MIT Hackathon Conflicts

I am inclined to share some recent personal experiences, although they are still quite fresh. Despite facing challenges, I have had the privilege of meeting wonderful teammates.

It’s been a while since I felt such intense frustration. From selecting a topic for the Hackathon to debates about the length of a memo and even determining who is permitted to ask “English grammar questions,” echoes of my past experiences in Switzerland persist, despite my attempts to separate them.

A Swiss-Italian individual reached out to me, possibly intrigued by the professionalism conveyed in my portfolio photo. However, the ensuing conversations left me deeply shocked. Not only were his remarks, in my perception, racially biased, but they also carried an unsettling tone of fascism.

This 45-year-old Swiss-Italian resides in the Philippines with his partner, referring to it as “the third world.” Sadly, this is the second Italian individual I’ve encountered who is in a relationship with a Southeast Asian woman. Despite dating them, they both exhibit a demeaning attitude towards their partners’ home countries, considering it the norm.

When it came to selecting topics, I expressed an interest in Human Rights. His response was dismissive, saying, “I don’t buy it. How are we going to save the refugees? By sending them back?” I found this attitude perplexing, and I couldn’t help but think, perhaps it would be more fitting to send him back to his hometown.

Then came the astonishing comments. While working on my memo and striving to make it comprehensible, he deleted my questions and sentences, asserting his dominance. He labeled this kind of behavior as “leadership,” which, for me, was not only shocking but also provided an insightful view into how he might educate his students.

This experience has been both eye-opening and educational, revealing different perspectives and attitudes within a team environment.