Although the semester’s final published Convocation was held Wednesday Dec. 9 students who had not attended the 14 events required for an “A” exchanged a flurry of excited messages the next day as they saw what appeared to be an early Christmas present.
“Last Chance Convocation read approximately 60 signs posted throughout campus. The event — A Christian Perspective: The Ethics of Lying” — said it would begin Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Elkins Auditorium.
Expecting huge lines of desperate classmates students flocked to the auditorium as early as 6 p.m. But they found no line.
More than 30 students alone or in small groups walked to the front doors at some point during the 90 minutes before the event was scheduled to begin. Then they stared incredulously or laughed aloud as they found another surprise.
A red felt pen had scratched out the offer of Convocation from the fliers which were posted Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. “NO CONVO CREDIT said the message, signed by the Convocation Office.
The promise of Convo credit for a discussion of lying, it turned out, was a lie.
There was no credit. There was no event.
Employees of the Convocation Office are trying to determine who fabricated the offer.
Jonathan Schmitt, administrative assistant and records analyst for the office, said he discovered the phony fliers at about 2 p.m., when a student asked if the Convo offer was authentic.
I was pretty disappointed that someone would’ve gone behind [the Convocation Office’s] back because I knew there would be a lot of student disappointment Schmitt said.
He immediately began taking down many of the advertisements, which covered much of main campus and all of the apartments and residence halls except Greek Row, and wrote a short clarifying message on those in prominent areas.
[I wanted] the students to actually look at them before they left and wasted all that time before they found out there wasn’t Convo. I know [students] are studying for finals he said. It took a fair amount of time but I figured it was worth it.”
However many students who had already seen the announcements did not notice Schmitt’s red ink especially after sunset.
Schmitt said the handful of students who talked to him were disappointed but understood that his office was not to blame.
The ironic prank amused junior Allison McCarty who skipped a College Republicans event so she could receive her 13th credit.
“I was kind of disappointed because I need the Convo credit but I thought it was one of the best practical jokes I’ve seen at Pepperdine McCarty said. I showed [a copy of the flier] to a few of my friends in the Caf and we got a good laugh about it.”
McCarty was one of seven students who stayed for the event after seeing that credit would not be given.
McCarty said she disapproved of the dishonesty but considered Schmitt’s suggestion that the perpetrator be suspended too harsh.
According to the Student Handbook dishonesty is investigated and punished on a case-by-case basis under a procedure led by Dean of Students Mark Davis.
Other students said the prank angered them and was not funny.
“It was frustrating because I only needed one more credit said junior Hillary Neilson. I understand that they did make a point but I’m still upset with it because it affected my grade.”
Neilson arrived at about 7 p.m. with her friend Deborah Galindo another junior who walked from the Lovernich Apartments.
“It was disappointing that it had been advertised and then wasn’t [for credit] Galindo said. It was probably a little ironic. Maybe it was a little irresponsible. But it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
In the past students and faculty have advertised Convo credit without clearing it with the Convo office — which did not result in credit for the event — but this is the first time anyone at Pepperdine has advertised a nonexistent Convo according to Schmitt.
He said most students were skeptical given the longstanding tradition of concluding the semester’s Convo program with Wednesday Morning Chapel in Firestone Fieldhouse the week before final exams. Firestone’s size allows all students to attend the final event and the early finish gives the office time to sort out grades for Pepperdine’s largest class.
Schmitt found fliers in the Waves Café Town Square the CAC the HAWC Towers Lovernich and the freshman residence halls. Many of the signs were posted in illegal locations (such as glass doors) and none had the required stamp indicating that Student Affairs had approved their posting.
The flier advertised “distinguished scholar and Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University Johnathon E. Adler.” Purdue’s directory lists no faculty named “Johnathon Adler” or any variant.
Jonathon E. Adler is a professor of philosophy specializing in epistemology and ethics at Brooklyn College and The City University of New York.
Schmitt apologized to disappointed students and said the Convo Office was on their side.
“We’re here for the benefit of the students he said. And to make sure that things like this don’t get students’ hopes up in a way that they’ll soon be dashed.”