I have always hated the popular phrase “ignorance is bliss.” Fall quarter has almost been in session for four weeks and already the administration has committed acts that deprive students of truth and knowledge on campus.
The removal of the symbolic red handprints at places where sexual assaults have occurred was an act that spread ignorance. New students now lack the education as to where those sexual assaults happened. People should never be afraid to know the truth.
“That is the challenge for me as the role of an educator,” said Preston Allen, director of Housing and Residential Life. “We need to have the complete picture.”
The printing of misinformation regarding sexual assaults in the greek community spread ignorance in more ways than one. The Web sites used outdated statistical information that was irrelevant to this campus. The pamphlet accused greek members without using current, factual information as a basis.
“It raises questions,” Allen said. “We need more information and come full circle with the message.”
Jennifer Lynn, an architecture engineering professor, not only committed censorship by removing the CPSalsa Club’s flyers, but she also promoted ignorance to potential viewers by removing club information placed on the flier.
This may seem a little far-fetched for some, but in reality, ignorance is often committed unintentionally. I doubt administration was out to stop new students from realizing where sexual assaults occurred on campus. In addition, I don’t think they were on a mission to scare new students away from being associated with the greek system.
However, their actions were still inappropriate and disruptive to the knowledge of the student community. To prevent such events in the future, students and the administration will have to work together in demanding, seeking and providing information for all.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Jennifer Gongaware is a journalism senior and a Mustang Daily staff writer.