BY SHANZEH AHMAD | PHOTO BY SHANZEH AHMAD
On Tuesday (Feb, 13), Edgewood College President Scott Flanagan said in an email that a poster was vandalized outside of the Office of Student Inclusion and Involvement.
This is the second act of vandalism on Edgewood’s campus in just two weeks, as a similar incident took place in late January.
On Monday, Feb. 19, there will be an all-campus diversity forum from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Edgedome.
Flanagan invited all members of the Edgewood campus community to attend the event via email. Flanagan said that during this forum, members of the community will hear from him and the vice presidents.
“Members of the Diversity Leadership Council will lead us through a discussion on strategies that clearly convey our position: #NotOnOurCampus,” said Flanagan in the invitation. “I firmly believe that our community is ready to have courageous conversations, and we need our voice to be a part of this movement to ensure acts of vandalism, intolerance, and hate do not happen at Edgewood College.”
Both posters had a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The first poster had marks drawn across the face of King and no words, whereas the second was vandalized with inappropriate language.
After the first incident, Heather Harbach, the interim dean of students, sent an email stating that the poster was advertising events for Edgewood’s Dream Week.
Harbach said the first incident felt disrespectful. “It was his image, and I don’t tolerate actions like that, so I wanted to make sure we responded appropriately. I think it’s really important to respond to incidents even if some think it’s not a big deal. . . . it is a big deal. The only way to make everyone see that it’s a big deal is to make it a big deal.”
Flanagan echoed this sentiment in his email, saying that acts like these don’t seem random, especially during Black History Month and around the time of Dream Week.
“We live in a time when individuals seem to feel more and more bold about expressing negative beliefs about others who may seem different from them,” said Flanagan in the email.
“It is a big deal because every person at Edgewood College deserves to feel welcome to be their best genuine self here. It is a big deal because actions like these run contrary to our Dominican Catholic identity.”
Also in the email from Flanagan following the second incident, he stated that he was “disappointed” after the first act of vandalism, and the second time is “even more upsetting and troubling.” Flanagan quoted Harbach’s statement from her email, saying, “Acts of vandalism and acts that negatively impact our learning environment are not tolerated at Edgewood College.”
Flanagan stressed that in light of these recent events, everyone should know that they are valued members of the Edgewood community. “These actions do not represent the beliefs of the college of the vast majority of members of our learning community, and I hope you feel and experience the support of allies across campus,” said Flanagan.
He listed the resources and areas of support at Edgewood, including the OSII, the Wellness Center, and Dominican Life, among others.
Harbach said in an interview that she will continue to work towards making sure that the policies and procedures at Edgewood are relevant and timely so that students feel they have a safe environment for their education.
“I do take these things seriously,” said Harbach. “If we have things like this happen, we’re not working towards a solution. We’re becoming a part of the problem. We should be leading the change.”
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