By: Morgan Webb, Staff writer

In a country that is currently experiencing various acts of violence and disrespect, students and faculty of Lebanon Valley College recently came together in order to address these issues and inspire the community.

The Vigil Against Violence was hosted October 4 in Miller Chapel and featured an array of speakers and opinions.

“In recent months, our nation has witnessed more than our usual share of violence and conflict,” Rev. Dr. Paul Fullmer, chaplain and director of service and volunteerism, said in his opening speech.

He encouraged students to keep an open dialogue and converse about the issues despite the difficulties associated with the topic.

Renata Williams, the Director of Intercultural Affairs and Inclusive Programming, shared a personal reflection with the audience. Williams said her father is a retired police officer who never once had to discharge his weapon in more than 30 years of service.

She also referenced her children and how the historic story of Emmitt Till haunts her as a mother. Her personal opinions were expressed in an effort to discourage the use of violence and promote a better understanding between individuals within our community.

In addition, a short clip entitled, “Color Blind or Color Brave?” was played and featured speaker Mellody Hobson, the President of Ariel Investments. Hobson addressed the issue of discrimination in the workplace and said many companies are using the term “color blind” in order to achieve racial acceptance.

“We need to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation about race,” Hobson said.

She concluded her speech by encouraging the audience to be color brave instead of color blind and to embrace diversity instead of ignoring it.

To follow up on the topic of being color brave, Terrence Alladin, a teaching fellow in criminal justice, said that he has two rules when addressing controversial issues within the classroom.

“The first one is respect your colleagues,” Alladin said. “The second one is while you are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.”

Laura Schmidt, a senior physical therapy major and president of student government, addressed the violence issue from a position of leadership (see speech below).

“The purpose of the Vigil Against Violence was to acknowledge that there are social injustices throughout our country,” Schmidt said. “As a college we want to be proactive and encourage students to have open dialogue about these social issues.”

Nina Mentzer, a junior biochemistry major, attended the vigil and said she took away many ideas from the meeting.

“I think it went really well,” Mentzer said. “I enjoyed listening to the different perspectives from both students and faculty. It showed how we are all in this together.”

The Vigil Against Violence was just the beginning of the many efforts that LVC will be making in order to promote acceptance and respect for all individuals within the College.

Here’s the complete speech given by Laura Schmidt:

We are living in a generation that is no longer tolerating the status quo. We are realizing that people are being treated unjustly. As college students we should be the ones to work to right this unfair treatment for ours and for future generations. So now it is time to take action and make changes.

My ideal goal would be for everyone to recognize that we are all fundamentally human beings who deserve to be treated equally and equitably. This change isn’t easily obtained. It will take time, and it will take effort, and it will take a lot of people working together. So if we can spread our inclusive values, we will be able to make a change for the future generations. We will be able to make a difference at Lebanon Valley College.

It is important to realize our differences and recognize that our differences are what make us strong, unique individuals. By combining those strengths together, we can create a stronger more unified society. Instead it seems that we are focusing on our differences and letting them divide our country and our world.

Not all people of color are criminals, not all police officers are racially biased. Not all college students become heavily intoxicated. There is no reason to lump together a group of people based on assumptions and stereotypes. Unfortunately, we have been inundated with images of violence across the country portraying these exact stereotypes. Now the question is, as students, what can we do on our campus to enact a positive change.

I do not see violence as an answer. Instead, I encourage you all to have civil conversations to fully educate yourselves on these topics. It is okay to have open dialogue regarding social issues. If we want to become more inclusive, we need to stop being afraid of offending someone. This is something I struggle with myself. But I am learning, and hopefully you will to, that it is okay to ask questions if you do not understand. Just remember to be respectful when asking questions, listen and process what others have to say, and be willing to accept and embrace that others may not think the same way that you do and that is okay. Learn to understand, not to judge.

I also urge you to attend the symposium of inclusive and intercultural learning on January 24, 2017. This symposium is meant to be a safe space for all members of the LVC community to become more aware of issues of diversity facing our world. The goal is that by becoming more knowledgeable about the current social issues we can continue the conversations with our own circles, families, and communities.

So in closing, I will leave you with this challenge. Be aware. Be open. Be understanding. Make an effort to learn more and judge less. If each one of us can make these small changes, we will be one step closer to achieving our goals of inclusive excellence here at LVC. Thank you.