Multiple students attended the first town hall meeting of the semester on Feb. 8 to discuss issues they felt were important and should be brought to President Deborah Stanley’s attention.
Stanley urged students to speak up about what was on their minds at the meeting, where various faculty members were there to answer students’ questions that Stanley did not know the answers to.
The first topic discussed was President Donald Trump’s recent executive order. Brian Krosky, a junior, started the discussion by asking how many students were affected by Trump’s ban. Stanley responded by stating “very few students” were directly affected, but encouraged anyone to reach out.
Stanley also said that she signed a letter along with other higher education leaders about the ban.
“Leaders of higher education spoke out because we wanted to make sure that our voices were being heard,” Stanley said.
She said that there should have been more of an explanation from Trump as to why the ban occurred.
Nathan Hornbostel, a senior, attended the town hall meeting to bring attention to the petition circulating the internet to make all SUNY locations a sanctuary campus.
“I’ve come to present this petition to you and to ask you formally, on behalf of the Oswego community, to adopt all platforms stated there,” Hornbostel said. “I realize some of these may be more difficult and require funding, but there could be some negotiations.”
Stanley responded by saying that she would be happy to accept the petition but needs to look into it more. She said the situation is changing daily but they are watching and waiting for the results.
“I am bound to uphold the laws of the land,” Stanley said.
Stanley encouraged students to express themselves within the system that exists and she also encouraged peaceful demonstrations to convey thoughts.
“We are often pushed in directions to express ourselves violently, to express ourselves with crude, inappropriate, harmful and hurtful language in order to abridge anyone that doesn’t have a similar idea to us,” Stanley said. “It diminishes our worth. So when our voice stays powerful and positive, our voice can be heard.”
Omar van Reenan, an international student, also attended the meeting to bring Stanley’s attention to the SUNY letter. Van Reenan said that 356 Oswego State students signed the letter to make SUNY campuses sanctuary campuses.
Howard Gordon, executive assistant to the president, is currently looking into the term “sanctuary campus.” Gordon said that there is no legal definition of a sanctuary campus and it does not protect anyone.
“The term sanctuary sounds good, but doesn’t carry much weight,” Gordon said.
Stanley said she is happy that multiple students in the room cared about Oswego State becoming a sanctuary campus.
Daniella Rosario, a senior, asked Stanley how to go about reporting events based on discrimination if students were afraid to go to campus police or members of the administration.
Stanley encouraged Rosario to share with other students that they should have no fear coming to her about the events.
Other topics discussed during the meeting were residence halls, sidewalks and streets on campus and Scales Hall’s closing.
Stanley encouraged students to think about the first amendment because in the next few weeks she will be asking students how they want to respond to events that occur in the nation.
“I think if we’re responsible we will have a plan, we will think it through and that’s what I am hoping we will do as a collective for this campus,” Stanley said. “Think through a plan that is respectful of our first amendment rights, respectful of all our values as well.”
