Acorn

Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Kelsi Bitgood

The issue of human rights at Drew University has been a quiet but pervasive narrative coursing through the community for years. Historically, Drew has been regarded as an accepting community. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Drew's 1964 convocation. In 2000, the Princeton Review named Drew the 11th most gay-friendly college community.

This year, however, incidents of intolerance flared up and challenged Drew's long-standing perception of acceptance. Heckling during the women's march of Take Back the Night, defaming of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Walls of Hate and Love and the ripping down of flyers for Alliance and Drew Students for Life events were some of the incidents that revealed the gaping flaw in the 2005 Human Rights Policy-the absence of an enforcement apparatus to protect the diversity we cherish.

It took a march of students last semester into President Bob Weisbuch's office hour to drive home the need for a human rights policy with teeth. Weisbuch said that something would be done, but the community has yet to see the tangible result of this promise.

Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected at Drew. The Kean administration thought it was enough to simply transcribe a human rights policy in Daniel's Dictionary and all students were expected to adhere to it. If the current administration acted with alacrity to modify the previous policy, they could have resolutely handled this year's incidences.

While the current administration fails to address the policy in a timely manner, the faculty has chosen to vocalize their concerns. Two weeks ago, more than 200 faculty members throughout the three schools signed a powerful letter of unity against discrimination on campus. Finally, the human rights policy committee is consulting a lawyer and figuring out punitive measures for students who violate this policy.

Things are looking up. But The Acorn is disappointed that it has taken this long to get to where we are right now. We encourage the administration to work determinedly with the community to develop and execute a human rights policy that stifles incidents of discrimination and reprimands those who choose to commit them. It's time.

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