EC defends keeping campus open amid safety and hate incidents
President Troy VanAken speaks at open conversation event organized October 24 by Muslim Student Association (MSA) in response to recent hate and safety incidents. Pictured also MSA leaders (from left to right): Duresmeen Berki, Faraz Attar, Erum Atcha, and Rabia Amin. Photo by Lexi Holmes
In an exclusive interview with The Leader, Elmhurst College officials defended their decision not to cancel classes on Wednesday, October 23, despite two back-to-back hate incidents and a shooting threat.
For President Troy VanAken the past few days have been tough.
“I haven’t gotten any sleep, that’s for sure,” he said at the beginning of the interview, sniffling to remind everyone of his severe cold.
"I thought we had a great start to the fall semester where better than ever before we made sure this incoming class felt like they belonged here,” he said. "These incidents call that into question because with the institution’s reputation involved with the press, concerns that are here—you struggle administratively about what can you do to try to make sure that this isn't the defining moment.”
Still, VanAken and Marc Molina, executive director of campus security defended their decision to keep the campus open.
“One of the things we are tasked with is looking at things as they happened and being level headed as we can be, but making sure that we don’t respond because of our emotions, but rather respond as logically as possible,” said Molina.
“The statements that were made, were...unkind to say the least, but they were kind of independent incidents up to this point—they were certainly hatred filled and bias related, but did not rise to the level that we felt there was a threat necessarily,” he added.
“[It was] Somebody kind of espousing some of their own personal views and opinions and putting them out there for the world to see.”
But for many students, frustrations were high. Some faculty members reported cancelling class due to multiple students sharing their concerns of safety.
Constance Mixon, interim vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of faculty, encouraged professors to consider providing “reasonable accommodations” and support to students this week in an October 23 email to the faculty.
There are no current suspects or persons of interest in the active investigation, according to Molina.
“We have several bits of information that we're trying to siphon through to figure out what is pertinent to the investigation, what is not pertinent and what is applicable to this incident,” he explained.
Current steps on campus include increased police presence by the Elmhurst Police department and campus security. Student events, such as the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) drag show on October 25 are also expected to have security.
In an October 24 open letter to the campus, Edward Momkus, chair of the board of trustees, implored the community to share tips with law enforcement.
“Anyone with any information - even seemingly innocuous information - that might reveal who the perpetrator is needs to come forward immediately,” wrote Momkus.
VanAken has a message for the perpetrators, whom he previously called "bigots and cowards."
"If there's somebody in our midst, who has the type of hatred that was indicated in these messages or there's some other motive for why this is happening, they need to realize that this is the wrong place," he said.
"And in Niebuhr Hall—I mean Reinhold Niebuhr Hall, of all the places on campus, that's the wrong wrong place."
