Students seek respect, unity after incident

A group of "concerned students" calling themselves "TRUTH" met last night to articulate a set of requests to be brought before the University. Among these requests are a centralized definition of hate crime that complies with federal law but is specific to the Boston College community, a widely-publicized protocol for dealing with hateful incidents, and a comprehensive public database listing hate incidents and hate crimes.

As of last night, TRUTH has also added two more requests: mandatory "anti-oppression training" for all faculty and administrators and a diversification of both the history and University core curriculums. These additional requests, said Omolara Bewaji, A&S '07, speaking on behalf of TRUTH, came out of response to racially-charged fliers found Wednesday night.

"These fliers are a demonstration of the level of hate and ignorance," she said. "We interpret them as a direct threat to the well-being of AHANA students. It basically says 'You are not welcome here.'"

TRUTH is requesting the "anti-oppression training" be a requirement for tenure and that students be included in developing an appropriate training. Changes to the academic curriculum, said Bewaji, are necessary because the current curriculum "enforces oppressive structures and racism."

Nick Noel, A&S '07, also introduced a new initiative targeting the culture of the Superfan at BC. "There is only so much we can force the administration to do on paper and in policy," he said. "Change has to come from the bottom up too. We need to change and challenge our peers to see these issues that affect all student life."

He spoke of developing a variation of the Superfan T-shirt to be worn by all students at the Duke football game on Nov. 11 as the culmination of a week of awareness and activism. A student coalition comprised of groups, clubs, classes, and service trips, he said, would ideally gather for a public forum in O'Neill Plaza to ask critical questions about the culture at BC.

"We need to ask ourselves, 'Are we men and women for others every day on campus?'" he said.

Representatives from Residential Life are also addressing these issues and taking the necessary steps to promote an environment of respect and tolerance on campus. Starting Sunday, Residential Life staff members and peer ministers will be walking through the residence halls and distributing respect pledges that residents will be encouraged to hang on their doors.

"We want to know how residents are feeling about this. We want to give them the opportunity to talk about it privately," said Henry Humphreys, director of Residential Life.

In a staff meeting, resident directors (RDs) suggested the idea of "walk-throughs" as a more effective alternative to holding mandatory floor meetings during which dialogue tends to be minimal. RDs want to instill an administrative presence in the buildings, and feel it's best for them to go to the students, said Humphreys.

Staff from Residential Life, Peer Ministry, and about 30 other administrators will be traveling door-to-door through the residence halls to ensure residents are well-informed of the recent incidents and conversant about the importance of respect on campus. The response reflects Humphrey's broader mission of his office to the residents: "It's About The Residents."

The pledges, which will be passed out by administrators, were the groundwork for the resident assistant (RA) training on diversity. The importance of respect, said Humphreys, was the theme for the entire RA training.

The respect symbol depicts a series of multicolored hands, representing the world's races. The symbol for the handicapped and the gay and lesbian populations are displayed on the hands, incorporating these communities into the larger network of respect at BC. Humphreys hopes students will embrace this effort to promote respect for diversity by posting these pledges on their doors and encouraging others to do the same.

As much as awareness and promotion of respect is important, Humphreys made it clear that administrators visiting the residence halls are always open to any student suggestions.

"We hope to garner ideas from students about how to build a more respectful climate," he said.

In addition to the general student population in the residence halls, Humphreys added that he and his staff are working with the AHANA Leadership Council, FACES, and the TRUTH movement. Last Thursday, Humphreys represented Residential Life during a meeting with Dr. Cheryl Presley, Vice President of Student Affairs, between students and other administrative representatives from Student Affairs, the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD), institutional diversity, and Campus Ministry. The meeting was a discussion of students' understanding of the incidents, appropriate responses, and goals, both procedurally in the short-term and programmatically in the long-term.

"It's important to sit down and discuss what works well, and what doesn't work well and how to make it better," said Humphreys.

From a programming standpoint, discussions in O'Connell House and in the Cheverus Hall lounge last week had strong turnouts, and Humphreys, along with these student groups, look to continue this dialogue.

Such programming, however, is not only directed toward freshman on Upper Campus where racially-charged flyers were found or sophomores living on College Road, where a race-related incident occurred last weekend.

"We're looking to hit the whole campus," said Humphreys.

Though he could not disclose much information in order to protect the individuals' privacy, Humphreys indicated that Residential Life is providing support for the young women involved in the altercation last weekend and those students who found the fliers this past Wednesday.

"It is part of Residential Life protocol that when these kinds of incidences happen, we take care of the individuals first," he said.

In order to prevent any further hateful incidents, Humphreys advised students to keep their respect pledges on their doors and work to practice what the pledge preaches.

"Respect people for where they are in their lives and who they are," he said.

Humphreys encouraged students to speak up if someone is being disrespectful toward another person or community, if not publicly, then privately. He also reminded students that the Jesuit ideals that distinguish BC are rooted in the notion of kindness. To be kind to one another, Humphreys said, is to foster respect through your actions.

Katie Julian is a Heights staff reporter who regularly covers ResLife issues.