Last week, various outlets published pictures of U.S. first daughter Malia Obama possibly maybe drinking and playing beer pong while on a visit to the campus of Ivy League institution Brown University.
The pictures created a minor flurry in the 24-hour news cycle, and probably earned 17-year-old Malia a stern talking-to from her parents, but the biggest impact may have been on Brown, who almost definitely lost themselves a high-profile student.
Earlier this week, the editors of the college’s student newspaper, The Brown Daily Herald, printed an open apology letter to Obama, promising that if she chooses to return, the student body will display “more chill” in her presence.
The letter, which you can read in full here, began by pointing out that the college application process is stressful enough for any student, without the added pressure of being first daughter, and existing in the media’s spotlight.
It then noted that, with social media being such an “ingrained” part of our lives, we seldom think about the wider effects it can have:
It is a shame that Malia was unable to visit Brown and enjoy herself at a party without several news headlines coming out about it the next day. While it is understandable that so many students were excited about her visit, it is likely that few of us would enjoy having strangers take pictures of us while we were unaware and post them on the Internet.
They then said that if considers coming back to Brown in spite of the student body’s social media faux pas, she would be, like, toally more than welcome to come hang:
Malia did not choose to grow up in the White House, and it is unfair that everything she does at just 17 years old is subject to such harsh scrutiny. While the chances of her selecting Brown have probably decreased since the publication of those articles, if she does ever come back to Brown, hopefully next time we will “have more chill.”
Photo: Karwai Tang via Getty Images
