By: Jade Rayner News Editor
In the month of April 2017, two crimes involving racism occurred on campus and off, both towards Western students.
One incident, revealed in an all-campus email from President Rex Fuller, “involved a student being subjected to racist language while walking on campus.”
The second incident occurred at one of the Wolfpack Village apartment complexes, where sophomore Dwightaye Spears’ apartment door was vandalized with a racist slur on April 10, according to Fox 12.
“It was just a really uncomfortable experience,” Spears said in an interview with Fox 12.
Crimes involving discrimination at Western aren’t common. Western’s “2016 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report” crime-statistics show that the last reported hate crimes for campus and the surrounding community within a one-block radius, were two in 2013; the report has statistics for 2013, 2014 and 2015.
When asked in an interview what a student should do if they feel they have been discriminated against, Campus Public Safety director Rebecca Chiles explained that, “students can report incidents to Campus Public Safety, Office of Student Conduct, Monmouth Police Department, or local police department where the incident has taken place, Human Resources, Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, and University Housing are just a few of the resources on campus that can take a report.”
Chiles offered Western’s Student Health and Counseling Center, Abby’s House, Veteran’s Services, Multicultural Services and Programs and the Stonewall Center/Safe Zone are resources available to students if they feel they feel unsafe or discriminated against.
“For students who are concerned for their safety or want to get support when making their way around campus or off campus, Campus Public Safety provides an on campus escort program where an officer can walk students to and from campus buildings; the Wolf Ride is another great resource for students to utilize for getting to off-campus locations,” added Chiles.
In the April 11 email sent by Fuller, he reminded everyone on campus that, “(WOU’s) practices are guided by…equity and inclusion; a fundamental basis in human diversity; appreciation for the complexity of the world; and strength drawn from our variety of backgrounds, abilities, cultural experiences, identities, knowledge domains and means of expression.”
Anyone with useful information regarding the above incidents are encouraged to contact the Monmouth police at 503-838-1109.
Students that would like to contact Campus Public Safety, for an escort or otherwise, can call their non-emergency number 503-838-8481.
Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu
