Dear West Chester,
On Halloween, our campus received another visit from Matthew 24, the fraudulent hate group that seems to spawn on the Academic Quad about once per semester. As this may have been an entirely new and harrowing experience for first-years on campus (and an all too familiar yet still harrowing experience for anyone else), some members of the editorial board decided to give tips on how to combat the pointless, for-profit hate.
What advice would you give first-years dealing with Matthew 24 for the first time?
Doménica: Ignore them. Call a loved one and do something positive with your time instead of feeding hateful people with your attention.
Eric: Coming to college for the first year, it’s one of the first times that many groups can come to you without having to fear parental intervention. Like credit card companies, Matthew 24 preys on people just entering college looking to extract money and gain influence with anti-intellectuals that hate college students. So stay informed, know their schtick and try to stay away. The less hatred they can invoke, the less of a chance they will come back next year.
Casey: It’d be so much better for all of us if every person on campus ignored these people so they’ll realize they can’t make money off of us and leave. However, I have zero faith that’ll happen so I’m holding out for the colder months. The snow is a huge deterrent for them … though you’d think all that talk of fire and brimstone would keep them warm.
Max: Perhaps the only “upside” of Matthew 24’s visits come from seeing how willing and ready to combat hate the student body can be. The Student Government Association makes exemplary efforts to focus on tolerance and acceptance, the opposite ideals of our featured hate group; if and when they do return, focus your attention on the students making positive efforts, or don’t pay any attention at all. Likewise, if you come from a place of privilege, do not stop to have “discourse” with Matthew 24, unless you are directly supporting a marginalized victim who asked for your help.
Regardless, be sure to check out our piece on Matthew 24 from last semester, which you can find at WCUQuad.com.
Sincerely,
The Quad Staff