The biting cold and the faint throbs of Kylie's, "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" were some of the last things that I remember while braving the unnecessarily long wait outside of Heartland last Thursday night. And then of course, something else happened that would vividly stand out in my mind— seeing my friend publicly and cruelly humiliated because of ignorance.

The sad part is that she wasn't turned away because of a shameless fake or because she copped an attitude with the bouncer.

After my friend presented the bouncer with a legitimate Puerto Rican ID, he promptly responded that she needed a passport, because he alleged, Puerto Ricans need those to enter into the U.S.

That someone could be so ridiculously dense I can easily forgive. Perhaps he didn't have geography lessons in school. Or maybe he didn't pay attention in school at all. Whatever the excuse, there was none for what he would eventually decide to say.

Following much idiotic rambling, he finally said that he didn't want to allow admittance to Puerto Ricans anyway and dismissed someone based on her nationality.

My friend will never go back there again. And perhaps none of my other friends will either. Frankly, it might not make a huge difference. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's the best solution either.

In a way, never going back could be interpreted as submitting to the ignorant ideas espoused by one person. Thinking back on all the great social movements, change was never brought about by running away from a problem.

The management explained to my friend that the incident was not racially motivated because the bouncer was in fact a minority as well. They refused to return phone calls and subsequently avoided hearing any other complaints.

This blatant disregard for an individual's rights however, pushed me to re-evaluate how I could possibly continue to frequent and support an establishment that not only employs individuals who openly discriminate, but condones this behavior as well.

Terminating the bouncer, or perhaps issuing an apology on behalf of the employee, would have placated things a bit. But justifying ignorance with more of it is inexcusable. Thinking about that night takes me back to a couple of years ago when Denny's on US 31 arrested two black students for apparently no reason. It seems like our South Bend community, as well as other South Bend's all over this country still have a great deal to learn.

As students, we are constantly urged to step out of the Notre Dame bubble and expand our knowledge and experiences. But for those who can never really escape from the bubble-mentality of racism and ignorance, there continues to exist an invisible boundary that at times makes itself more visible.

• Reality of Heartland