Following an assault on Student Council presidential candidate Daisy Lundy early yesterday morning, the University wasted no time in espousing support for Lundy and condemning the attack.
Students, faculty and community members congregated in the Newcomb hall ballroom yesterday afternoon to discuss the assault and the state of race relations at the University.
"We are here to chart a path to lead us out of this cold winter evening and into a bright day," said Karen Holt, director for the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and host of the event.
Hundreds of participants packed the meeting space, overflowing out the doors, as administrators, student leaders and local religious figures spoke. Lundy was in attendance, though she declined comment and left before the end of the event.
After one hour of oration, students were encouraged to break up into small groups for discussion. Council and the Coalition also announced a discussion forum to generate ideas for reform of student governance for later that night, although the event was postponed.
Speakers strongly urged students to involve themselves in discourse on the matter and encouraged the community to take decisive action.
President John T. Casteen, III was unable to attend the meeting because he was en route from New York. Casteen did, however, issue a statement decrying the assault.
"This intolerable act insults and offends this community's core values, including racial tolerance, civility and mutual respect," Casteen said. "I ask all members of the University to raise their voices against acts of intolerance and violence -- whether they are committed by one member of the community or by many."
Casteen also announced the University is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Lundy's assailant.
Several speakers at yesterday's gathering addressed the issue of racist attitudes at the University, grouping the Lundy attack with recent events including students dressing in blackface at a fraternity Halloween event last October.
"This [attack] shows the waning of commitment at the University on issues that affect African-American students in the community," African American Affairs Dean M. Rick Turner said. "Something has to happen to the culture."
Turner expressed extreme frustration with the state of racial relations, noting that, despite the fact that the University boasts the highest African-American graduation rate in the country among public colleges and universities, such incidents of racial conflict destroy the school's good name.
Council President Micah Schwartz apologized to students for what he said was a failure on the part of all student leaders, including himself, to help improve the racial environment at the University, and for the events leading up to Lundy's assault.
"I hope the community can grow stronger from this," Schwartz said. "We are all working for the same goals. I hope we can unite around a hope for a more fair and balanced community."
Administrators also responded yesterday to concerns regarding student security. University Spokesperson Carol Wood noted security already was at an upgraded level due to heightened fears of terror, resulting in the quick response after Lundy's attack.
"Even so, we need to be careful," Wood said. "Students need to take care of each other."
--Associate Editors Whitney Garrison and Riley McDonald contributed to this report.
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