Comments at Mr. Vassar contest spark controversy

Stephen Cheung Staff Writer

The Mr. Vassar competition on Feb. 10 raised some eyebrows when contestant Austin Clark ’08 cracked jokes about Asians during one of the judged events in which contestants modeled handmade loincloths and then described the production process using a slideshow.

Clark, whose story involved producing his loincloth in a Chinese factory, poked fun at the lack of textile labor unions in the country. He used the term “cunts” several times to describe the ineffectual Asian worker unions.

Asian Students’ Association President Wayne Coito ’07 called Clark’s comments offensive. “The comment that he made was plainly racist. He should've been removed from the competition right away,” he said.

Poder Latino President Rebecca Fernandez ’07 noted that responsibility rested with the audience, too. “The worst part was that the audience cracked up. Everybody laughed. No person booed.” Administrators, too, were present, and made no response to Clark’s comments.

Many believe that Clark’s comments reflect prejudices that exist on campus. “It highlights a problem on campus that it’s okay to joke about oppression and abuse,” said Fernandez.

Coito added, “He got the laugh. He got the response he expected to get. That illustrates the attitude toward Asian Americans and racism towards Asian Americans on campus.” In an e-mail, ASA called for a meeting in the ALANA Center on Feb. 14 to discuss Clark’s comments.

When asked about the matter, Clark declined to comment until the ASA meeting. “I do hope, however, that students of Vassar College have enough sense not to take anything too seriously that is spoken by a man in six-inch boots and underwear and who uses assault rifles to kill wild animals.”