Diva Lounge & Tufts students

[tricarbonate.livejournal.com]

Although the relationship between Tufts students and the local community is tenuous at times, I thought that community members should be aware of this editorial, and perhaps a dialogue can be established.

Editorial in Tufts Daily - "Racism at Diva Lounge"

[edit 17:55pm EST 2006-12-04: fixed link. Thanks philbot!]

Comments

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

If this was an anonymous post on Yelp, I might chalk it up to an axe being ground, but this was a person signing their real name in a newspaper, and mentioning they had half a dozen witnesses to the event.

Do you really think Diva's response is going to be anything other than a very politely-written bit of PR fluff? I'll even write it here, so we can compare it with the real thing when it comes out: Diva deeply regrets any offense or unhappiness felt by the letter writer. It is not the policy of the restaurant to condone racism in any way, and the staff who were present during this alleged incident have been spoken to.

[xuth.livejournal.com]

but this was a person signing their real name in a newspaper, and mentioning they had half a dozen witnesses
Sorry, but too many people have had fabricated things printed in newspapers under their real names for me to take this on faith. The first example that comes to my mind is the UMASS Student who claimed to have been visited by the DHS for requesting a copy of "Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung" and carried by the national news media. This was eventually found to be a hoax perpetrated by the student. And saying you have witnesses means nothing at all until you've produced those witnesses.
I still maintain that Diva should have the benefit of the doubt until better evidence is found.
I should note that I'm not saying that I think the student lied. I'm just saying that there's not enough evidence to do anything more than feed a rumor mill or start a lynch mob.

[nalz.livejournal.com]

Given their past shitty service and attitude that I've experienced, this is just more fuel to the fire, so to speak. There wouldn't be an axe to grind if they didn't just out and out suck everytime I've been there with crappy service and attitude.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

There are literally a gazillion Indian Restaurants in the area...

...and yet people keep going back. I walked past there on Saturday, and the lines were unbelievable.

I agree with you on the attitude, which is why I moved on a while ago.

Still, I think there's a gulf between being arrogant and condonimg racist behavior. As such, even despite my experiences there, I just can't take this article from a Tufts student at face value without furhter evidence.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

Yeah, I'm sure that is what they'd say. But...

I would seriously hope that the Davis Sq. community would consider an establishment or person innocent until proven guilty. As has been said elsewhere, instances of fabricated grievances are all too common, even when the name is given.

Moreover, any fabrication, if there is such, might not even be intentional or conscious. In the heat of the moment, sometimes someone says one thing and someone hears something else.

Regardless, I'd just like to hear corroborative testimony, preferably from parties not involved, before I accuse Diva of condoning racist behaviour.