Over 3,800 of our under graduate peers attend this school, many of whom are taking large loans out to pay for this education. In addition to investing an enormous amount of money in this school, we are also investing four years of our lives. Add on the life long effects of this education, and we are really investing our whole life in this school.
For each of us, UR is part of our life, and we will never be separated from it. Upon receiving our diploma, we will permanently be associated with this school.
For better or worse, people will form opinions about us based on our UR affiliation at cocktail parties, job interviews and high school reunions, as well as many other events throughout our lives.
Knowing that UR is part of who we are, it’s disturbing to imagine the image that we convey of ourselves by going to a school that has its beautiful buildings tagged with graffiti like some subway tunnel.
Last week’s CT was filled with numerous opinion pieces condemning the recent racist and homophobic graffiti that has appeared on our campus. This opinion piece also regards those incidents, but denounces them on a more materialistic level.
To those of you who marked up Rush Rhees Library with homophobic graffiti that looks to be finger-painted by a five-year-old, do you know that you are hurting yourself? These are your buildings ? this is your school.
The sides of Rush Rhees Library and the black boards in Morey Hall are more important than the walls in your house. Why? Because every day many visitors come to this campus to form opinions about whether they want to go to school here, send their children here or hire students from here. Graffiti on our campus buildings creates a negative perception of this school ? the school that is part of you.
Why do you destroy your image and devalue your investment?
Our campus rejects the kind of hate speech that has been displayed. We reject it because it was done with cowardice and in a primitive manner.
There are many avenues for you to constructively express criticism and engage in discussion. For example, you are free-and encouraged to attend the meetings of any cultural or awareness groups including the Pride Network and the College Diversity Roundtable. This is the most effective and respectable way to communicate your disagreements.
Please reserve your current methods of communication for train bridges and back alley walls ? because we want the most out of our UR investment.
LaBoda can be reached at jlaboda@campustimes.org.
