{"id":111,"date":"2017-11-13T16:40:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T16:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2017\/11\/13\/20171027after-charlottesville-whats-next-for-quinnipiac\/"},"modified":"2020-09-05T19:50:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T19:50:58","slug":"20171027after-charlottesville-whats-next-for-quinnipiac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2017\/11\/13\/20171027after-charlottesville-whats-next-for-quinnipiac\/","title":{"rendered":"After Charlottesville, what\u2019s next for Quinnipiac?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A look into diversity, free speech and issues in between<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n

By Ayah Galal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Devastating. Horrific. Shocking. These are some of the words members of the Quinnipiac community used to describe their reaction to the series of events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia over the summer.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of white nationalists gathered on the University of Virginia campus to protest the removal of a confederate statue on Friday, Aug. 11. They held torches and chanted slogans like \u201cJews will not replace us\u201d and \u201cblood and soil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was actually really shocked,\u201d said Mazel Genfi, president of the Quinnipiac chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). \u201cIt was a moment of disbelief but then not surprised actually. I guess the country that we live in people actually feel comfortable to do things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Mazel Genfi, QU NAACP President<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

By the next morning, counter protesters clashed with protesters and events took a violent turn. A white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who lived in Charlottesville.<\/p>\n

The series of events drew widespread attention across the nation and sparked conversation about America\u2019s current racial climate.<\/p>\n

Some activists, pundits and universities responded to the incident quickly, saying more conversations about white supremacy, racism and xenophobia need to occur.<\/p>\n

Others argued universities should prioritize safety over freedom of expression. Racist incidents have certainly marred Quinnipiac over the years. It has been nearly three months now since the events in Charlottesville. How did Quinnipiac respond? Are conversations on race still happening? Should the university be doing more to address race relations?
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Quinnipiac responds <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ten days after the Charlottesville incident, Quinnipiac Vice President and Provost Dr. Mark Thompson sent a memo to the university community.<\/p>\n

In the email sent out on Aug. 21, he wrote, \u201cThe violence, hatred, bigotry and intolerance demonstrated by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups in Charlottesville have no place in our world and certainly have no place within our university community. Acts of violence and hatred run counter to our values as a community, and each one of us has a responsibility to ensure that these despicable types of behavior do not occur here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that students will have the opportunity to participate in social justice and inclusion-related events throughout the year to deepen their \u201cunderstanding and ability to learn from one another about various aspects of the world in which we live.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few days later Quinnipiac President John Lahey addressed the addressed the class of 2021. Each year Lahey welcomes the incoming freshman class during \u201cWelcome Weekend\u201d right before the semester starts. While President Lahey tends to avoid politics during his speeches and statements, this time it was different. He was quick to condemn the hatred and bigotry that was present in Charlottesville.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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President Lahey discusses Charlottesville during an interview with Q30 Television <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI must say in light of recent events in Charlottesville it saddens me that in 2017 we still have to publicly and unequivocally condemn and state so clearly how unacceptable the views of white supremacists, Ku Klux Klan, neo-nazis [are]. Those views are simply not welcome here on the Quinnipiac campus,\u201d President Lahey said to the freshman class. \u201cAny behavior associated with any of these despicable kinds of beliefs and activities will not be tolerated on this campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

While President Lahey doesn\u2019t consider what he said to be political, many were taken back by how direct and passionate his response was. In an interview with Q30 Television<\/a> in September, President Lahey said he was \u201ca little surprised by the reaction.\u201d He thinks it\u2019s because of the extent to which he discussed the incident and believes his address was \u201cwell-received.\u201d<\/p>\n

As students and faculty began settling in for the new semester, the Quinnipiac Center for Religion held an event titled \u201cA Conversation on Charlottesville\u201d on Sept. 5.  The event was intended be an open forum for members of the Quinnipiac community to discuss their feelings and reactions to Charlottesville.<\/p>\n

