Rally seeks to increase awareness of bias incidents

The campus center patio played host yesterday afternoon to this year's Bias Awareness Week "Speak Out, Stop Hate" rally and open-mic session.

Last year's rally was held in direct response to seven bias incidents that had occurred before March of Spring semester. This year's rally was not meant as a response to any particular event but was intended as a proactive stance against bias incidents.

The Bias Intervention Program's Peer Educator Group (PEG) sponsored and organized the rally. PEG member and freshman Liz Manno, said that the event was intended to allow people to speak out against hate and to teach everyone what they can do to prevent on-campus bias.

The central theme for the speakers was the definition of "bias", of which there were varying responses. Tufts Community Union (TCU) Vice President Joe Mead defined bias as "when you judge someone before you know them based on anything different from you."

Mead then proceeded to challenge those in attendance to expand upon their definitions of diversity.

TCU President Chike Aguh identified bias as "telling someone else they don't have the same right to be here that you do." Lisa Coleman, director of the African American Center, looked in the dictionary before stating that bias was, among other things, "an inclination to one side."

No matter which way the word bias was defined, all speakers agreed that it should not be welcomed into the Tufts community. History professor Jean Penvenne spoke of fear, Coleman mentioned that "bias is about violence" and History professor Steven Marrone spoke about how "we live in a society which, in great part, was established by hate."

Dean of Students Bruce Reitman mentioned the dangers of silence and how awareness of the issue can help to change the community ethics and values. Aguh agreed that "a proactive approach starts with responsibility." He urged bias victims to notify a Residential Assistant (RA) so as to stop bias from continuing.

Junior Alex Weissman was one of the student speakers who took advantage of the open-mic section of the rally. He spoke of the importance of awareness and tolerance. "[The fight against bias] does not end at the end of the rally, and it does not end with [the end of] the week."

At its busiest, the rally attracted about 45 attendees but turnout was not as good as the event's organizers had hoped. "It's disappointing not to have a larger turnout to an event like this," Reitman said.

Those who did come, however, enjoyed the rally. "I liked the diversity of the speakers," freshman Garen Nigon said. Nigon also said that the rally did not change his views, but was, instead, an affirmation of his views.

Freshman Charlie Bonello, another organizer of the event, did not expect the rally to directly change anyone's mindset. "You can't expect concrete evidence of an effect," he said. "It's more of a gradual and general shift in attitude and sentiment among individuals on campus."