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THEVISTA
November 18, 1997
`Hate' graffiti prompts action by dorm residents By Ryan Dannar Staff Writer
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"I do think it's, to some degree, natural Malladi said. for people to be drawn to others like RADS will promote understanding them," said Naylor, "but you don't see between people of different races, people saying, 'These people are cultures, and sexualities by bringing guest different, I'm going to sit with them speakers to campus and holding special today.' It's not racism events, Malladi exactly, but it is a form of said. prejudice." "I'd like to get Naylor said he feels Racism is acting upon some UCO prejudice is' based on your prejudices professors to speak ignorance, while racism is because they've based on hate. been so many "Racism is acting upon —Andrew Naylor places and would your prejudices," he said. East Hall Area have a lot to share," The goal of RADS is to she said. Coordinator use education to dispel the RADS also plans ignorance that founds to hold a "Week of prejudice, said RADS the People" Chairperson Deepa Malladi, a junior sometime in April, said Malladi. speech and language pathology major This will be a week-long educational who was born in India but grew up in the festival focusing on people of diverse United States. backgrounds and featuring food, "You can't change everybody's mind, speakers, and entertainment, Malladi said. but you can try and make them "Our major concentration will be on understand. All they have to do is listen," the spring semester since our organization
rompted by swastikas, racist graffiti, and anti-homosexual graffiti scratched into bathroom stalls in UCO dormitories, several UCO students have formed a committee to address racism and prejudice on campus. That committee is "Residents Against Discrimination and Prejudice," or RADS. It is a subcommittee of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), and operates from RHA funds. Its first formal meeting was Oct. 22. RADS was conceived by Tewfic Kidess, president of RHA. Kidess, a junior computing science major from Amman, Jordan, said he sees hostile graffiti as evidence that racism and prejudice are quietly harbored by many UCO students. "We started RADS because we had noticed there was a lot of prejudice among students in the (residence) halls," Kidess said. "We didn't experience any major problems, like fights, but (graffiti showed that a) problem was there." C.A.S.A., Inc. Students living in West and Murdaugh Halls said they'd seen Convenience Stores no graffiti in West or Murdaugh, but East Hall Area Coordinator Andrew Naylor said East Hall bathrooms have a recurring graffiti problem. "It's very blunt. They don't hold back," said Naylor, an Edmond native who serves as an adviser and resource person for Prestigious Apartment Living RADS. just minutes from UCO Naylor showed a third-floor bathroom stall which was littered with people's names and STUDENT DISCOUNT* drawings of genitalia. Among the graffiti were the words, "die . $20.00 OFF MONTHLY RENT!!! fags." In a bathroom stall on the second floor, Naylor pointed to a Exercise Ro rsm S auna Hous With swastika drawn on the wall in blue ink. *Lighte dsTennisk e Cinogurts "We try to take care of this vered Par stuff as we find it," Naylor said. Pond "Most of the time we paint over it `In sign arms Avaitab with mark remover. But some of the stuff isn't so easy to cover up." CALL FOR SPECIALS! Beyond graffiti, prejudice is evident on campus in the way that some students don't associate with people of racial or cultural 14300 North Pennsylvania Ave. backgrounds different from their own, Kidess and Naylor both -Located one block north of Memorial Roadagreed.
got started so late this fall," she said. Kidess said he hopes RADS will help people understand those who are different from them. "I'd like to see people being more considerate of those with different backgrounds — so those people won't be strange beings to them, but real people. "And I would really like to see the graffiti in the bathrooms cease," Kidess said. RADS meets in the Dogwood Room in Central Cafeteria, immediately following every RHA meeting. The committee invites all openminded UCO students to attend their meetings. "The only expectation we have for people who want to join this committee is to be open minded not only about racial issues, but also sexuality and cultural differences," said Kidess. For more information about RADS, call Deepa Malladi at 341-2980, Ext. 4755.
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