Editor’s note: This article contains details about the usage of racial slurs.

More than 150 people gathered in the Gifford Auditorium, listening as those around them shared concerns with how Syracuse University handled racist graffiti found on two floors of a university residence hall.

Aicha Sacko, a freshman, stood with a microphone in her hand. She asked how many people in the room feel unsafe. A majority of the people the Huntington Beard Crouse Hall room raised their hand. One hand is a lot, an audience member yelled. 

Tuesday’s forum was organized by SU’s Residence Hall Association. It was the second forum in two days held in response to racial slurs in Day Hall. Multiple university officials attended the event, including Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience, Keith Alford, chief diversity and inclusion officer, Marianne Thomson, dean of students, and Bobby Maldonado, chief of the Department of Public Safety.

“I’m just telling you how I feel,” Sacko said. “I didn’t come here to ask you questions. I don’t need to ask you questions. You guys need to be asking us questions.”

Ceiling lights in bathrooms on Day Hall’s sixth floor were pulled out and put in a toilet on Wednesday night. The N-word was written on part of the light, at least one mirror on the floor and garbage cans. A slur against Asian people was also written on a bulletin board on the fourth floor.

At the first forum on Monday night students expressed their concerns about DPS’ response to the incident and how SU values students of marginalized communities. Students at Tuesday’s forum spoke about many of the same issues.

People at the forum said the university failed to properly communicate with students. Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor

Students said they felt unsafe on campus. The university was not listening to them. Events like the racist graffiti in Day Hall happen again and again but aren’t addressed. SU failed to properly communicate to the student body, they said.

“I want to know how I’m supposed to feel safe on my floor?” said Nia Brooks, a freshman on the sixth floor of Day. 

DPS has been investigating the Day Hall graffiti since 9:54 a.m. on Thursday when the department was alerted of the incident, Maldonado said at the forum. The department is working with the Syracuse Police Department and Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office on the investigation.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also directed the State Police Hate Crime Task Force to investigate the racial slurs. He addressed the investigation at a press conference in Syracuse on Tuesday morning.

Maldonado met with state police Tuesday morning to discuss the investigative and technical resources the police force could provide, he said in a press conference after the forum. DPS, SPD and state police continue to investigate leads, and will do so until the perpetrator is found, he said.

Maldonado said he continues to meet with students and student groups, encouraging them to contact DPS if they feel unsafe on campus.

“I’m concerned if people think that Syracuse is an unsafe place to be,” Maldonado said. “I don’t believe that that happens to be the case. I’m hoping that this is an isolated incident that occurred on this campus this year.”

Near the beginning of the forum, the auditorium erupted into chant for Chancellor Kent Syverud to be present at the forum. The chancellor has been out of town at a speaking event for the past couple of days, Alford said. He is expected to return tomorrow.

Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado said DPS is currently investigating the incident in Day Hall. Elizabeth Billman | Asst. Photo Editor

The university first notified the entire campus of the racial slurs in a campus-wide email sent around 5 p.m. on Monday. Students at Tuesday’s forum asked why the communication had taken so long. At one point in the night, RHA President Sadia Ahmed asked if the university would verbally commit to notifying the campus of any incident that happened. Alford’s answer began with one word:

“Yes.”

RHA has condemned the university for not informing the campus community of the incidents.

“The administration of Syracuse University has failed to inform residents of this incident and have put in jeopardy the safety of minority students on this campus,” a statement from RHA said. “University officials need to be held accountable for how this situation is being handled.”

Ahmed allocated some time in the forum to discuss possible solutions to the ongoing incidents happening at SU. Solutions included better university communication, requiring classes for students to learn about diversity and explicitly prohibiting hate speech. 

RHA reserved Gifford Auditorium until 10 p.m. Many people left when the forum reached that time, but those who remained continued the discussion. An audience member told the SU officials present that they had not apologized for the circumstances surrounding the Day Hall graffiti. 

The officials apologized and promised change. Those who remained in the auditorium promised to hold them to it. 

-Asst. news editor Emma Folts contributed reporting to this article.  

Published on November 13, 2019 at 12:41 am

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu