This afternoon, just as the protest at the Hub started, I was walking back to Pitzer’s campus from Keck Science (Keck Science steps) when I heard an individual say, “well she was right…they really don’t fit the mold”. This comment was in response to an email that the Dean of CMC, Dean Spellman, sent as a reply to a student’s message. Dean Spellman stated in her email, "…we are working on how we can better serve students, especially those who don’t fit our CMC mold”.
The fact that anyone, especially a Dean of students would say this about a group of students is horrifying. Dean Spellman was obviously implying that students of color do not fit CMC’s white student mold. What’s just as horrifying is hearing a student validate the Dean’s words and agreeing with her racist statement. As if students of color didn’t already feel a sense of insecurity, danger, and other-ness. They didn’t need to hear something like this from ANYONE, let alone their Dean of Students.
The fact that anyone, especially a Dean of students would say this about a group of students is horrifying. Dean Spellman was obviously implying that students of color do not fit CMC’s white student mold. What’s just as horrifying is hearing a student validate the Dean’s words and agreeing with her racist statement. As if students of color didn’t already feel a sense of insecurity, danger, and other-ness. They didn’t need to hear something like this from ANYONE, let alone their Dean of Students.