On June 12, 2016, a hate crime was committed at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were slaughtered and 53 others were wounded.
In light of the terror attack, Oswego State President Deborah Stanley sent a campus-wide email and sat with a leadership team to think of ways to reflect on Orlando Pulse and how to help any effected.
Oswego State held an event on Sept. 8 called “OzSpeaks,” where students, faculty and staff could express how they reacted to hearing about the Orlando tragedy.
“This summer sucked, so much has happened,” said Ryan Benson Smith, a sophomore and president of Oswego Pride. “We knew students would be feeling down coming back. Even though the college could not be there for students at the time, we wanted to create a place to be there for students now.”
Jerri Howland, Dan Roberts, Kate Wolfe-Lyga and Earnest Washington, along with Smith, helped organize the event.
“It is difficult to comprehend the hate and terrorism that produced this terrible tragedy,” Stanley said. “But we cannot let sadness overwhelm our courage and compassion.”
The event lasted an hour-and-a-half and 20 students and staff members spoke about the tragedy.
Wolf-Lyga spoke first, stating rules and guidelines. Afterwards Smith took the microphone and discussed the history of the LGBTQA+.
“We can’t change the past, but we can change the future,” Smith said.
“I was extremely proud of all who participated and spoke their truth,” said Howland, the associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. “It showed that as a community we have the tools to work together to validate each member of our community and their experiences.”
In addition to students, faculty and staff members spoke in front of the crowd of about 50 people.
“I chose to speak because I wanted to share a bit about how positive my experience working at SUNY Oswego has been,” said Kristi Eck, Stanley’s chief of staff. “I have never worked in a more inclusive and rewarding environment. I was very touched that President Stanley reached out to me after the Orlando Pulse incident to ask how I was personally doing because she knows I am a part of the LGBTQA+ community.”
Emotions were felt by speakers and listeners whether they were affected directly or indirectly.
“Orlando affected me because I have several people in my life who identify as gay or lesbian,” said Xochitl Santamaria, a senior. “I know how hard it has been for them to feel accepted and loved. It made me really upset because I know that after seeing what happened in Orlando they would feel a mix of emotions and confusion.”
In between each speaker there were breaks of silence where everyone had the opportunity to reflect.
“OzSpeaks” concluded with three words: courage, love and bravery.
