Students who live in the residence hall said they were surprised by the incident, saying signs of racial tension haven’t been present in the past.
One resident, Andrew Seawood, a freshman from Stevensville, said the slurs were upsetting because the residents of Copeland typically get along with one another.
“It was a little surprising when they did say something was written,” he said. “Everybody gets along with everybody.”
Others were angry.
Mattie Johnson, a sophomore from Southfield, said she was “appalled” that such intolerance exists in 2014.
“We’re a multi-racial community, and we shouldn’t treat each other like that,” Johnson said. “We’re all Lakers, we should all get along.” …
In addition to the drawing of a person being hanged, the slurs also included hateful remarks written about Black History Month.
Donzelle Collins, a sophomore from Detroit, said the incident suggests the university still has ground to cover in building an inclusive campus.
He and others said black and minority students still make up a relatively small portion of the university’s overall student body. In fall 2012, 5 percent of GVSU students were black, according to federal data.
“It wasn’t a surprise, considering the area we’re in,” Collins said.
An emergency meeting was hosted Monday by the university’s chapter of the NAACP to discuss the incident. On Wednesday, students on campus said there was a strong turnout at the meeting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6soMLJhLUlU
An author at Huffington Post wrote that Hate Threats Written On College Dorm Room Whiteboard Prove Racism Persists.