This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kennesaw chapter.
Kennesaw State has had its share of controversies. With a president resigning and a new president swearing in the year 2018 and the cheerleader kneeling during the national anthem. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much social change on the administration’s behalf to help the campus climate.
KSUnited is an inclusive group on campus looking to support and positively change campus climate with nonviolent protest. The group had an hour meeting with President Whitten on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, discussing campus climate, establishing a monthly meeting and publicly announce the full support of a task force. However, as expressed in KSUnited’s press release President Whitten did not show interest or commit to addressing how the campus climate has significantly changed.
When the leader of KSUnited, Alexa Vaca, asked President Whitten to “publicly announce that this is something you are looking into and support” the President replied with “I’m not sure the faculty senate would appreciate this.”
The group has gone to great lengths to spread the word. With speakers on campus, to writing on the concrete, to speaking to local newspapers, to passing out flyers, etc. Amazingly, many students on campus feel the exact same way and continue to make their voices heard.
KSUnited asked several questions about recreating a task force, but President Whitten claimed not to know enough information even though it has been promised twice by the past two Kennesaw State administrations. KSUnited also displayed an image of Islamophobia to share with President Whitten, but she refused to look at the picture. KSUnited has expressed a solution for some of the problems on campus, but when explaining the tips to President Whitten, she did not support them.
KSUnited and President Whitten have a follow-up meeting on April 26, 2019. We will continue to report as the story continues to unfold.
Her Campus at Kennesaw supports KSUnited’s demands in the hope that the administration will see there is a problem on campus and will take a stand to make campus climate better.