healthmedicinet

Student government leaders in the Claremont Colleges consortium declined to provide funding for a campus party because they felt the use of a “mad scientist theme” mocked people with mental health issues, a decision many students say adds fuel to a debate about the role of political correctness on college campuses. 

A group of students at Harvey Mudd College, one of five schools in the consortium, organized a “Mudd Goes Madd” party to take place on Sept. 26. The event’s “madd” pun was a play on the name Harvey Mudd, a college known for mathematics, sciences and engineering programs. 

A day before the party, the student government for Pomona College, another Claremont school, announced it would not provide funding for the event due to concerns with the name. Calling the party “Mudd Goes Madd” was offensive to people with mental health disorders, they said. Event organizers told The Huffington Post the student government leaders did not reach out to discuss their concerns with the name prior to making that announcement.

Comedians and some columnists have increasingly declared college students to be too “politically correct.” “South Park” debuted a new character last month named PC Principal, ribbing on the idea that Americans are embracing over-the-top political correctness. President Barack Obama has even weighed in on the topic, saying students should not be “coddled.”