The incident especially hit home for Executive Director of University Religious Life Father Jordan Lenaghan. Lenaghan was a former Catholic chaplain at the University of Virginia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw images, when I saw media coverage, when I saw news reports, when I saw photographs of places where I hung out with students, where I had worked, it hit me on a very visceral level,\u201d Lenaghan, who helped organize the event said. \u201cI have a job that involves words and I didn\u2019t have words for what I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breaking down President Trump\u2019s response <\/strong><\/p>\n

During difficult times, presidents of the United States traditionally try to unite the nation. But at a moment where many Americans already felt divided, President Trump\u2019s words did little to bring together the nation.<\/p>\n

At a press conference in Trump Tower shortly after the incident, President Trump said, \u201cI think there is blame on both sides.\u201d Many at Quinnipiac were frustrated that he compared the violence perpetuated by white supremacists with the violence committed by counter protesters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly believe President Trump is an absolute idiot,\u201d Genfi said. \u201cFor him to say that says a lot about who he is and what he represents \u2013 which is basically white supremacy whether he likes it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

But others at Quinnipiac did not consider his response problematic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe should have prefaced what he said by saying white supremacists have no place in this country,\u201d Jeremy Wiss, President of the Quinnipiac College Republicans said. \u201cBut at the same time, both sides displayed some sort of hatred and violence; both sides showed the bad side of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wiss is Jewish and said the incident hit home because his great-grandparents fled persecution in Germany and Poland. While he says the situation was upsetting, Wiss believes Confederate statues should stay up so that history is not erased.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Jeremy Wiss, President of Quinnipiac College Republicans<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI can see why they continue to perpetuate issues because it is a big deal,\u201d Wiss said.<\/p>\n

Is hate speech free speech? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The national conversation surrounding freedom of speech intensified after white nationalists chanted slogans like \u201cwhite lives matter\u201d and \u201cyou will not replace us,\u201d at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.<\/p>\n

But is hate speech actually protected under the First Amendment? The answer is yes.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people think that hate speech is given no First Amendment protection,\u201d Kearston Wesner, assistant professor of media studies said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Kearston Wesner teaching a Communications Law and Policy course<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Political speech especially enjoys careful protection under the First Amendment. Hate speech is difficult to define and banning speech because some view it as hate speech would be unconstitutional.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we start going around banning speech we dislike, usually what happens is the law that we build … tends to be applied in a broader sense against the people we were initially hoping to protect,\u201d Wesner, who teaches Communications Law and Policy, said.<\/p>\n

There is an exception, however. If hate speech contains incitement \u2013 an imminent threat of violence \u2013 that speech is not protected by the First Amendment.<\/p>\n

Additionally, private universities can restrict speech. For example, Quinnipiac could choose to not allow controversial speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos or Richard Spencer on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrivate universities can build their own rules and they can restrict speech how they want to,\u201d Wesner added.<\/p>\n

While the chances of extremely controversial speakers coming to Quinnipiac are not high, Wesner said, \u201cIt gets a lot greyer how much the university could get in and restrict that [speech] because it has a lot to do with whether it\u2019s a university sponsored organization or an independent organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked how Quinnipiac would respond if a student organization on campus wanted to bring a controversial speaker like Richard Spencer or Milo Yiannopoulos to speak, administration did not answer.<\/p>\n

Confronting hate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even before the Charlottesville incident in August, students and faculty have often discussed concerns related to race and diversity at Quinnipiac.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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A racially insensitive Snapchat taken by a former Quinnipiac student<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In September 2016, a Quinnipiac student posted a racially insensitive photograph and caption<\/a> mocking the Black Lives Matter movement to Snapchat. The photograph went viral and sparked outrage not just at Quinnipiac, but in other parts of the country as well after large outlets like the New York Daily News<\/a> picked up the story.<\/p>\n

