What do Idaho State University's Shakespeare on the Quad and a dead giraffe have in common? The Shakespeare story on ISU's Facebook page has become a venue to post strongly worded messages about the actions of ISU accountant Sabrina Corgatelli and her publicized exploits while on safari in South Africa.
Corgatelli, who now lives in McCammon and has worked at the university for less than a year, posted photos of trophy kills — including a giraffe, kuda, impala, wildebeest and a warthog on her personal social media pages. Her postings have drawn a storm of criticism about her actions, including demands that Corgatelli be fired.
Idaho State University officials have told the Associated Press that Corgatelli’s actions while on vacation in South Africa are not representative of the university.
According to Corgatelli’s Facebook page, her hunting adventures were made possible through an outfitter called Old Days Safari. All the hunts are legal in South Africa and hunters pay a fee for the animals they shoot.
Along with the posts of her African trophies, Corgatelli has comments on her personal Facebook page about the kills.
The story of the ISU accountant’s hunting trip to South Africa has been published all over the U.S., in the United Kingdom and Italy and follows strong condemnation of the killing of a male lion nicknamed “Cecil” who was reportedly lured off a preserve in Zimbabwe and killed by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer last month.
“Got me a beautiful blue wildebeest today!” Corgatelli has posted above a photo of her and the dead animal.
While posing with a dead giraffe, Corgatelli posted: “Day #2 I got an amazing old giraffe. Such an amazing animal! My emotion after getting him was a feeling I will never forget!”
Touting her hunting triumphs on Facebook is something a number of people are apparently not going to forget as well. After the the forum section regarding Corgatelli’s story posted on Idaho State University’s Facebook page was closed, people continued to make comments on her hunting endeavors below a story about the Shakespeare on the Quad festival on ISU’s campus. More than 620 comments were posted — most of them highly critical of Corgatelli and ISU. Many of the posts called on the university to fire Corgatelli.
“Killing beautiful creatures and then posing with their remains while rhapsodizing about the great feelings it creates for you?” one Facebook post asked.
“As this is now an international shame - I will always attach your university’s name to this crime,” a comment states. “I would not want anyone that I know to fund an establishment that pays her salary and enables her hobbies.
“If her actions do not represent the university then you should require that she stop boasting of her hunting and killing escapades on social media,” another post said. “Unfortunately they do reflect negatively on the University by acknowledging that you have a killer of sentient beings on your staff.”
Other people said their friends and family members were no longer considering ISU as a college option.
“Our friends are reconsidering their daughters’ educations because of your employee, Sabrina Corgatelli,” another post said. “Two students changing to a different university is just the beginning of the backlash the university will endure.”
“I work with high school students getting them into college, as long as you employ Sabrina the trophy hunting witch, I will do all that I can to make sure none of these talented high GPA students go to Idaho State U, no matter how much they love skiing,” a Facebook comment from a male said.
“My daughter is a junior in high school and looking at colleges now. Guess what school she’ll NEVER attend?,” a mother posted.
There were a couple of posts that defended the university’s take on the Corgatelli episode.
“As a student of Idaho State University, I am glad to see that my university of choice takes attention to this issue,” an ISU student wrote.” On the other hand, I believe that no one should judge or make any conclusion about Idaho State University due to the actions of one individual. There are many students, faculty, and staff members at Idaho State University who participate in activities that some individuals may or may not agree with. With that being said, coming to an immediate judgment and/or conclusion on this institution due to ones personal behavior and choice is not appropriate.”
One of the posts was a tongue in cheek endorsement.
“Look at the bright side! Idaho State University has been noticed now all over the world!,” it said. “Do you have courses of taxidermy?”
After receiving heat on her Facebook page, Corgatelli included two biblical references as a response.
“Genesis 9:3 says, ‘Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything,’” Corgatelli wrote. “Genesis 27:3 says, ‘Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.’”
A follow-up Facebook comment took exception to Corgatelli’s quotes from the Bible.
“Love that Sabrina quotes Genesis ‘take thy bow and hunt,’” that post states. “EXCEPT this passage is about a feeble selfish man, Isaac, ordering people around in order to curry favor. Sabrina isn’t too smart is she?”