Who knew that people were even racist anymore? I thought these days, we had graduated from discriminating by race and had moved on to discriminating by other things, like gender or sexuality. But no, apparently bigotry is alive and well on the Trinity campus, given by the slew of emails we've received highlighting the racially charged incidents in the past few months. Last Thursday's account seemed to be the last straw as Trinity students of all backgrounds joined together demanding a "zero tolerance policy" for acts of discrimination and harassment.
Today's rally, which was reported live by local news and made its way to msnbc and the Associated Press by mid-afternoon, was held on the Cave Patio during lunch. Students waved signs demanding justice and proclaiming "My name is ____, not _____(insert racial slur/derogatory term of choice)." A high-energy group of students and faculty then stormed administration offices, chanting "Stop the Hate."
Stop the Hate is right. Are we still stuck in the pre- Civil Rights era, where schools, buses, and water fountains were segregated? Is that what we want? Trinity students are supposed to be intelligent and motivated. You had to get decent grades to go here, so what were they teaching you in school? Trinity already has a reputation for being a homogenous bunch of rich white kids, and it seems like we're intent on enforcing that image. But we truthfully have a very diverse student body and lots of smart kids who want to make a difference. I know these racial harassments represent a very tiny portion of the student body, but that's who's getting national attention.
That said, I've never seen a student activity or cause so heavily attended. The rally at the Cave today was crowded with students who don't normally get involved. I guess it made me glad to see that so many people care, since the student body is known to be a bit apathetic at times. The rally really impressed both students and administrators, who are now working together with student groups to form a more comprehensive set of consequences for acts of harassment. But I couldn't help but think that rallies and protests and whatnot happen on a daily basis on other campuses. Big universities have clubs and groups of all kinds protesting whatever issue they find with the world-- something college kids are usually pretty good at. Trinity is so small and so content with its problems that this rally was probably the biggest student-organized protest of the year. I'm glad such an important issue is getting the attention it deserves, and I'm glad Trinity students are finally taking a stand. We've already seen the efforts start to pay off. I hope this spirit continues to drive the student body towards social action and change, because we're young and feisty and we can make a difference.
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