Students often stop to look at the silly drawings and phrases scattered throughout the Zen Garden- mocking them, agreeing with them and even adding their own.
When something offensive is displayed on the wall, do students continue mocking, agreeing and adding or do they step up and do something about it?
Ask yourself what you would do if it was a homophobic slur or a hurtful message directed toward your personal beliefs. Are students apathetic when the slur is not aimed at them or their friends?
The answer is yes. Maybe students are too caught up in their own lives to notice something that doesn’t directly affect them, but they revealed their apathy last week when a hateful message aimed at Muslim students was left on the outside wall of Fine Arts for two days. Any passing student could see the disparaging graffiti, including one of the students it was aimed at.
Fortunately, the graffiti was eventually reported, and the University was quick to respond and paint over it by the end of the day.
University officials won’t stand for discrimination on campus and for good reason. Murray State has a huge international presence, with students from more than 50 countries, according to the University website.
Why didn’t the students say something sooner? Complacency in the face of hate will never be acceptable. Ignoring a problem will not make it go away, and you become part of the problem when you don’t take a stand.
The message didn’t just hurt Muslim students, it had the ability to permanently damage Murray State’s reputation as one of the friendliest campuses in America, which could impede already dropping enrollment.
Not only does Murray State welcome international students, it relies on them. Murray State is in an enrollment crisis in the wake of statewide budget cuts, and one strategy for boosting enrollment is dependent on the tolerance of Murray State’s student body.
About 7000 students from Saudi Arabia will be relocated from Canada to other countries after a diplomatic issue between the two countries, according to a recent CNN article. Some of these displaced students could end up at Murray State.
A solution to the enrollment issue is staring the University in its face, but the opportunity could pass Murray State by if it garners a reputation for intolerance.
Students choose Murray State because of the friendly and welcoming people who make up the faculty, staff and student body. In an area considered largely conservative, Murray State is an oasis of acceptance and love.
Students must come together to combat Islamophobia and other hateful dispositions on campus. We are here to learn and we all come from different backgrounds and upbringings. Students who come to Murray State with an open mind will leave with an education, both academically and culturally.
The opportunity afforded to Murray State students to interact with others of different cultural backgrounds is priceless, do not allow hate to build a wall between you and this invaluable experience.