As students walked to classes last Tuesday, many were confronted with an assuming RV parked in front of the Chemistry Building, challenging them to take a stand against a form of injustice they would refuse to tolerate.
“I definitely was not thinking about discrimination when I went to class, but I am now,” said first-year College student Maia Foster aftering stopping by the van.
The display is part of the Characters Unite campaign launched by the USA Network.
Students were prompted to target an issue they feel strongly about. The broad range included anti-semitism, homophobia, racism and sexism.
“There were a lot of words, some of which I didn’t even know existed,” second-year College student Jacob Martin said. “Ableism stood out to me. It’s prejudice against physically disabled people. It was really eye-opening.”
Most students struggled to choose only one issue.
“It was hard to choose a topic because I won’t stand for any of it,” first-year College student Candace Collins said. “I was stuck between hate and discrimination because I found those two really similar … If you tend to hate someone, you’re going to discriminate.”
Once students selected a topic, they entered the RV to receive a photograph and a shirt commemorating their stance against their issue of choice.
“This is a good little reminder to take home with you so that you don’t forget about the bigger problems in the world,” Foster said.
Collins said participating in the event changed her mindset for the day.
“I was complaining about how I had section later, but this shows that there are so many other problems going on, and section isn’t nearly as bad,” she said.
Event Producer Gina Stefani said she enjoyed the response from the student body.
“Each injustice is personal to people for different reasons and we’re just here to promote a positive message,” she said. “Everyone seems to be embracing the idea and it’s a fun way for people to voice their opinions.”
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