Other incidents such as swastika graffiti, caricatures of of people\u2019s racial identity and use of derogatory terms have plagued Quinnipiac. Student Affairs takes these incidents seriously and has an established a \u201cBias, Harassment and Discrimination Policy\u201d in the Quinnipiac Undergraduate Student Handbook.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI would say the majority of the incidents hands down are in the first-year areas without a doubt,\u201d Megan Buda, Director of Student Conduct said. \u201cTraditionally if a student is found responsible for a violation of our bias-related policy there\u2019s some form of removal, whether that\u2019s from housing or separation from the institution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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The Bias, Harassment and Discrimination Policy in the Undergraduate Student Handbook <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The most common type of bias-related incident at Quinnipiac is offensive graffiti, Buda added. While displaying a Confederate flag is not a policy violation, Student Affairs understands that such a display could offend some people on campus, and tries to have constructive conversations with students who choose to do so.<\/p>\n

Hate crimes are defined differently from bias-related incidents and the standard for a hate crime is higher since it\u2019s defined criminally.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Screenshot of the Quinnipiac Annual Security report<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

According to Quinnipiac\u2019s Annual Security Report<\/a>, there were two hate crimes in 2016, three hate crimes in 2015 and four hate crimes in 2014. The report does not specify the nature of the incidents.<\/p>\n

In June 2017, the Connecticut state legislature passed one of the strongest hate-crime bills in the nation. Punishment for hate crimes in the state once was a misdemeanor but the new law treats hate crimes as a felony.<\/p>\n

While the Ku Klux Klan has had a presence within the state of Connecticut, the threat of its extreme beliefs is not high, according to Andy Friedland, Assistant Regional Director for the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League.<\/p>\n

\u201cOften these days we\u2019ll see an individual print-off flyers from the KKK website, leading people to think there is an active branch of the Klan in their town, which is not true in the state of Connecticut today,\u201d Friedland said.<\/p>\n

What is Quinnipiac doing to address race relations on campus?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Especially after the Snapchat incident at Quinnipiac, departments ranging from Student Affairs to Cultural and Global Engagement have been organizing discussions, lectures and even Netflix series screenings to address topics related to race and diversity.<\/p>\n

Quinnipiac Chief Diversity Officer Diane Ariza says that race-related incidents like Charlottesville have stirred up a lot of conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s healthy because it\u2019s making us not too comfortable of where we\u2019re at in the world,\u201d Ariza said.<\/p>\n

In September 2013 the Inclusion, Multiculturalism, and Globalism in Education (IMaGinE) strategic plan was created to help Quinnipiac become \u201ca more inclusive, multicultural and diverse campus community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Some IMaGinE events planned for the Fall semester<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Ariza, along with the help of the IMaGinE Advisory Board, organizes events that foster discussion of diversity in the Quinnipiac community. Events include \u201cA Place at the Table\u201d and \u201cCircle of Perspectives\u201d discussions.<\/p>\n

A Place at the Table is a dialogue series that seeks to recreate an after-dinner atmosphere to encourage informal conversations about issues related to social justice and current events. Circle of Perspectives is a series of nonpartisan group discussions involving critical thinking about diversity and social inequalities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think educating is what we\u2019ve decided our department has decided to do with the social issues,\u201d Ariza said.<\/p>\n

Student Affairs is also taking a similar approach. Megan Buda and Mark DeVilbiss, co-chairs of the Student Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Committee, say the committee is dedicated to celebrating diversity and facilitating conversations on race and inclusion. The committee has representation from the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement, Residential Life, Counseling Services, Student Government Association Religious Life and Community Service.<\/p>\n

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee started hosting screenings of episodes from the Netflix series \u201cDear White People,\u201d followed by a discussion.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Dates Student Affairs is screening episodes of \u201cDear White People\u201d  <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt fueled a very thorough discussion of everything, from what it means to be white to what it means to be a person of color on a white campus,\u201d Buda said.<\/p>\n

