Author: Christopher Sanchez
Occidental students and some faculty members convened to discuss the current “Campus Climate” on Thursday, March 8 in an attempt to quell recent tensions that some consider to be racially charged. A variety of topics were raised including Pauley Hall, Apollo Night and issues regarding diversity and race in general.
The dialogue was partially in response to the Black Student Alliance’s annual Apollo Night Saturday, Feb. 24, where tensions flared among audience members. The event, which allowed audience members to boo participants off-stage, started as a relatively benign showcase of student talent in the Tiger Cooler but gradually turned hostile as the event progressed, several students said.
Moderated by Tomás Boatwright (junior), the dialogue began with Janelle Porter (junior) who shared her thoughts on Apollo Night. Porter, who co-hosted the show along with Justin Morgan (sophomore), said at some point the event was racialized by some members of the audience. “It was a frustrating space to be in,” Porter said. “I noticed that there was a large group in the back and it was kind of loud. Some harmful things were yelled into the crowd about me personally.”
Devon Puglia (junior) asked if anyone in the room could describe a specific example of racism observed during the Apollo Night. Porter responded, sharing what she had viewed from on stage. “The room was segregated,” she said. “You could see it, feel it, and yet I could barely see anything from onstage.”
Jessica Simes (sophomore) added by stating the night had the potential to be a positive event but was quickly turned into something else by a few rowdy individuals in the audience. “I’ve never seen an event in the Cooler that was so publicly not about the event,” Simes said. “The Apollo is historically a friendly event. The people who were drunk need to be identified and held accountable.”
Steven Bent (sophomore), who juggled with torches and sang a song during the Apollo Night, shared his experiences with the group. During the previous year’s Apollo Night someone approached him after his performance and said he was “too white” for the Apollo, Bent said. This year he decided to make fun of the fact that he was white in comparison with music legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown, who performed at the Apollo Theater in New York.
“I feel like some of this was my fault but not because I wanted it to happen,” Bent said. “I apologize. My lyrics weren’t supposed to incite anything, but somehow people in the back took it as something to charge around.”
Several students expressed discontent over the administration’s failure to address the ongoing issues of diversity and segregation on campus. One student pointed out what they called the “white wall” located near Samuelson Pavilion, where supposedly a majority of White students congregate during lunch, and the “Black tables” located outside of the bookstore, where a majority of Black students sit. Paloma Salazar (senior) blamed the administration for failing to address many of these issues.
“The administration needs to take steps to create programs, classes and [residence] halls that address these issues,” Salazar said. “I’m frustrated that Susan Prager isn’t here. I’d really appreciate the administration taking action.”
Other students felt the administration has attempted to address these issues to the extent of its capability. Joi Bartholomew (senior) expressed her gratitude towards specific staff members who were present at the dialogue on Thursday. “When we say the administration, Kecia Baker and Dean Avery have been at every event that I can think of,” Bartholomew said. “And I feel pretty supported. I think you’ve gone above and beyond what an administration should do.”
After almost an hour of discussion, a few students complained that a solution had not yet been reached and that the dialogue should be geared towards resolving the situation rather than dwelling on events that took place in the past. Porter disagreed. “I feel like my entire existence was invalidated by an entire hour,” Porter said. “People are saying we need a solution. I’ve been talking about this my entire life. People calling it a social phenomenon invalidates the situation and my existence.”
Dean of Students Barbara Avery concluded the dialogue by addressing several issues that were raised. Avery said she agreed with Kenjus Watson (senior), who said that the issues being dealt with on campus are being dealt with worldwide.
“The issue is so much bigger,” Avery said. “At Oxy we can do something about hate speech if we know names. That’s the only way people can be held accountable on an individual level. We need to know if people are calling each other names.”
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