SUNY-ESF students rally in support of Mizzou protesters, administration agrees to demands
Rachel Sandler | Asst. News Editor
A SUNY-ESF student stands with a large petition on the ESF quad to show solidarity with protesters at the University of Missouri.
The president and interim provost of SUNY-ESF spoke on Wednesday with a small group of students rallying to bring attention to racial issues on the SUNY-ESF campus.
About 10 students gathered on the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry quad with a large sign that read: “We recognize the series of events that have happened on campuses across the United States in terms of racial tension. ESF has had its own racial issues and it has not been addressed. There are cases of cultural appropriation, derogatory terms, prejudice, and inappropriate statements made by faculty and students alike. It is time for this university to take ownership of these problems and do better to make this campus safe mentally, physically, and emotionally for all.”
Members of The Baobab Society, a student organization dedicated to bringing together diverse and minority SUNY-ESF students, set up the rally and petition on the quad. The petition had about 50 signatures as of 1:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Quentin Wheeler and Valerie Luzadis, the president and interim provost of SUNY-ESF, respectively, approached the leaders of The Baobab Society and spoke with them about racial dynamics specific to the SUNY-ESF campus. The conversation did not escalate into an argument at any point.
Kristine Earley, one of the leaders of The Baobab Society and a junior at SUNY-ESF, said she wasn’t surprised Wheeler and Luzadis came to the rally because they were expected to attend.
Earley and Rhea Joseph, another leader of The Baobab Society and a sophomore at SUNY-ESF, asked Wheeler and Luzadis to institute mandatory sensitivity, diversity and inclusion training for students and faculty as well as change the orientation program for incoming freshmen.
Luzadis and Wheeler agreed to move forward with both demands.
Luzadis said the SUNY-ESF administration is already working on a plan to mandate sensitivity, diversity and inclusion training. She added that the SUNY-ESF administration will work to make changes to the orientation program as soon as January
“ESF is still a school as well,” Joseph said. “We often go to SU for issues like this, but these are issues we as a school need to address as well.”
Published on November 19, 2015 at 12:00 am
Contact Rachel: rsandler@syr.edu
