Northwestern administrators and students reacted with shock Thursday to the discovery of the week’s second act in as many days of racial or religious vandalism in North Campus residence halls.
In addition to examining the racial slurs scrawled Tuesday on four black students’ doors in Ayers College of Commerce and Industry, University Police started an investigation Thursday into a swastika carved on a third-floor McCulloch Hall stairwell door.
University President Henry Bienen condemned both incidents in a universitywide e-mail Thursday afternoon.
“Actions such as these are not acceptable by any standards and will not be tolerated at Northwestern,” Bienen wrote. “Northwestern values and promotes a culturally and socially diverse living and learning environment that supports all members of our community.”
Police aren’t sure if the incidents are related but plan to interview students in both residence halls in the coming days, said Chuck Loebbaka, a university spokesman.
McCulloch residents expressed outrage after hearing about the swastika, which was discovered one day after the words “nigger,” “bitch” and “slut” were scrawled in black permanent marker on four doors on CCI’s second floor. Stefanie Sommers, McCulloch’s social chairwoman and a third-floor resident, said she was “incredibly appalled” at the sign of religious intolerance.
“It’s just unbelievable that this would happen here,” said Sommers, a Weinberg sophomore. “It does seem like a coincidence that two things this derogatory and discriminatory would happen so close to each other. Everyone should keep an eye out so we can catch the people who are doing this.”
While CCI’s racial epithets were written in marker and have since been removed, the swastika will remain in McCulloch until administrators can order a new wooden panel for the door, said William Banis, NU’s vice president for student affairs. Banis said the symbol will be covered until the new materials are available.
As students in McCulloch learned the news, cultural groups and student associations spent Thursday planning forums to discuss the incidents. Carretta Cooke, NU’s director of African-American Student Affairs, said her office will host a meeting next week with hopes of starting a universitywide dialogue on diversity.
“We can’t say we are going to totally eliminate these acts, but if we can talk about our issues, that’s a start,” Cooke said. “We want to say that these unacceptable acts won’t be tolerated, no matter which group on campus they are directed at.”
Jonathan Powell, president of Students for Israel, said NU’s Jewish community also will respond publicly to the incidents. The swastika, a sign of the Nazi Party, is universally recognized a symbol of anti-Semitism.
“There isn’t any way to condemn it strongly enough,” said Powell, a Weinberg sophomore. “This offends more than Jewish or African-American students. It affects the Northwestern community as a whole.”
The affected residence halls also will address the incidents. CCI will hold a forum Sunday night where residents can discuss the racially charged vandalism, said CCI president Nick Johnson. The residential college sent out an e-mail to all residents jointly signed by the executive board and the Office of University Residential Life about the racial slurs, he said.
Heather Foster, the interim coordinator of For Members Only, said both incidents will help highlight the racial and religious tension that is often cast aside on campus.
“Racism exists and happens every day — just these people decided to bring it to life,” said Foster, an Education senior. “When it comes to dealing with racism, we just need more education. I thought we had worked to bring about that awareness already, but I guess more needs to be done.”
