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

About 30 Syracuse University students sat quietly in protest in the middle of the Barnes Center at The Arch at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a week after racist graffiti was found in Day Hall. By 6:30 p.m., more than 200 students had gathered.

The students were there to speak with university officials. Some students cried. Some spoke out in anger. In frustration.

The protesters organized the sit-in under the hashtag #NotAgainSU. They wanted to make sure their demands were heard. A list of short-term and long-term demands, nine in all, were passed around those in attendance and written on posters taped to the walls.

The list ended with an ultimatum. If the students’ requests weren’t met by Nov. 20 — a week after the sit-in — they would call for the resignation of Chancellor Kent Syverud and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith Alford.

“Every single specific demand here is important because it matters to every single student on this campus,” said Hawa Touray, who attended the sit-in.

Protesters at the Wednesday sit-in presented a list of nine demands for university administration to meet. Corey Henry | Photo Editor

The first short-term demand of the protestors was the expulsion of anyone involved with the racist graffiti. Slurs against black and Asian people were written in Day Hall on Nov. 7. Reports of the slurs surfaced Sunday night.

DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado said at a press conference Tuesday night that the department is working with the Syracuse Police Department and New York state police to investigate the incident. He was present at the sit-in where university officials agreed to the first of the protester’s demands — those involved would be expelled.

In demand No. 4, students said SU should reform faculty and staff contracts to include a clause mandating diversity training. In Demand No. 3, they called for a reformed curriculum for SEM 100, a five-week seminar on diversity and inclusion for first-year students.

“I definitely think that the SEM 100 reform needs to happen because I took the class last year, and they did not address the problems of racism or incidents of racism in this school,” said Destiny Ellison, a sophomore at the sit-in.

There’s currently an interim approach to reforming SEM 100, Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience, said around 9 p.m. A three-credit social justice course required of all SU students will be created. All students will take the revised SEM 100 and the new course, he said.

“We recognize that SEM 100 in its current format is not working, and there is a committee of faculty, staff and students who are actively engaged with creating that curriculum,” Hradsky said.

Demand No. 2 called on SU to create a public forum for students to share their experiences on campus with the university’s Board of Trustees. The forum, held twice a year, would allow students to explain what they expect of the university. The students couldn’t speak to the board until May, Alford said.

A representative from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilies said that the university will move forward with expulsion once they find out who was involved with the Day Hall racist graffiti.

— Natalie Rubio (@natalierubio_) November 13, 2019

The students also called for the university’s current anti-harassment policy be revised to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. The policy should also include stated consequences for any infractions.

SU will solicit student feedback concerning changes to the harassment policy, Hradsky said. Specific steps for meeting each demand will be given to students. Hradsky believes the students will be informed of the steps prior to deadline.

Over the long-term, the sit-in protesters want the university to allocate $1 million to develop a mandatory curriculum to teach students about diversity and anti-racism, as stated in demand No. 9. SU is committed to investing the money needed to launch the curriculum, Hradsky said.

Protesters, as part of demand No. 8, want SU to construct a building to house multicultural offices, organizations and programs. There’s a need for a physical space — as well as emotional and cultural spaces — for black students on this campus, Alford said. The demand is being worked on, and he hoped to report back soon, he said.

One student said representation isn’t enough, there needs to be a prolonged accountability process. “We have no faith in you,” they said. SU also needs to ensure black students feel safe on a daily basis, they said.

— Emma Folts (@emmafolts) November 13, 2019

Students at the sit-in discussed at length their experiences with mental health on campus. Demand No. 7 called on SU to hire counselor representatives of minority students. About a third of clinicians in the Counseling Center are people of color, Hradsky said.

“We are going to work to bring more staff to campus and try to do that sooner rather than later,” Hradsky said.

Alford urged Cory Wallack, executive director of health and wellness, to come forward during the sit-in and answer questions. Students spoke to him about experiences of being denied help, long waiting periods and not feeling represented. One protester asked Wallack about the counseling staff’s transgender representation.

Multiple center staff are trained to support nonbinary and transgender students, Wallack said. Since the opening of the Arch, the center has seen over 1,000 students seeking counseling services and an 85% increase in drop-in services. This increased demand for services was not predicted, he said.

A student said he should’ve predicted it.

“We’re not perfect,” Wallack said in response.

Students discussed at length their experiences with mental health services on campus. Will Fudge | Staff Photographer

Another student said SU stole her mental health. She was “one of the happiest people” before she came to the university.

“I hate it here. I hate it here,” she repeated. The protesters later joined in with the same chant.

One student, a freshman, choked up as she asked university officials why the racist graffiti in Day Hall happened within her first three months at SU. She asked why the protesters are doing work SU should be doing.

The protesters aren’t asking SU to solve racism, another student said. They’re asking for clear consequences to be in place.

“You guys should be able to say, ‘We do everything in our power to make sure these things don’t happen,’” they said.

Published on November 14, 2019 at 12:11 am

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu