We all received yet another email in our inboxes referencing a racist incident on Syracuse University’s campus. This one didn’t have to do with graffiti, verbal harassment or message board posts but with a professor’s syllabus. Chemistry professor Jon Zubieta called COVID-19 the “Wuhan Flu” and “Chinese Communist Party Virus” on his course syllabus. Zubieta has been placed on leave by the university.

“Syracuse University unequivocally condemns racism and xenophobia and rejects bigotry, hate, and intolerance of any kind,” begins the message from Karin Runlaudt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and John Liu, interim provost.

SU has allowed ignorance and blatant racism to become a part of its school culture for its students and now faculty. No amount of emails condemning racism and xenophobia again and again, or making a point to have inclusive and diverse programs and Zoom panels, will do much to remove the tone at SU: We don’t care.

I cannot speak for SU students or faculty of Asian and Asian American descent and nor should I. However, everyone should be angry at the pattern of hate incidents on campus. It was only five months ago when #NotAgainSU protested SU’s poor handling of many racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic incidents last academic year.

At what point will students of color matter to Chancellor Kent Syverud? Are we expected to go to class, sit next to our aggressors and now be afraid that our education might also be affected? Especially as Black Lives Matter protests still rage across the country, you would think SU would have been more diligent.

Unlike the white population of this school, students of color can add classes, COVID-19, and now racism to our list of worries, if it wasn’t there already. As a freshman, I am ashamed to call SU my school, and as a Black woman, I am outraged but not surprised. How far does this have to go for SU and Syverud to take this seriously?

The small actions performed have obviously not worked so far if these insensitive and offensive remarks are being boldly said by students, let alone professors. Real consequences that will set an example to future offenders are needed immediately, as SU has failed to establish them the first time around with #NotAgainSU.

Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie told us that “the world is watching” when over 100 students gathered on the Quad last week, and now it’s his turn to lead by example. The world is indeed watching, and again for the wrong reasons. How will Syverud act? Will change be implemented within, or will it be glossed over with the same recycled email sent every time another racist incident occurs? I’m hoping for the former.

Published on August 25, 2020 at 10:16 pm