In the past few days, I have been paying close attention to The Daily Free Press. I am not a Boston University student. I actually am not presently a student anywhere. I completed my major work in Yiddish at The Ohio State University in the lovely midwest, though I am very much a big city, east coast type of person.
I almost attended Boston University. Both of my parents are generous gift-giving alumni, as is my dad’s brother, my mom’s sister, and half of the rest of both sides of my family. Of course they all dreamed i would attend as well. Of course, that was my main reason to choose NYU over BU. (I later left NYU and transferred to Ohio State.) I would have been a senior this year.
A friend emailed me a link to the article “Silber Defends Discrimination in UNI Speech.” Reading words that BU’s _Chancellor_ used, in addressing students and faculty no less, blow my mind. How can someone ignore the fact that an overwhelming number of teen suicides and suicide attempts result from homophobia in high schools and sexual harassment of students, gay _or_ straight? That alone blows my mind. How a GSA could be harmful to students is a concept I don’t understand.
I have spoken to a conservative friend of mine about this issue, and we happen to agree, amazingly. Our joint feelings on the matter: One can be Conservative without being Bigoted. It is 2002. Obviously I only have limited resources to discover the truth about Silber, but I do believe I’ve had enough. As I am not a student at Boston University, or even in the Boston area, i would encourage outraged BU students and those in Boston at other universities to Petition. Hold an organized protest. Write letters to Silber’s superiors, to the board of trustees, to Boston and Massachussetts government, and to Alumni. This is not a person who should be holding any power over students. And above all.. do NOT let someone who will not listen to reason no matter what hazards his actions pose to others, especially STUDENTS he has the power to help… do NOT let him continue on this path. I read an article entitled “John Silber Hates Me” that leads me to believe that these words from Silber are nothng new… that is horrendous. I urge BU students to take action. Until then… I will be keeping up with this through dailyfreepress.com and hoping my relatives and other gift-giving alumni take notice and demand change.
jennifer Sarah Rubenstein Fairfax, Virginia