Several flags and banners were torn off of the Reese Hall balcony over the weekend. These flags were put up to represent multiple identities on campus.
One of the banners was found, but not all of the flags. “A Public Safety Officer recovered one of the banners after interacting with two students and two non-students,” wrote Angela Nally, director of Public Safety, in a campus-wide email.
Many students were upset by the events at Reese Hall. “At first I was really angry, but then I got really sad,” said junior Laurel Tilton. “Especially after the bias incidents against an LGBTQ student and several students of color over Halloween weekend, I just kept thinking about the message this is sending to minorities on campus.”
Some students said this made them feel less accepted on campus. “Even with the response DePauw gave as an institution, it's still this feeling that we don't belong here. Or at least we're not entirely welcome by some students,” Tilton said. “I came to DePauw because it was a liberal arts school and I thought it would be different than the area I grew up around but the past couple of weeks have proven otherwise.”
Students who identify with these flags said they feel even more marginalized on DePauw’s campus than they already were. “I was really shocked and disappointed,” said junior Holly Whistler, the president of United DePauw. “I really thought DePauw was making progress with the new rainbow floor and the rainbow house, but hearing about these incidents makes me feel like we're not truly accepted on campus.”
BIRT was notified about the incident that happened. “The flags were placed there by the Intercultural Life Office and represented several identities,” Nally wrote in her email.
Some students feel personally attacked. “It took me years to come out and I know I'll have support from my friends, but I'm worried for those on campus who see these incidents and feel they can't come out or feel accepted at DePauw,” Whistler said. “They're not just flags, they're symbols of identities and experiences and seeing them torn down is a reminder of the fight we go through just to be who we are.”