|
news
Town Hall Meeting
urges campus unity
By Tom Carey
On-line Forty-Niner
Students, professors
and counselors united at the Town Hall Meeting of Solidarity
Wednesday, filling the University Student Union small auditorium
to capacity. The meeting allowed over 100 attendees to express
their feelings and frustrations of Tuesday's terrorist attacks.
The New York and
Washington, D.C. acts of violence hit close to home for many
students at Cal State Long Beach, many of whom had family
or friends working near or at the World Trade Center.
Wayne Stickney-Smith,
president of Associated Students Inc., was present to pass
the microphone around to those who needed to express their
opinions. He urged students not to respond to individual statements,
but rather listen and respect what the speaker had to say.
Stickney-Smith was proud of the way that the meeting was organized
in such a short amount of time.
"I think it
was very good for the turnaround of only one day," Stickney-Smith
said. "People there were very mature. I'm proud of our
campus and our students."
Feelings were mixed
on how the country and media are dealing with this disaster.
The need for tolerance was on nearly everyone's mind. Students
asked each other not to be so quick to point fingers, but
rather take time to feel for the families and friends of those
who lost a loved one Tuesday.
"This is a
world tragedy, affecting everyone," said Behzad Raghian
a senior from UCLA. "There is going to be a backlash
in the U.S. and we need need to embrace everyone and protect
one another."
Some students did
not share Raghian's view.
"This was
an act of war, it's going to happen again and there must be
retaliation," said junior Cristobar Morales, a biology
and chicano studies major. "There must be retribution."
Some people are
having difficulty looking past the need for immediate revenge.
Susan Rice, a professor of social work, shared her views on
the tragedy.
"My beliefs
have really been shaken in the past two days," Rice said.
"Can non-violence work when there's so much evidence
that people turn to violence when they're in pain?"
Rice urged people
to overcome the part of them that cries out for revenge.
The A.S.I is holding
a candlelight vigil for "the tragedy of 9/11/01"
today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the southwest terrace of the University
Student Union. The event will serve as a remembrance for the
lives lost. Members of the campus and surrounding community
are invited to light candles and listen to speakers yet to
be determined.
Students were reminded
not to just listen and understand each other in these times
of crisis but to carry that momentum into the future.
"Make these
doors that are open, not just in crisis, to stay open,"
said James Manseau-Sauceda, director of the Multi Cultural
Center.
Counselors are
available this week in USU-225. Students are urged to walk
in anytime to discuss this week's events.
|
