Several incidents of defacing posters for the Queer Film Festival at the Shoreline Community College brought a quick and clear response from college leaders.
“When one of us is diminished at our college, we are all diminished,” President Cheryl Roberts said on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 after learning of the incidents. “As a college, we respect each individual. This value speaks to the character of our college and gets to the heart of who we are as a community of learners. These actions are not who we are or desire to be. This is an example of who we are not.”
According to reports from faculty, a number of posters for the weekly film festival were ripped down or defaced. The festival is sponsored by Project Pride, a student body association-sponsored club. In at least one case, a biblical saying was written next to the word “pride” on the poster.
Vice President for Academic and Student Affair Bob Francis said that such anonymous quotes from religious texts have been historically used as threats toward members of the LGBTQ community as well as other marginalized communities and have at times been followed by acts of violence.
“Anonymous expressions such as these are contrary to everything we stand for,” Francis said. “When values clash, it is all the more important that our discourse is open, civil, respectful and sensitive to the context in which we express our views.”
Student Body President Ashley Cowan also condemned the incidents.
“The Student Body Association values the belief that every student shall have access to a fair, quality and safe campus,” Cowan said. “These incidents violate our core values and our responsibility to promote a culture of compassion and mutual respect for all students.
“We are all vital threads of the fabric that embodies Shoreline Community College and we count on everyone within our college to act as stewards in helping to keep our campus safe and free from crime such as this.”
Roberts urged the campus community to reflect the value of respect for all persons. “If you see hate, say something; report it,” Roberts said. Reporting options include:
- Dean of Students Kim Thompson, 206-546-6910
- Safety and Security Director Robin Blacksmith, 206-546-4633
- Advising & Counseling Director Yvonne Terrell-Powell, 206-546-4559
- Vice President for Human Resources & Legal Affairs Stephen Smith, 206-546-4694
- In an emergency situation, call 911
On Thursday, Roberts quickly convened a group of faculty, students and staff to discuss next steps. The group agreed to conduct an open meeting from 12:30-1:30, Dec. 2. The location for that meeting is still to be determined.
“This will be an opportunity to have a campus conversation on our values of inclusion and respect and discuss ways we can make our college welcoming for all.” Roberts said.
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