The
TANGERINE
VOL. LXXVIII , ISSUE 2
NEWS | PG. 3
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2024
UTICATANGERINE.COM
FEATURES | PG. 5
SPORTS | PG. 6
Utica students receive racist texts and witness uncomfortable reactions after presidential election
Breannan O’Hara, Editor in Chief
on campus through our stand statement, individuals should be held accountable based on the policies that we have and the rules and sanctions that we have on campus,” Baird said. “If we allow one person to the next to the greater, dehumanize another, then we have a case of normlessness and that would only bring chaos.”
Several students at Utica University received racist text messages on Nov. 6 as part of a nationwide harassment effort targeting individuals of color. At least 10 students received these text messages near Election Day and more students of color have received them since, according to Xavier Moore, president of Brothers On a New Direction, historian of the Black Student Union and vice president of Student Government Association. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, these text messages originated from difficult to trace phone numbers and the identity of the offenders have yet to be publicly identified. Moore expressed concerns about racial discrimination on campus and ways to improve the comfort and safety of students in the community. After the election, some students were upset by the actions of a few other students, he said. “A student reported that in South Hall students were running around their hall yelling racial slurs and glorifying Trump,” Moore said. “Another student reported that during the following nights of the election,
Moore said the campus must remain vigilant to prevent cases of bias and racial discrimination both inside and outside of the classroom. It must be ensured that the students are aware of the resources available to them to which they can submit reports.
Photo from: @bsuutica on Instagram
students outside of a first year hall were screaming partisan opinions and racial remarks.”
cause that is completely unacceptable at this university and I will never put up with that.”
Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel said he has not been made aware of these reports because no one has reported it to his office.
Anthony Baird, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, said people have a right to celebrate their political parties win, however “the line gets crossed when we dehumanize someone in the name of that celebration and that’s when it becomes problematic.”
“We would deal with that directly,” Pfannestiel said. “If anybody would bring concern forward, we would immediately investigate. We would find out what happened, and we would take appropriate actions be-
“When you hear things or expressions that are antithetical to the values that we espouse here
“These texts are being sent through text, but the problem also lies on this campus,” Moore said. “Racist bigotry will only increase in intensity if this campus doesn’t put its foot down.” Baird explained that the “community we get is what the community allows.” “It starts with students picking up against those behaviors that are not consistent with what’s appropriate and what is consistent with the values of the community,” Baird said. “One of the ways we bring about that civility on campus is when we see something, we say someCONT ON PAGE 3