Recently on Delaware's campus, there was an incident where discarded decorations were thought to be makeshift nooses, and due to the location, a threat to those students who participated in the #BlackLivesMatter movement the evening before. Thankfully, the offending items were determined to be parts of paper lanterns. However, this does not diminish the emotional response that many of our peers showed at the first inkling of a hate crime.

The alleged nooses (left) and two students embracing after the sighting (right).

Luckily, I have several professors who are interested in current events and the social climate on campus, so we scrapped the lessons for the day and had real, heartfelt conversations about what happened. Some students were able to see both sides of the story, but many of my white peers couldn't seem to grasp why it was still a problem when it was discovered that the decorations were..."nothing." One student, Owen*, was able to put it eloquently: It's not about the fact that it's not a hate crime and many of us think it should be "over with" once that is discovered, it's the fact that so many people of color on our campus were ready and willing to believe that their peers would do something so hateful.

The lantern decorations that were left from a previous event.

The discussions we need to be having are about why there is a feeling of discomfort on our campus for people of color. Why is it that those students are so willing to believe that their white cohorts would be so hateful? Why is it that there are students who don't feel comfortable on our campus? Why is it that we, as white students, have a hard time comprehending why our peers have such a hard time feeling like they belong on Delaware's campus?

I applaud acting president, Nancy Targett, for being proactive and addressing the issue as it was happening, rather than waiting or sweeping it under the rug. Though some might say that it was an act of "jumping the gun" on her part, many agree that it was a refreshing change to have her actively address the events unfolding, and further encourage students to attend the open dialogue event on Wednesday. In addition to the acting president, the director of admissions, Doug Zander, also encouraged his student employees to attend the event and be honest at the open house event, Blue and Golden, this Saturday. His words encouraged all students on staff to be honest about their feelings on the matter and the experiences that they have on campus, a refreshing change from the typically expected instructions to make sure that everything is seen in a positive light.

Remember, all students are different, and everyone has a different experience on campus. Be aware of your actions, and make the effort to create a welcoming and inclusive campus for all.

* Name has been changed for privacy reasons