To display the ways students identify themselves, STOP Bias is asking students to fill out anonymous postcards answering the question, “Who are you?”

STOP Bias is an initiative through the Division of Student Affairs that aims to rid the campus of discrimination and harassment and promote tolerance. The group will collect postcards throughout this semester and display them in the Panasci Lounge in April 2014, said Radell Roberts, program assistant for the Division of Student Affairs.

The group set up tables for students to submit postcards in Goldstein Student Center on Sunday and will be available at Schine Student Center from Tuesday-Thursday, said Roberts. Students can also drop off postcards at the Division of Student Affairs office by the end of the semester, she added.

Projects such as “Who Are You?” help remind people that everyone has a role to play in advocating for social justice, said Diane Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center in the Division Student of Affairs.

“In light of the recent vandalism of the ‘Trans* Lives Matter’ signs, it’s important for people to recognize the systemic implications of their actions. A harm to one is a harm to all,” she said.

The signs were part of an educational effort by the LGBT Resource Center to raise awareness of the trans* community at Syracuse University. The campaign aimed to build up to national Transgender Day of Remembrance. On Friday, the signs were damaged, which resulted in a campus-wide email from the administration and LGBT Resource Center about the importance of inclusivity on campus.

The postcards submitted last year revealed the multiple facets of students’ identities on campus, and exhibited that students were much more than their race, gender and religion, said Kerry Heckman, program coordinator for the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services.

“It lets you see how complex our community can be,” she said.

Roberts, the program assistant for the Division of Student Affairs, said postcards have ranged from descriptions of students’ families, interests and studies to more serious topics, such as how they have been marginalized.

“Often people are defined by society and it’s nice to give people the opportunity to do that for themselves and reflect,” Roberts said.

Last year, the reception for the same project screened a video with students narrating 60 of the roughly 160 postcards collected, Roberts said. She added that STOP Bias is seeking to improve this year’s video by collaborating with students in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Roberts said she hopes that they will receive more postcards from students this year, but that the campaign is not about numbers and that just giving people the opportunity is “a nice experience.” This year, Roberts said, STOP Bias is trying to get residence life more involved with the project.

Heckman, the program coordinator for the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services, said the “Who Are You?” Postcard Project was inspired by the popular PostSecret community art project by Frank Warren.

“Frank offered people the opportunity to mail postcards with any secret they have and then he would share them anonymously on the Internet,” she said. The website has become massively popular, Heckman said, adding that PostSecret has become a “source of learning, community and safety.”

Wiener, director of the Disability Cultural Center, said last year’s “Who Are You?” reception helped students realize that not everyone feels safe on campus and encouraged them to advocate for students who feel marginalized.

Said Weiner: “Students told me after the reception that they felt supported and encouraged about what they can do to make the campus better and safer, so everyone feels included.”

Published on November 20, 2013 at 12:05 am

Contact Anna: almerod@syr.edu