Linnea Kedziora
Contributing Writer
On Thursday, Feb. 7, administration and representatives from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and Security and Protective Services (SPS) held a meeting in the Lowry Pit to discuss the harassment that took place between the evening of Saturday, Feb. 2th and the morning of Sunday, Feb. 3. The purpose of the meeting, according to Dean of Students Scott Brown, was to respond to the threat, give information on the event and provide support to those who may have been affected by the harassment.
The incidents of harassment included slurs being yelled near student housing and all-gender restroom signs being taken down in Kenarden Lodge, according to a campus-wide email sent by President of the College Sarah Bolton. SPS is investigating, and as of the time of the discussion Joe Kirk, associate director of SPS, explained that his department had an individual identified in connection with the incident but cannot share further information because FERPA laws prevent staff and faculty from disclosing legal information about students. However, Kirk does request that anyone with information on what happened come forward with it.
Much of the lunchtime meeting was spent discussing the incidents and their impact. Newly-appointed Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Ivonne García shared that in a national context, the FBI tracked a 12 percent rise in hate crimes between 2014-16 then 17 percent between 2016-17, illustrating that there is a national trend of discriminatory acts impacting the United States. Discussion during the meeting also included the fact that this was not an isolated incident. Associate Dean of the CDI, Shadra D. Smith stated that her staff regularly struggles with similar types of harassment. Hateful messages are written on their whiteboards and things are taken from their offices.
These events happened in a place where LGBTQIA+ students are supposed to feel at home. Bolton stated that campus members have a right to “move around comfortably without fear” and this right has been denied to some people on campus.
According to Sky Davis ’22, active member of the Queer Student Union on campus, the LGBTQIA+ community is feeling “extremely jaded” in terms of acceptance from the campus community. Davis affirms that this incident increases the feeling of discomfort on campus among many LGBTQIA+ students.
When given a chance to speak on the campus climate and what they think should be done about the position the campus climate is in currently, students had constructive suggestions as to what would make campus a more comfortable place.
Robin Perry ’20 expressed a desire for professors to try to learn students’ pronouns and give students a chance to introduce their pronouns to their classmates. Melissa Chesanko, director of sexuality and gender inclusion in CDI, agreed that pronouns should be made clearer around campus, and added that introducing one’s self and others with pronouns helps to normalize the use of any and all pronouns, giving those who might otherwise be referred to by the wrong pronouns opportunity to be properly introduced.
Brown said that members of the campus community are not regularly following the College’s Civility Statement which states, “We pledge to stand united against hate by creating and contributing to safe learning environments in our community.” Hateful events that took place over the weekend are one example of people disobeying. “We respect and value the commonalities and differences among us — celebrating the uniqueness of each individual and recognizing it takes all people to make a college community,” Bolton said.