Marist has been criticized for elevating athletic prowess and program building at the expense of a group of people present in our campus community—the LGBTQ community—for traveling to play the Blue Devils this past Friday, November 11^th.

Of course, critics seek to root out possible motivations pertaining to money and power, motivations that some may see as overstepping the controversy surrounding the HB2 law, or “bathroom bill,” which is said to conflict with the civil rights of some North Carolinians. This is a credible concern, however, if one reads Marist’s mission statement and analyzes the value system with which the institution is predicated on, frankly, in my opinion, such criticisms are brash and nearsighted.

Marist is a private institution ready and able to make informed decisions. When it comes down to it, Marist was there to play a basketball game against a worthy opponent. The situation reminds me of the Olympic Games. If every country decided that another country’s laws served contrary to their own, and boycotted the Games, there would be no Games and no surge of unity. Additional Marist students were willing to travel to talk about the political issues at hand in order to conduct conversation and foster understanding -- does that mean that Marist does not care? We met with extremely intelligent students from Duke's chapter of Athlete Ally—an on-campus athlete group that is LGBT-oriented and works toward improving inclusion both on and off the field—that gave a great perspective on the HB2 controversy from not only a basic view, but from an athlete's standpoint.

Conversation at Duke allowed Marist students to engage with peers and learn from experiences and take strides in activism. Education melts misunderstanding and ignorance, and I think sometimes people fear asking questions because they don't want to admit something they don't know. That kind of honesty is totally acceptable, and more often than not, people are happy to explain and share knowledge. Once you get that kind of a picture, you are one step closer to making an informed decision and your credibility is bolstered.

Going to Duke affirms my already confirmed notion that no person should be discriminated against, or denied equal opportunity based on who they are and what they cannot change about themselves. In our Constitution, we are granted God-given rights that no man may take away on a whim. He does not make mistakes. If he created you the way you are, then no person on earth can tell you otherwise.

That being said, the laws of man are flawed—naturally considering man is not omnipotent—but I maintain faith in man's ability to make good laws and intend on applying integrity in these laws. If the lawmakers who conceded to pass HB2 genuinely intended for discrimination and stifling of one community, then that is inherently un-American and the opposite of the ideals that our Constitution upholds.

It is beautiful that the American people have the power to hold politicians accountable, and it is also a blessing that we can partake in events that cross party and state lines. This Marist v. Duke basketball game should not be incriminated if both institutions have and express similar value systems and approaches to difficult situations. This basketball game has been over-politicized, and active communication and understanding are what is needed in times like these.