Canisius Conversations: Living & Learning

By: Mikayla Boyd, Editor-in-Chief and Rivy Mosegi, Opinion Editor 

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Campus Ministry hosted an installment in the Canisius Conversations series. Previous topics included “How Should Change Occur in the United States?,” “How Do We Move Forward Post-Election?” and “Otherness & Celebrity Influences.” This week’s topic was "Living & Learning in a Time of Increased Political Violence.”

The purpose of the Canisius Conversations series is “to create space for faculty, staff, and students, to come together and discuss important issues that affect our community, in a constructive respectful way” (via GriffConnect). This week’s topic regarding political violence comes on the heels of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a political activist, on Wednesday, Sept. 10 and a shooting at an ICE processing center in Dallas on Wednesday, Sept. 24. While The Griffin reports on this event to inform the community, we will not use names or many details for the sake of the delicate topic of conversation.

The conversation opened by inquiring about the feelings of the political climate in the country, on social media and even on campus. One student started off by stating that she felt anxious and that her safety was threatened because of the violence that is so easily incited. This indeed was the overall sentiment of the entire group – people feeling anxious and threatened because of their beliefs and also the beliefs of others. Another student addressed the Trump administration, expressing a feeling of being threatened by the current administration’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community. She was worried not only for her own safety but also for the safety of others in her community. Pivoting to the next idea, faculty members and students alike shared the value of the free exchange of ideas protected by freedom of speech. Attendees feared people losing jobs for voicing their opinions, with some expressing that the lack of consistency for freedom of speech creates a void that hurts people.

Another concern was the climate of debates in our society. Some remarked that debate culture has ruined real conversations between people of differing opinions, especially since the death of Charlie Kirk. Some remarkable quotes are, “People aren’t having genuine humanity in every direction,” and “There is sadness in the fact that people on the internet want to be mean to them because of who their father was.” Others chimed in about microaggressions and misinformed comments regarding identities such as race and gender on campus, wishing more professors would speak up against ill and uninformed comments.

By the end of the meeting, students and faculty were encouraged to speak about other pressing issues, on campus or outside of campus. A student brought up the “Fizz” app, a platform that anonymous students have been utilizing for racist and homophobic commentary, with a student remarking that someone on the platform brought false accusations about them on the app. Dr. Fields encouraged students with any similar issues to contact administrators in order for them to take these situations forward with law enforcement.

Spencer Liechty concluded the meeting on the last question: What are the alternatives to political violence, and what are some action steps to address the difficult challenges? Both students and faculty suggested the following areas to improve in: political and social outlets to share ideas, with some suggesting adding a class into the curriculum just for conversations about what is happening; cultural awareness, accompanied by the similar suggestion to add or expand the curriculum for conversations with and about marginalized populations, such as immigrants; and access to information, including improving access to these kinds of conversations. Although the next Canisius Conversations date has not been announced yet, you can find the event advertised in the daily Today@Canisius newsletter whenever they are coming up.