The Boston University School of Law graduate student response to Chancellor John Silber’s early-September closure of the BU Academy Gay-Straight Alliance has been the most impressive yet. In fact, it is pretty much the only real student effort yet to try and right Silber’s wrongs.
The effort is impressive. After writing a letter strongly criticizing Silber’s words and actions, a group of five students collected more than 500 signatures supporting it from the LAW community in little more than one week, including students and several administrative staff members. While not actually calling for the club’s reinstatement, the letter strongly condemns Silber’s actions as an “intolerable display of bigotry” and insinuates that students would withhold future donations to BU in response.
The signatures, which represent a large percentage of the Law School’s total student body, are the unified response to Silber’s objectionable actions that should have happened long ago. Besides composing letters to The Daily Free Press Editorial Page, BU students have been embarrassingly quiet in response to Silber’s comments and, before the LAW effort, had yet to take group action in dissent.
Relative silence from Spectrum, BU’s undergraduate gay/lesbian/bisexual/ transgendered student group, has been especially disappointing. Because Silber’s words and actions so obviously affect the constituency they represent, they should have been the first to coordinate students in opposition and offer their assistance to BU Academy GSA students.
Students should have an interest not only in sticking up for a frequently victimized population, but also in protecting BU’s reputation by responding loudly to Silber’s outrageous comments. Unfortunately, he really does represent the University to the outside world.
General student objection to Silber’s comments is obvious. Now, the student body simply needs a small number of people to come out of the woodwork and start an effort to show Silber that his words and actions will not be tolerated. As the LAW letter shows, it only takes a few dedicated students to show solidarity with BU’s gay community and make a loud statement of contempt for Silber’s sentiments.
The letter’s suggestion that LAW students will withhold alumni donations is also an effective response to Silber’s decisions. BU will feel student and community opposition best in the place where it hurts most — the wallet. Students who strongly object to Silber’s comments should also make clear to the University the fiscal consequences of Silber’s actions and encourage their parents to withhold their own donations.
In the end, only unified response from the BU student body will make an impression on Chancellor John Silber. As he made clear during last year’s Guest Policy debate, Silber will only seriously consider changing his stances on major student concerns if a large number of students show they care.
The LAW student letter is a start. Now, it is time for the rest of the BU student body to show their outrage with Silber’s behavior and show solidarity with the university’s gay community.