Editor’s Note: The Daily News publishes Letters to the Editor with minimal copy edits and provides a headline only if the author does not provide one. We reserve the right to withhold submitted letters depending on the content. Letters should be approximately 500 words and sent to editor@bsudailynews.com.
Mr. President,
As a former student and educator at Ball State, I’m deeply saddened and embarrassed by your letter.
The title stated it was about your enduring commitment to diversity and inclusion but your message was far from it.
When I was at Ball State I studied communications, I was also a graduate teaching assistant for the public speaking course.
I was taught to research, have a voice and use my voice. I taught the 124 undergraduate students how to ethically and efficiently use theirs.
I hope that when your institution did so, you wanted us to actually speak up when things don’t seem right.
There’s a building on campus that is supposed to foster innovation and it’s named after a man who uses language that takes us back decades, if not centuries.
In this political climate my sincere hope is that Ball State as an institution takes a stand, a morally appropriate stand, to show the state and the nation what education really is, what it means and the type of impact it’s supposed to have.
What message are you really sending when that building is named after a man that isn’t leading by example?
I’m not Mr. Schnatter, I do not financially contribute as much as he does to your institution, but my sincere hope is that my voice still matters and it’ll be heard.
I’m glad you’re building a multi cultural center, I’m glad that there’s an increase in diversity enrollment.
After all back in 2009 I was lucky to join Ball State as an Asian female student. My thoughts are that if you really want to be inclusive, let’s look at the people that aren’t and stop idolizing them.
It’s 2018, and we should be leading by example, after all isn’t that what Ball State taught us to do?
- Bao Ta, alumna and educator
P. S. I noticed on the Ball State website my face is still the admission link for international admissions sections. I do not feel comfortable having my face advertise for an institution that holds Mr. Schnatter's name as a beacon of innovation. I would however, be proud if the institution that educated me, and countless others about what inclusion and diversity really means continues to do so by leading by example. Tell me Mr President, what (and who) are you really committed to?
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