Campus Service, Banners Celebrate Shared Values

Students, faculty, administrators, and staff came together for a civility rally last month in Farinon College Center.

An interfaith service and a banner-signing rally are the latest in a series of responses to troubling incidents of graffiti on campus. Members of the campus community came together yesterday in Colton Chapel for an interfaith service that included readings and prayers from various faith traditions affirming the College’s shared values of respect, understanding, and good will. Today students are creating banners celebrating civility and unity in the campus community to be displayed on residence halls and in other locations.

The Office of Public Safety and the Easton Police Department are jointly investigating several recent incidents of graffiti that included comments of racial or sexual bias and/or images of swastikas. In accordance with College policy, Public Safety notified the campus promptly when each incident was discovered.

President Daniel H. Weiss informed the campus and parents that the crimes are being investigated. “The investigation will continue aggressively until those responsible are identified and held accountable,” he said. “Those responsible will be subject to prosecution in addition to the full range of College disciplinary action.

“These deeply disturbing incidents, which constitute hate crimes under Pennsylvania law, violate the respectful, pluralistic, and equitable community that we strive to create,” Weiss said. “I know that you share my belief that we are better than this and that we cannot allow the mindless or malicious actions of a few define who we are or what we stand for. Our response to these actions, rather than the actions themselves, will define who we are.”

Weiss and other members of the administration have been meeting with student organizations, faculty, staff, and alumni to discuss the issues, respond to questions, and plan additional ways to reaffirm the campus community’s commitment to our shared values. Also, faculty and students have taken the opportunity to discuss the issues in some classes.

It is clear from the strong response from members of the campus community that they are deeply concerned and frustrated at the way the criminal acts, perpetrated by a few, have disturbed the campus. On March 8, the community spoke out against the crimes and in support of those hurt by them at a campus rally that reaffirmed the College’s Civility Pledge to not remain silent when the values of good judgment and good will toward others are disrespected.

Hundreds of members of the campus community have taken the pledge, which says, “As a member of the Lafayette community, I will conduct myself in a way that strives to respect the physical and emotional well-being of others as individuals and the community as a whole. I will exercise good judgment as to my personal conduct and exhibit good will towards the other members of my community. I will not remain silent when these values are disrespected by others.”

The faculty passed a resolution Tuesday condemning “in the strongest terms the acts of ethnic intimidation and hate crimes that have recently beset the campus, and [urging] all segments of the Lafayette community to respond to this situation.”

“I would like to extend my thanks to so many members of the campus community who have expressed your support and come forward with offers to help,” Weiss said. “I will continue to report to you on the status of our investigation and on our plans as they develop.”