On the Importance of Diversity in University
By: Izzy Canizares and Rayan Abasaeed
There is no room for ignorance or hate in the world let alone in the classroom. On the University campus, students should feel safe to express themselves regardless of other people’s biases, prejudices, and opinions. However, in many schools that is not the case. Hate crimes have been on a rise in recent years, and University campuses are finding themselves to be the center of many of these crimes.
In 2019, the national center for education statistics found that intimidation is the most common form of hate crime that occurs on college campuses. They classify intimidation as placing another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm using threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.
They found that the second most common form of hate crime is vandalism and the destruction of property. That same year, there were 5 hate incidents reported on college campuses in the week of November 23rd. At the University of Georgia, student Ariana Dinberg said someone tore off her historically Jewish sorority’s letters from her residence hall door twice in September. At the time, she wasn’t sure it was someone targeting Jews. The University of Georgia then confirmed that someone drew swastikas on placards and message boards at two campus residence halls. At Auburn University, An extension cord tied as a noose was left in the common area of the campus residence hall. Auburn University’s Department of Campus Safety & Security announced on social media that the noose was “quickly removed.”
According to data compiled by the United States Department of Justice, most hate crimes in Florida are racially motivated. In 2018, A Miami Man was Sentenced to Prison and Fined for Hate Crime for Threatening to Blow up Mosque. He was sentenced to four years in prison, three years supervised release, and $1,800 in restitution for obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening, via phone, to detonate a bomb at a mosque in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Students are frustrated and fed up with the way universities have been responding to many of these hate crimes. However, they understand that sometimes Universities don’t know what to do. Eman Sadig is a student at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Majoring in International Studies with a minor in environmental policy, she trusts her university. She says, “I feel like if there was a serious issue that was brought up, the university would do something about it.”
But she also knows that there is work that can be done, and a proper way to educate others. As a black and visibly Muslim woman, she stresses the importance of collaboration. “More collaboration, and easier communication with multicultural organizations.” is a key to educating others.
She also mentions that USF has designated prayer rooms for Muslim Students to use at any time of the day. “having those spaces for minorities, whether it be specifically designated religious rooms or more funding and attention put on cultural clubs like ASA, African Student Association, or the Muslim Student Association.”
“It’s important to see people that look like you in the space that you want to go into, and I feel like for so long, at least in this country, success has always looked like one thing. There has just been this one type of person that is successful, and it really benefits everybody to see people that also look like them being represented as successful.”
Because at the end of the day that is what college is for. It is a steppingstone into the real world. And there is no room for ignorance or hate in the world, let alone in the classroom.
