On February 2nd, a swastika was found etched into one of the bathroom stalls in the Integrative Learning Center. On February 16th, another swastika was found in the form of snow on the hood of a car in a parking lot on campus. Two days later, a second swastika was carved into a bathroom door in the Hasbrouck Laboratory building. Three swastikas found in one month on campus. However, these weren't the first acts of anti-Semitism that have been found on campus.

Early on during the first semester, police were called to silence members of the Chabad house who were publicly celebrating a Jewish holiday by singing near Berkshire Dining Commons during a week day. Many anonymous students posted anti-Semitic comments on the Yik Yak app. On Snapchat, the unofficial campus story UMass.snap posted photos of a game of beer pong with the caption "Jews VS Nazis", as a Star of David can be seen on one side of the table while the other side has a swastika.

Back in January, associate professor Aline Gubrium commented on a Facebook post supporting the idea of boycotting the Israeli product Sabra, known mainly for its hummus. This particular incident is definitely more anti-Zionist/anti-Israel than anti-Semitic, but if these are the things that have been officially reported, it begs to ask the question what isn't being shared.

I've heard the stories of people being made fun of for their noses, their participation in Hillel, and having change thrown at them. Although this is something that's never happened to me personally at UMass, it is something I've experienced back in high school and even before then. This needs to end now.

To those who are carving these swastikas, maybe they see it as a fun prank to mess with everyone. Maybe they truly are anti-Semitic. To me, a swastika means pain. After studying about the Holocaust almost every year since I was four years old, to becoming a Bar Mitzvah, to going to Jewish sleep-away camp, to living in Israel, to going to Poland and setting foot in Auschwitz, these are all things that were not supposed to be possible for me. If the Nazi party had had their way, I wouldn't exist today or be able to write this.

Both UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski and Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy have said there is an investigation into the matter, with the Chancellor leading a discussion on the matter before having dinner with Hillel a few nights ago. But it's not enough. This needs to be stopped. Not just the carving, everything. Because as unrealistic as it seems, anti-Semitism has become more aggressive in Europe, and little jokes like calling someone greedy based on their religion can progress to hatred. We can't let that happen. Love, don't hate.