On January 31, fliers for a white supremacist organization were posted around campus at the University of Northern Colorado. Word quickly spread around campus that a hate group was in the area, and that they could be a potential threat to students of color at the university.
The fear of racially motivated conflicts occurring at UNC was escalated after a clash between socialist and anti-fascist protesters at Colorado State University required police intervention.
Concern among students continued to mount, so UNC Student Senate held a discussion that was moderated by psychology professor Doug Woody and student ambassador Tim Hernandez.
The forum was designed to give students space to voice their concerns, ask questions, and hear from UNC faculty who might be able to provide answers. The discussion was attended by a number of UNC administrators and faculty including Vice President for Campus Community and Climate, Katrina Rodriguez.
Students asked about freedom of speech on campus and what, if anything, the university could do in the event a hate group is active on campus. Some in the audience were disappointed with the responses.
As Professor Doug Woody phrased it, “Captain America can knock down Nazis, but we have to protect their right to free speech.”
Students also criticized the university for failing to address the student concerns by email or other means. Typically, following an event that affects a large number of students or raises concerns across campus, an email will go out to the student body.
In 2015, after protests broke out at the University of Missouri following news about the Klu Klux Klan being active on the campus, UNC President Kay Norton sent an email to students. In 2017, after the White House announced a plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Vice President Katrina Rodriguez sent an email. But after a white supremacist group posted signs at UNC, and a nearby university had a racially-charged conflict escalate to the point that police needed riot gear, there was no email.
Students at the forum challenge Rodriguez to explain the university's silence.
“The university is the first line of defense,” said Olivia Sponsler, a senior music education major. “There are things you can do to make the students feel safe, and you haven't done that.”
Faculty present at the meeting explained that the reason an email had not been sent out was to avoid increasing tensions on campus and unintentionally promoting the group. But, after another school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the university sent out an email to acknowledge student concerns. That email is reproduced below.
The individuals on our campus make UNC a special place. In times of tragedy, it is especially important that we come together as a community to support and listen to one another. Together we can help to heal the hurt and make UNC and our communities a better place. Please take the time to take care of yourself and each other.
The email is predictable: about two lines addressing the tragedy followed by links to counseling resources on campus, and a line reinforcing that UNC is ‘a community’.
This formulaic email is as original as it is useful. Students who were affected by the shooting are unlikely to read it and students who do read it are unlikely to care. The email reads like a pre-programed response—only providing the bare minimum amount of effort to comfort students who may be struggling.
But, it’s still something.
This email, no matter how generic, sets a standard expectation for students. Students can expect that if something bad is happening on or near campus that affect students, the university will address it. It validates struggles that students may feel only affect them individually and informs students who may not be aware of a situation.
So the lack of response from the university about the presence of white supremacists on campus only further alienates the students who felt targeted by it. At the cost of ‘escalating’ racial tensions on campus the university has created a climate of fear for students of color at UNC.
