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The Spectator
Demonstrate Action: Posing the Problem is not Enough
November 06, 2009This is our community. It is one we all contribute to, and it is one we all want to be proud of. No one is proud of some of the incidents that have occurred on campus recently. Nonetheless, many of us remain proud of the Hamilton community as a whole.
Many of the incidents mentioned at the faculty meeting were disturbing and disheartening. It is obviously a problem that there are people at Hamilton who stereotype and humiliate students based on individual characteristics, but to claim that all of the unpleasant incidents that occur on campus are motivated by biases is to negate real issues of bias. When we attempt to equate rudeness and inconsideration with racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., we detract attention from the incidents which are actually motivated by these biases.
While it may not be possible to agree on a set definition of what constitutes a biased action, we should be able to agree on a set definition of what constitutes unacceptable actions in our community. In addition, we need to stop automatically assuming that these incidents are based on students acting out of ignorance and cruelty, exacerbated by negligence on the part of the administration. If we are looking to find a villain in every situation, we always will. Using individual students as platforms to advance particular agendas only divides the campus more, alienating entire groups of students and making it that much more difficult to reach some shared goal.
It follows that those who find fault in how the College has dealt with these incidents should be responsible for suggesting how the College must deal with these situations differently. Many students recognize these incidents as isolated occurrences and still feel safe and welcome on campus. Those that do not feel safe and welcome must actively articulate to the rest of the student body what the problems are and how they can be solved. We appreciate the efforts of these students, such as those who held a demonstration at the most recent faculty meeting. Without their input, many people on campus would go four years without being made aware that these problems exist. While these active and engaged students serve a crucial role within the community, the approach taken to educate the campus is often misguided. The time has come for these concerned students to present their demands with the same clarity that they demand from the administration.
This semester the Student Assembly has worked diligently to develop a Statement of Community Values. Hopefully this statement will provide a platform from which our community can move forward. However, if students want to bring about real, tangible change within the community, they need to bring real, tangible contributions to the discussion. While a conversation on the intangible ideals is important, it leads to little progress if we do not also discuss practical ideas. Perhaps students cannot change the prejudices of everyone on this campus, but a group of students can affect change in official policy through actions such as written proposals, meeting with members of the administration, and meeting with the Student Assembly. This requires not only leadership and organization, but also a willingness to compromise in a process that will affect all members of the Hamilton community.
We are past the point of showing that problems exist. That much is clear. Instead of presenting problems, we need to present ways to fix them.