The committee plans to show more episodes of the series during the semester in hopes of facilitating more conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to be able to help people understand and know how to talk about issues of inclusion and diversity, whether that\u2019s religious or racial or ethnic,\u201d Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to be part of the efforts that are happening campus-wide whether it\u2019s in the classroom or something DCGE is doing, or any group on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Thompson also announced plans for establishing a new curriculum with more diversity-related courses. Two intercultural responsibility and citizenship courses will be mandatory for future students.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Opening ceremony of the multicultural suite in the Carl Hansen Student Center<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Last semester, the Multicultural Suite \u2013 a space for culture and identity based organizations \u2013 opened in the Carl Hansen Student Center.<\/p>\n

Quinnipiac is also hosting a one-day conference on social justice and civic engagement titled \u201cCreating Space: Solidarity, Dialogue, Social Justice, Opportunity.\u201d Director of Community Service Vincent Contrucci says the purpose of the conference is to provide students from across New England with a space for dialogue surrounding social justice related issues.<\/p>\n

Additionally, 21 percent of the current freshman class identify as students of color, which makes the first-year class the most diverse in Quinnipiac history.<\/p>\n

What still needs to be done <\/strong><\/p>\n

Last semester, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement engaged MRW Consulting Group International LLC to help with an assessment of Quinnipiac\u2019s campus climate and help the university identify ways to improve the attitudes, standards and behaviors of the university community.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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A representative from MRW Consulting Group discusses findings from the campus climate study during a university town hall. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

MRW held focus groups with 134 students over the course of the Spring 2017 semester. The firm interviewed 15 affinity groups including the Quinnipiac NAACP, Latino Cultural Society, Gender Sexuality Alliance and Greek Life. The consulting firm compiled a 51-page report and found areas where Quinnipiac can improve its campus climate, as well as suggestions on how to do so.<\/p>\n

Thompson organized a town hall-style event in the Mount Carmel Auditorium on Oct. 3 during which MRW Consulting Group shared the findings from the campus climate study, suggested courses of action and answered questions from the audience.<\/p>\n

The report acknowledged the progress the university has been making, but also pointed out areas where there could be more improvement.<\/p>\n

The study found that many students felt that more could be done to recruit higher numbers of faculty, staff and students of color. The study also found that it would be helpful to train faculty members to be more comfortable having difficult conversations they may need to have with students.<\/p>\n

Many minorities in the focus groups described how uncomfortable they are when asked to represent an entire group in classes. The study also found that Quinnipiac can improve the campus climate by increasing the number of minority Greek organizations on campus.  <\/p>\n

The firm also suggested that Quinnipiac should \u201cleverage campus commitment by getting everyone involved in solutions.\u201d Many students from the focus groups also emphasized the need to integrate diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism into the core curriculum.<\/p>\n

Quinnipiac administrators recognize lots of work needs to be done and they plan to continue to facilitating conversations on diversity and race in an effort to make Quinnipiac more inclusive.<\/p>\n

But some students think more can be done to address race relations on campus and make minorities feel more comfortable at Quinnipiac.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my honest opinion, I do see that they\u2019re trying, but not trying hard enough,\u201d said Genfi, the QU NAACP president. \u201cI feel like if they were trying hard enough, certain things wouldn\u2019t have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

She believes the university is taking the right steps, but that Quinnipiac should be more proactive. Genfi also thinks that students at Quinnipiac are becoming more comfortable discussing race than they were four years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are more open to being educated and stepping out of that Quinnipiac bubble, whereas four years ago that would have never had happened,\u201d Genfi added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A look into diversity, free speech and issues in between \u00a0 By Ayah Galal Devastating. Horrific. Shocking. These are some of the words members of the Quinnipiac community used to describe their reaction to the series of events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia over the summer. Hundreds of white nationalists gathered on the University … Continue reading After Charlottesville, what\u2019s next for Quinnipiac?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-capstone-projects","category-quinnipiac"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3195,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions\/3195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}