President Briggs and Dean Heida,
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| Bailey Albertson | CAMPUS CARRIER |
It has come to our attention that a series of incidents related to the social media hashtag #TheChalkening have occurred on Berry College’s campus. As alumni, financial donors and former members of LISTEN, the student body’s LGBT/Ally organization, we hereby make known our concern and objection surrounding these events and the current response by college administration. The messages written and drawn in chalk on the sidewalks in front of several buildings on campus are derogatory, provocative and carry with them underlying messages of misogyny and xenophobia. They do not contribute to a climate conducive to shared learning experiences and open dialogue which is central to the undergraduate experience. These messages can accurately be identified as microaggressions, a psychological phenomenon that has been scientifically studied and whose effects have been shown to be damaging to minority students. Some have commented that the drawings fall under “free speech” and are merely “political messages.” We feel very strongly that all students should be heard and represented in campus dialogue, and that censorship of political and other views should not be tolerated on Berry’s campus. However, we do not believe the words “grab her by the p***y,” “Mexico will pay” and “[no] safe space” are political messages. The current events at Berry seem to be in stark contrast with the portion of Berry’s mission statement that says that Berry is “accessible to talented students from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds.” Reported statistics show that we have much room for growth and improvement as well. Around 80 percent of students are white, and we are ranked #1952 in ethnic diversity nationwide with a student body composition well below the national average. Additionally, LISTEN was denied official status recognition for almost 20 years before finally becoming officially recognized in 2012. The following year, the door to a student’s dorm was vandalized with a homophobic slur. It took the administration four weeks to issue an apology and even longer to remove the offending word; the student later transferred due in part to this mishandling. This history, current status of low campus diversity, reported negative climate towards minority students and current events shows that Berry has work to do in order to achieve parity with other institutions and truly achieve its stated goal of being accessible to a “wide range of students.” By responding to the events unfolding on campus, Berry can take a step towards achieving that goal. As LISTEN alumni, we are dedicated to the well-being of all our LGBTQ and allied siblings, including those of color. Therefore, we call upon Berry College administration to publicly denounce these messages, publicly support minority students and help create a safe space conducive to the expressed mission of the college to educate the head, heart, and hands.
Signed, Professor Emeritus Dr. Countryman, Jessica Andrews-Wilson (‘00), Heather Cronk (‘00), Rod Owens (’02), Becky McDaniel (’09), Lance Simpson (’09), Sarah Countryman (’10), Jessica Rose (’11), Jordan Frost (13’), Stephen Hall (‘13), Courtney Walls (’13), Charley Bates (’14), Bekah Ingram (’14), Devan Estevez (’14), Emily Faulkner (’14), Emily Tedesco (’14), Chelsea Hoag (’15), Diana Lynch (’15), Ryder McEntyre (’15), Kacee Culpepper (’16), Kara Leigh (‘16) and Joshua Willis (’16).