Graffiti containing prejudiced remarks permeate Randolph Hall

By ESTER SALGUERO

On Friday, Sept. 11, which marked the 16th anniversary of 9/11, residents of Randolph Hall expressed their repulsion towards distasteful, stereotypical comments that were written on a white board which belonged to two students in the residence hall. Left anonymously on the fifth floor, the comments targeted the Islamic faith and the residents’ assumed affiliation.

Freshman Matthew Allocca was, among many, surprised and said, “I sympathize with those attacked, and I am disgusted by the act.”

However, in an e-mail was sent out by Marty Morrison on Sept. 12, Raymond Tuttle, the director of Judicial Affairs and Community Responsibility, stated that the ‘graffiti’ was a Code of Conduct violation and that there are a range of sanctions which could be placed upon the perpetrators.

Nothing about the severity of the offensive comment was mentioned.

The Code of Conduct in the student handbook displays 15 possible disciplinary actions such as restitution, fines, social restrictions, or other responses. According to the page of the range of sanctions on the UMW website, “sanctions are presented in written form to students” and are “placed in their educational files.”

Megan Kraus, an undeclared junior interested in pre-law, believes there was a delay in action from those involved.

“I feel that no action was really taken,” Kraus said. “At first it was all hush, but once lawyers got involved action started.”

Kraus knows the victims and stated that one of the students did not even practice Islam. With only a few hushed conversations and little action taken to react to this trend in Islamophobia, residents of Randolph Hall were not even fully aware of the incident.

After many attempts were made in trying to retrieve vital information on the situation from the Office of Student Life, Res Life, the director of Judicial Affairs and other authorities on campus, little information was disclosed.

Kraus also stated that she worries about something dangerous happening with “no one [knowing] until it is too late.”

According to students, the situation is being treated comically while it poses as a real threat to students and allows students to get away with perpetuating threatening behavior on campus.

According to Kraus and Allocca, one of the students was relocated to a different residence hall in response to the actions which took place on Sept. 11.