree racist.  That is not saying that other races cannot have prejudice (see D-Jax comments recently) and be just as wrong as a racist, but they are missing the power piece of that equation.  The key is accepting that and seeing how you can make yourself better and be an advocate for those who do not have the power.

[Lennys Tap]

This is a great way of putting it.  I recently heard it put as an equation...racist = prejudice + power.  Being white you are in power and we all have prejudice (be it conscious or unconscious), so any white person is to some degree racist.  That is not saying that other races cannot have prejudice (see D-Jax comments recently) and be just as wrong as a racist, but they are missing the power piece of that equation.  The key is accepting that and seeing how you can make yourself better and be an advocate for those who do not have the power.

So everyone is a racist and the key to progress is more black, brown, red and yellow racists and fewer white racists in positions of power. How do you propose this should be accomplished?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

So everyone is a racist and the key to progress is more black, brown, red and yellow racists and fewer white racists in positions of power. How do you propose this should be accomplished?

Everyone has racial biases. The important thing is to acknowledge this and understand this.

[Pakuni]

So everyone is a racist and the key to progress is more black, brown, red and yellow racists and fewer white racists in positions of power. How do you propose this should be accomplished?

Accepting one's own racial biases - and we all have them - doesn't make you a racist.

[Billy Hoyle]

Many years ago, shortly after he became MU president, REV. ALBERT J. DIULIO, S.J., visited Houston. A reception of the local MU Club was held in his honor at the home of a couple of MU dentists/brothers.

We all stood around while he sat in a chair (throne-lol) for a Q&A. The first question was ...What attracted you to take this job?...Oddly, he responded..."well of course the free Marquette tuition for his niece and nephew was a great bonus."

This was received by me and others as a rather off putting response. I did not get a good vibe from that guy, at the time...he kind of came off as aloof and arrogant.

his niece was in my graduating class. Having no knowledge of the laws of the Catholic Church upon coming to MU I just figured she was his daughter. My grandfather was a Pastor and he had kids, didn't priest? I quickly learned the Catholic Church was very different from the Disciples of Christ and Presbyterian churches in which I had been raised. 

[Pakuni]

Many years ago, shortly after he became MU president, REV. ALBERT J. DIULIO, S.J., visited Houston. A reception of the local MU Club was held in his honor at the home of a couple of MU dentists/brothers.

We all stood around while he sat in a chair (throne-lol) for a Q&A. The first question was ...What attracted you to take this job?...Oddly, he responded..."well of course the free Marquette tuition for his niece and nephew was a great bonus."

This was received by me and others as a rather off putting response. I did not get a good vibe from that guy, at the time...he kind of came off as aloof and arrogant.

I was the MU Tribune's "university administration" reporter during a portion of DiUlio's presidency. Your impression is accurate. Not a bad guy from my interactions with him, but definitely aloof and at times condescending. But no Kevin O'Neill on either count.

[Lennys Tap]

Accepting one's own racial biases - and we all have them - doesn't make you a racist.

I think you and Fluffy are basically saying the same thing (and I concur) though I think acknowledging is a better choice of words. “Accepting” makes said biases sound “acceptable” and I don’t think that was your point.

[Pakuni]

I think you and Fluffy are basically saying the same thing (and I concur) though I think acknowledging is a better choice of words. “Accepting” makes said biases sound “acceptable” and I don’t think that was your point.

Yes, acknowledge is a better word.

[vogue65]

I was the MU Tribune's "university administration" reporter during a portion of DiUlio's presidency. Your impression is accurate. Not a bad guy from my interactions with him, but definitely aloof and at times condescending. But no Kevin O'Neill on either count.

You sir, with all due respect, could not hold a candle to Al.
I know I could not.
He was on my floor at Schroeder back in the day.  Personality notwithstanding, he has successfully spent his life in service to the society and others.  He is far more than a not a bad guy.

[shoothoops]

Everyone has racial biases. The important thing is to acknowledge this and understand this.

Can you and Pakuni explain more what you mean by "Racial Bias" ?...examples...for me the term means preference for or against something or someone based on race alone. Is that what you mean? Or no?

Obviously racial advantages, disadvantages exist, but I would need to understand better what you mean by racial bias before I can agree "everyone" has them.

[Coleman]

Can you and Pakuni explain more what you mean by "Racial Bias" ?...examples...for me the term means preference for or against something or someone based on race alone. Is that what you mean? Or no?

Obviously racial advantages, disadvantages exist, but I would need to understand better what you mean by racial bias before I can agree "everyone" has them.

It is human nature to group similar people to you into your "tribe" and divide those who are different into the "other." We've been doing it longer than we have had written language. It was probably useful from an evolutionary perspective at one point. We all inherit these cultural biases and instincts. It is important to just recognize it and stop it from informing our decisions in today's society, where they do more harm than good.

I generally like to think of myself as a good person, and not a racist. Does that mean I have never made a snap judgment on someone based on race? I can't think of anything particularly egregious, but I am sure I have at some point.

I don't know why it is so hard for people to admit it. It doesn't mean you are a bad person.

[Billy Hoyle]

You sir, with all due respect, could not hold a candle to Al.
I know I could not.
He was on my floor at Schroeder back in the day.  Personality notwithstanding, he has successfully spent his life in service to the society and others.  He is far more than a not a bad guy.

My experience with DiUlio was at the end of his term (94 to 96). He came off as arrogant and aloof. We rarely saw him on campus and I remember when he spoke to us at Orientation he was all decked out in his regala with the smoke leading him to the podium. Father Wild, on the other hand, was visible and seemed much more down to earth.

There was also the deficit MU ran under DiUlio that was an issue, leading to a large tuition increase combined with staff cuts. I give him full credit for Campus Circle though. I wish he'd been able to get Avenue Commons done.

I'm not sure if spending his life in the Society is a measure of being a good guy (see: Pilarz, Scott).

[shoothoops]

It is human nature to group similar people to you into your "tribe" and divide those who are different into the "other." We've been doing it longer than we have had written language. It was probably useful from an evolutionary perspective at one point. We all inherit these cultural biases and instincts. It is important to just recognize it and stop it from informing our decisions in today's society, where they do more harm than good.

I generally like to think of myself as a good person, and not a racist. Does that mean I have never made a snap judgment on someone based on race? I can't think of anything particularly egregious, but I am sure I have at some point.

I don't know why it is so hard for people to admit it. It doesn't mean you are a bad person.

I understand what you are saying. But I wouldn't say "everyone" is the way you describe even given wide variation in degree level with the topic being race. It exists with some people, I am aware. But I am not sure I feel comfortable saying it exists with everyone.

[Pakuni]

Can you and Pakuni explain more what you mean by "Racial Bias" ?...examples...for me the term means preference for or against something or someone based on race alone. Is that what you mean? Or no?

Obviously racial advantages, disadvantages exist, but I would need to understand better what you mean by racial bias before I can agree "everyone" has them.

Coleman pretty well covered it.
For most of us, these biases are unconscious. We don't actively think about treating or reacting to people differently based on their race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc., but those biases still exist.
As Coleman said, it's the result of evolutionary and social conditioning over which we have no control. And these biases aren't always bad. They help us navigate the world, understand social situations and recognize potential dangers. Sometimes that bad feeling you get about a person or a situation is totally legit, right?
But sometimes the conditioning leads us astray and if we're not conscious of our biases or if we choose to ignore them, we can end up treating others unfairly.

[vogue65]

My experience with DiUlio was at the end of his term (94 to 96). He came off as arrogant and aloof. We rarely saw him on campus and I remember when he spoke to us at Orientation he was all decked out in his regala with the smoke leading him to the podium. Father Wild, on the other hand, was visible and seemed much more down to earth.

There was also the deficit MU ran under DiUlio that was an issue, leading to a large tuition increase combined with staff cuts. I give him full credit for Campus Circle though. I wish he'd been able to get Avenue Commons done.

I'm not sure if spending his life in the Society is a measure of being a good guy (see: Pilarz, Scott).

It's not a life spent in the Society, it is the life long breath of accomplishment.  Like so many people he has been more of a behind the scenes operator. 

President Lovell is the topic.  I don't know him at all.  He is now faced with real decisions, financial issues, we shall see how it goes. 

When Al and I were at Marquette the campus was a pipe dream.   What Al and those guys did was a first class miracle.  A lot of Al's work was done before he became president.

At our reunion I was a Gesu with my wife waiting for a bus to the Pfister.  We always take public transportation when we travel.

There was this old guy watering the plants.  We struck up a conversation, I did my name dropping, reunion, etc..

He said he knew Al, that he was pastor of Gesu and that he was a former president of Creighton. 

It was a lesson for me in humility, and the long term view of careers.

[shoothoops]

Coleman pretty well covered it.
For most of us, these biases are unconscious. We don't actively think about treating or reacting to people differently based on their race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc., but those biases still exist.
As Coleman said, it's the result of evolutionary and social conditioning over which we have no control. And these biases aren't always bad. They help us navigate the world, understand social situations and recognize potential dangers. Sometimes that bad feeling you get about a person or a situation is totally legit, right?
But sometimes the conditioning leads us astray and if we're not conscious of our biases or if we choose to ignore them, we can end up treating others unfairly.

I would say some, even concede many, but I wouldn't say most or everyone.

For me tribalism or group think or in/out groups, or hierarchy or .....is more temperament stacking based related to personality type. These things can be more prevelant with more dominant social or social first types of temperament stackings within individual personality types.

Off the cuff example, not a deep thought, but let's say the example is dating/marriage. You may have heard that person A has a type, and only dates blondes. Or person B only dates or marries within his or her race. There will always be that. There will also always be some people who don't have a racial preference in any way when it comes to dating or marriage. There will also always be some people who regardless of their interests or experiences, wouldn't do it because they were socially conditioned not to in some way. Lots of variety here.

Again I go back to bias as to mean preference by definition. Understanding social situations and potential dangers.....for some a bad feeling about a person or situation isn't race based. It is for some others. I'm certainly aware and not naive. I've been to my share of rough places in my time as have others.

Age, gender, .....I know of some men or women that behave differently around a different gender than they would a similar gender. And, I know people who don't differentiate their behavior amongst different gender. Now obviously there are basic recognitions of various physical, mental, emotional capabilities amongst people, say a disabled person or elderly person that may ir may not have some limitations to varying degrees. But given those things, there are some people that would treat those people the similar to themselves.

I go back to temperament stacking differences within personality types that can lead to a wide range of people, some of whom may exhibit more of the aforementioned group think, in/out groups, hierarchy, etc...whether that be based on race, age, gender, socio-economics etc..

Obviously everyone has daily personal preferences, sports, movies, music, books, teams, travel, art, food, on and on.....but by race? I don't believe everyone has that. No. Some people, yes or course. I believe there is a big difference between saying okay I prefer NYC and CT pizza to Chicago Deep Dish, vs personal preferences, bias based on race.

[Pakuni]

You sir, with all due respect, could not hold a candle to Al.
I know I could not.
He was on my floor at Schroeder back in the day.  Personality notwithstanding, he has successfully spent his life in service to the society and others.  He is far more than a not a bad guy.

It's hard to imagine that my experiences with DiUlio as a student reporter meeting with the university president in the 1990s wasn't the exact same as yours as a fellow student in the 1960s, and yet here we are.