Last week, The Equinox released an article that covered the news that Dottie Morris, former vice president of community and belonging, would no longer be returning to Keene State. This week, we reflected on how exactly this has made us feel.
We believe that her dismissal is detrimental to our campus at best, and that the loss of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Keene State sets the table for a larger discussion about the state of our school and the system that is in charge of it.
With the loss of Morris, as well as the earlier loss of Ian Kaplan, and Janina Zienkiewicz moving to work in admissions, we are now left with a cultural center unable to be accessed and a Community and Belonging-sized hole on our campus. Through the locked door, old decorations and pride flags can still be seen hanging within, and it paints a dark picture of a very harsh reality setting in. The Equinox feels that this is a symbolic shift in campus culture, and that it is foolish to attempt to stay quiet at this time.
The fact of the matter is that Morris was told she cannot continue working in community and belonging, and that if she were to continue working at KSC, she would no longer be able to do anything that had to do with her previous position. Knowing this, we respect Morris’ decision to leave KSC and continue working on what she believes in rather than giving in and taking a backseat with DEI.
We feel that within a liberal arts campus like Keene State, it should be obvious to have a place of community and support for LGBTQ+ students when they need it in any capacity, but this does not exist anymore. KSC Interim President Donald Birx stated that he has intentions of keeping KSC a safe space for all students and that he will try to harbor the community and keep folks comfortable, but we have felt that this is not truly the case. It is uncomfortable to hear students talking down on one another or on others and using statements that should have no place on campus, and with the Cultural Center gone, there is no designated space for students who may feel targeted to go and speak about it. There is no place for those who need help getting accommodations for their classes and living situations if it is due to their identity. There is no feeling of hope left for those who may feel like a victim, and they are now left to figure it out on their own.
The loss of Dottie Morris is a direct result of the Government of New Hampshire telling us that they do not care. They are showing us actively each day that they want to cut our budgets into non-existence, and are telling us that losses like Morris and the DEI program are necessary sacrifices we need to make in order to keep the college going. The Equinox feels that this is no longer just another faculty member gone, but that it is a clear demonstration of the Governor Ayotte and the N.H. Legislature telling us that they do not want higher education to continue being funded. We are all feeling this loss, but it comes in waves of anger, disgust, fear and uncertainty for the next chapter of Keene State.
Now more than ever, this is a call to action. We believe that people cannot continue to sit idly by while more important faculty members lose their jobs and more programs get shut down due to budget cuts. Incoming first-years are at risk of not knowing who to speak to for help when they arrive at Keene State, and if the system truly cared about student retention, they would not continuously take from their students and sweep it under the rug. A lot of good came from Morris and community and belonging, and no one knows what we will now face in their absence.
