Does SMC care? The question is posted on flyers around campus, it’s used as a hashtag on Twitter and Facebook, and it’s at the root of controversial discourse amongst our student body. This question couldn’t have been raised at a more apt time; in the midst of De La Salle week, the Saint Mary’s community is calling to question the foundation of our institution.
Three of the five Lasallian Core Principles are Inclusive Community, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, and Respect for All Persons. I chose to continue in my education at a Lasallian institution, and I chose to call Saint Mary’s my home for these very reasons. To me, a Lasallian education was not only an opportunity to grow intellectually, but to expand beyond my privilege and gain a broader social and cultural understanding. Because the liberal arts education Saint Mary’s has provided me, I am beginning to realize the hypocrisy of my university––marginalized students on this campus are experiencing institutionalized and personally mediated oppression in the place they too call home.
This past week has been jam-packed with events at Saint Mary’s; between De La Salle week and our Night n Gael event for prospective students, SMC has been full of activity. As a result, many student issues have not been addressed. What the Saint Mary’s administration has failed to address is the overt racism, homophobia, and hatred on this campus. When the name “Trump” was spray-painted on the concrete of our school, everyone but the administration was outraged. Trump is more than just a presidential candidate, his name is symbolic of racism, homophobia, misogyny, and hate. The spray paint was power-washed away just in time to not be seen my prospective students and their parents. When the name Trump was washed from the concrete, it was erased from the minds of our administration––the incident has been unaddressed and questions have gone unanswered. Why? This leads us back to our original question: Does SMC care?
Saint Mary’s College is the place I call home, but I’m starting to wonder if the only reason I feel comfortable enough to call it home is because I am coming from a place of privilege. I am a white, cisgendered, heterosexual female on this campus who does not have to struggle with issues of intersectionality nor face oppression from my peers, professors, and administration. However, I am attempting to use my privilege and my voice to raise an awareness about the injustices taking place on this campus. The inclusive community that exists at Saint Mary’s is, in fact, quite exclusive. The voices of marginalized students on this campus are being deemed as invalid and angry, when in fact they have every right to be outraged at the community that refuses to address their issues as both valid and of the utmost importance.
This is an informal call to action––I am asking that the administration address the issues of our students not in a school wide email, but to listen to the voices of our community and work alongside them to create a truly inclusive community. I am asking for the students of this community to replace their acts of complacency with those of outrage––turn the personal into the political and let’s find a way to create change on this campus. We must not mistake inclusivity with silencing the voices of those who make our campus so special and diverse. I ask each reader to share this article along with your own words and experiences––break the silence and demand that all of our voices be heard.
