Dear UNO Vandals,

You are trying to scare people and you will fail. You left hateful and racist comments and pictures in the Arts and Sciences building and in the Community Engagement Center. The university's response was quick and clear: your behavior is not acceptable on our campus.

Our university prides itself on its commitment to diversity and inclusion. I have been so proud at the steps UNO has taken to make our campus a welcoming learning environment for ALL students. Coming from a small town, I was amazed when I stepped on campus and saw so many people that were different from me. I was so excited to step out of my bubble and learn about and from others who weren't in my little Gretna, Nebraska bubble. We are here to learn. What can we learn if we only listen to those who look and think like ourselves?

I was so disappointed when I saw what you did. You have been emboldened by hateful rhetoric and you acted on hate and fear of the "other". You may think that what you did was funny or okay, and I am here to tell you that you are wrong. This is not okay. This is not normal. This will not be tolerated.

I want to make my message clear: I will not accept this kind of behavior on campus or anywhere else.

So now, what to do? I could rant and rave at you until my face turned blue, but I won't. I will continue to do the only thing I can, and that is to spread love and acceptance and to stand up to ignorance and hate when I see it happening. UNO is a place where anyone can learn. I would argue that the most important things we learn in our four years come from each other. I know that I will walk away from our campus with an understanding of the world around me and the people in it.

You might look at people who are different from you and be afraid. They may look a different way, they may speak a different language, and they may pray to a different God. I implore you to reach out to those people instead of shying away. Because, in the words of Maya Angelou:

"We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike."

Lastly, I would just like to say that you are welcome here. However, your hate is not.

Stay kind my friends.