This week has been an eventful one for me as a Webster University student. The end of the semester is just in reach, which means my efforts have been put towards that last push through completing assignments, preparing projects, and practicing presentations (well… more or less). Excitement bubbles as a break is on its way, but I am also excited about what the next semester will bring. Joy comes to me in the form of one of my close friends getting everything organized to join me next semester as a Webster student. Things are busy, but good. However, an incident this past week has put an ache in my stomach and in my heart, and not talking about it and my thoughts this week would be doing an injustice to myself and my values.
As of the morning of Wednesday, November 30, hundreds of flyers filled with discriminatory messages targeting a certain student were found by a janitor in the dorms. The flyers allegedly include homophobic and racist hate speech. Fortunately, they were disposed of in time so the student targeted did not see the flyers. You can find out more details from other news sources, such as Fox 2 News, STLToday, and Webster University News. I would personally recommend reading Webster’s report, because it also includes Webster’s public statements and actions.
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I am not here to speak on the specifics of the event. Enough news sources have shared the story. You may wonder why I bring it up at all, then. I am a Webster student, but I do not know the person targeted. Heck, I don’t even live in the dorms on campus. So, why should I talk about it?
I heard about the incident first in class from some fellow classmates. It made me angry, and I wanted the perpetrator to be found and deal with the consequences, but that was the extent of the conversation. I thought for a moment it might be dealt with swiftly and we could move on. But almost immediately, popular news sources got wind of the incident. Reading the published reports left a pit in my stomach. What would this mean for our university? What will people think? Our campus embraces diversity and has events promoting equality frequently, but the act of this one person is highlighted in a way that distracts from that. I fear that media’s virus will strike again, and people will view this act as a representation of our campus as a whole. I want to say that that is so far from the truth.
As a freshman Webster student, I want to say that my experience here has been almost nothing but positive. The atmosphere of this university is joyous and accepting in ways that make my heart soar. Coming from a high school where there were many students with close-minded small town ideologies, seeing a university offer opportunities and support for all walks of life made me happy and proud of my college choice. So, when something like this happens, I think I have to speak out for various reasons. You can read the message from the university’s president and provost and see there are actions being taken. This is not being taken lightly. I’m speaking out because of the pride I have in my school, but also my concerns.
As mentioned earlier, my close friend has been admitted to Webster University. They are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. With an incident of a hate crime happening, I do not want them to feel scared. I would feel guilty persistently promoting my school to them if they were to come here just to feel unsafe and unaccepted. I have many people in my life who are a part of targeted minority groups whether it’s due to ethnicity, orientation, gender, or more. This crime did not target only the intended victim; it targets all of us struggling. It targets my friend and their identity. It targets my sexuality and community. It targets the rights of international students and minority students. That’s the thing with a hate crime - that hate spreads and contributes to a larger issue than just a specific incident or circumstance.
I hope that as this specific incident is resolved, conversation and action can be had to help the future. This will not be the last incident. This is not the first. We need to talk about this because although my school stands by its message and value of diversity, some students and staff may not. Political tensions are very rampant still after this past election cycle, and this incident is only a drop in the ocean compared to how many that have happened because of radical ideologies. These problems cannot be shoved into a box and taped up with wishful thinking, because that will do nothing. If it isn’t targeting you, it’s targeting a loved one, a coworker, a classmate, a friend. It is hurting your community, our community, and making people feel unsafe and unloved. We need to work hard, now more than ever, to show our communities that these behaviors are not okay and that people need to be valued and given respect, despite their differences.
I hope my classmates, my close friend, my professors, and the person targeted continue to remain Gorlok strong. To be a Gorlok is to engage in the global community, take action, and embrace diversity. To be a Gorlok is to continue to have productive conversations and learn from each other and our experiences. If you are a member of the Webster community that is scared or worried about the future, I stand by you. If you are a part of a targeted community and feel unsafe, I stand by you. If you are a part of my community, my country, my world, I stand by you.
As the semester ends and 2016 comes to a close, I hope the future will continue to promote love and acceptance. And I can promise you, I will do more on my part than just hope and wish for that future.
This article may be jumbled, but these are my thoughts and opinions. Although not eloquently worded, this is my attempt to engage in that important conversation that has to be had. Please comment below with your feelings, thoughts, and reactions as you please.
