Bias Response Team holds event to battle hate speech

The Bias Response Team organized an event May 1 at Openhym Residence Hall in response to the word ‘nigger’ being written on a resident’s door.

The event was announced at the April 29 Student Senate meeting by Diversity Director Matthew Brown. According to Brown’s announcement, the Bias Response Team requested that residents put a sign in their window to “support a movement to stop language similar to this.”

Coordinator of Diversity Programming Craig Arno told the Fiat lux that all students in Openhym were sent a packet with information about the incident. Students were then encouraged to place a poster titled “Openhym is no place for hate” on their windows. Arno could not confirm the exact number of windows with the green posters on them by deadline, but he estimated that about 15 students participated.

In addition to the posters, students were encouraged to throw paint-filled plastic eggs at a door with hate speech terms written on it in order to erase the words. Participating students were encouraged to sign the back of the door, which Arno says he hopes will be used for future activist projects.