Readers at Speakers Circle reveal the truth
Readers spoke about student experiences with discrimination on campus.
Published May 8, 2009
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Local resident Angie Galik and professor Sam Bullington talk to supporter Margaret Wessner while speaking out against marginalization Wednesday in Speaker's Circle. The demonstration allowed students to submit anonymous tales of when they felt personally oppressed, which were later read aloud by Galik and Bullington.
People gathered for most of the day Wednesday for a day of truth-telling.
The event featured speakers reading out instances of discrimination or marginalization sent to them from students through a megaphone.
At 11 a.m. people began to read the testimonials, listing off different instances that people who wrote in were made uncomfortable on campus.
"The discrimination is ever present," participator Kelly Betz said.
After reading testimonials for an hour, they would march around campus the next hour and then come back to Speakers Circle for more testimonials. The event lasted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with three sessions of testimonials and two marches.
Betz said he felt the energy of the march was low until they started marching through Mark Twain residence hall and were told to leave by an employee.
"It kind of energized us," Betz said.
Betz said he hoped the displays in Speakers Circle would bring attention to an entire culture that accepts racist or homophobic terms. He hoped it called attention to situations, such as roommates moving out when they discover their roommate is homosexual or black, he said.
One testimonial explained the story of a black girl who moved in with a white roommate at semester, who started moving the valuables out of the room and moved out within a couple weeks. The reason was obvious to the girl, and hurtful.
Some of the testimonials spoke out about feeling out of place at the Student Recreational Complex, or avoiding it all together. Some women in the testimonials feel objectified while others simply feel judged.
"The atmosphere of the Rec Center may not be thought of as a sexual space, but in all actuality it is," one testimonial stated. "There are mirrors in every section of the Rec Center, which makes it easy for anyone to watch while you work out."
Betz said he found the testimonial pointing out the complex can be a confusing place for people who are transgender.
"I find the atmosphere extremely intimidating, always focused on macho 'pumping iron,' and trying to change in the locker rooms or to go swimming in a gendered bathing suit is extremely uncomfortable to me," the testimonial stated.
Some women wrote in about simply feeling uncomfortable walking around campus at night.
"Though there are blue lights, there are so many places that are dark and unnoticed," the anonymous testimonials said. "Maybe taking more steps/precautions to educate women about personal safety/defense would be really helpful."
The testimonials also identified Greektown as an uncomfortable place to be for many groups who feel objectified or simply not accepted.
One anonymous fraternity member wrote in about his inability to come out to his brothers, citing their use of "gay" as a bad thing.
"Although I would like to bring another man to our fraternity functions, I know better so I only bring women as dates to these parties," he said.
Whether feeling uncomfortable about jokes made by peers in the residence halls or in classes, the students who wrote in shared experiences that affected them in some way.
Participator Margaret Wessner said the point of the speaking and the march was not to change other people's minds, but rather to bring awareness to situations where people are targeted, alienated or marginalized.