Brown and White Vol. 125 no. 17

              Vol. 125 No. 17
Friday, November 8, 2013
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
OPINION
Responses from the Lehigh community
Pages 10, 11
ONLINE POLL
Why did you attend Wednesday’s Rally for Unity?
Check our site for updates and photos
thebrownandwhite.com
ONLINE
LEHIGH TAKES ACTION
B&W photos by CHRIS BARRY
COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Scott Grant, ‘16, addresses members of the Lehigh community who gathered on the front lawn for a rally Wednesday night. Students march up the hill to demonstrate their support of the UMOJA house. Outside the house, the rally continued with a show of support for the residents of the vandalized building.
Students participate in rally that calls for action
UMOJA vandalized with eggs, graffiti
By CHRISTINA CAVANAUGH
At approximately 2 a.m. Wednesday, the UMOJA house—Lehigh University’s most well-known multicul­tural dwelling on campus—was attacked with eggs and graffiti.
There is no known motiva­tion behind the actions at this time.
Though fraternities and so­rorities on “the hill” at Lehigh have been known to throw eggs at the homes of one an­other as pranks, the graffiti that was left behind appears to indicate this was a deliber­ate targeting of the UMOJA house.
The graffiti—racial slurs and abbreviations of slurs—was spray painted in red at multiple locations proximate to and on the building.
UMOJA, the Swahili word for “unity,” represents a building on campus where various underrepresented stu­dents have traditionally cho­sen to live during their time at Lehigh.
According to Lehigh’s website, “[UMOJA] was origi­nally established to enhance the campus atmosphere for underrepresented students of color at Lehigh Univer­sity. The house offers a safe, comfortable and pleasurable residential environment for ANY student who values multiculturalism.”
See UMOJA Page 3
By BECCA BEDNARZ
More than a thousand members of the Lehigh and Bethlehem communities packed the University Center front lawn for a rally Wednes­day night in response to the vandalism of the multicultural UMOJA House early that morning.
The rally was led by eight “core members” of the group From Beneath the Rug, or FBR, which formed earlier this semester. Since its forma­tion, FBR has been working to “represent and fight for marginalized groups on cam­pus and people who feel like their voices aren’t and should be heard,” according to core member Kelly Petty, ‘14.
Signs bearing messages such as “All oppression is connected,” “Injustice any­where is a threat to justice everywhere,” “What will you do to end the silence?” and “#oneLehigh?” bobbed above the heads of the crowd.
Many students wore Le­high apparel to promote a united front.
“Let’s just get one thing clear,” said Rawle Sterling, ’14, one of FBR’s core mem­bers. “This rally is not a cel­ebration of any sort. This is not a pep rally. We are here in support of the victims who had to witness that atrocious event that took place last night.”
Sterling spoke in reference to the eggs that had been thrown at, and derogatory terms spray-painted on and around, the UMOJA house early Wednesday morning.
“These are acts that Lehigh cannot stand for anymore, and should not stand for any­more,” Sterling said. “To cel­ebrate Lehigh is to celebrate this perpetuated act of sexism, racism, all types of things that we see in society every day, all things that Lehigh claims they’re changing when they’re promoting global leader­ship. It is time that we take a stand.”
“The UMOJA House is a house of diversity,” he said.
See RALLY Page 3