SU students of color deserve acknowledgement from SU
Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer
The audience at the "This is our Syracuse: A forum on Public Safety and Student Life" event at H.B. Crouse Hall's Gifford Auditorium on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. The forum was in response to the university's handling of an incident where students at a recent off-campus party were attacked in what they say was a hate crime, but that the university has been slow to label as such. Many students and faculty voiced their concerns at the forum about ongoing diversity and race issues on Syracuse University's campus.
It’s devastating as a proud Latina to read about the racially-motivated assault along Ackerman Avenue that was reported Saturday, Feb. 9. But, attending a forum regarding the incident Monday night, organized by Syracuse University’s Student Association, was encouraging.
The forum was intense and productive.
There was an energy that united us, everyone was fighting for the same thing — justice and safety on our campus.
SU should not be a place where we live in constant fear. It shouldn’t become a place where one questions if they can go out in a hoodie. We shouldn’t have to go out of our way to reach out for different resources to feel safe.
One point of discussion Monday, at the forum, was the language used to describe reported incidents.
“I don’t know what the right language is, but there is a real disconnect. Obviously this was racism in this attack and we live in a racist society and this why these students feel targeted,” said Coran Klaver, a Syracuse University associate professor of English. “We can separate the university from this racism, but we can’t just pretend it’s not here. I don’t have the answers, but every time these students have this kind of encounters they are hitting of ripples and waves of trauma.”
A handful of professors and campus community members said students of color approach them for comfort and advice after experiencing racist encounters, but they don’t have the proper resources from the university to help these students.
“Why is it that we have to reach out to you? Repeatedly throughout the night you have said, ‘Oh I like to hear your questions, I like to hear your responses’ but, why can’t you guys go to student organizations that are within minutes … releasing statements about this event. Why is it they could release a statement, but you couldn’t,” said sophomore Sadia Ahmed in the College of Arts and Sciences, at the forum, referring to SU officials.
It’s encouraging to see the student body stick together and talk about the assault. It’s also great to see administrators take time to openly converse with students. But it shouldn’t stop here.
Students and faculty asked important questions and now it’s up to SU to listen and be active and transparent in addressing the community members’ concerns. We shouldn’t dismiss this after a few hashtags.
Maria Sanchez is a sophomore communication, rhetoric studies and political science dual major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at mfsanche@syr.edu.
Published on February 18, 2019 at 11:47 pm
