On Oct. 6, the Senate confirmed that Brett Kavanaugh, a politician accused of sexual assault, would be appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.

St. Lawrence University alum, Susan Collins ’75, cast her vote in favor of Kavanaugh, to which St. Lawrence University students and alumni responded immediately, infuriated that a survivor of assault had shared her traumatic truth with the world only to be disbelieved by the justice system.

Soon, a petition to revoke Susan Collins’ honorary degree began circulating the internet, gaining hundreds of signatures. President Fox refused to revoke her award. However, the outrage surrounding the subject did not die down, and President Fox wrote an email to remind everyone of the school’s nonpartisan stance. Those are the facts that most students on campus know. Here is what I know from meeting with President Fox.

President Fox cleared up for me why Susan Collins received her honorary degree. The petition said, “she was being recognized as a Senator who was willing to break party ranks to protect the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).” Therefore, if she received the award for a specific act of morality, she should be able to lose this award based on an act of immorality.

According to the President, none of this is true. The university recognized Susan Collins in 2017 simply for her achievements in the political field. Those achievements haven’t changed, making the honors still valid.

President Fox and I also discussed the university’s plan for moving forward. He said he wants our college to focus on direct action to stop sexual violence rather than addressing it through politics or words alone. Because of this, he intends to take allegations on campus seriously, and has put together a highly-qualified task force to give consequences for and prevent sexual violence.

Additionally, our campus needs to be a place where we listen to all voices, like those of survivors, immigrants, and even conservative students, as long as we uphold university values. The university cannot risk this open environment by taking political stances. The university is a place for political discussion, but the administration is not for political action, and we must pursue change through other means.

President Fox encourages us to vote and educate ourselves on politics and to come to his office hours to discuss current issues. He mentioned that we live in difficult times, where our country’s division and hate grows daily. We need to connect with those who fall to the margins, whether those are survivors struggling with their trauma, international students who struggle to integrate into our culture, or LGBT+ students who don’t feel safe to be themselves. These things matter more than whether a senator retains her honorary degree.

We cannot keep avoiding difficult face-to-face conversations with each other. We need to be open, verify our sources and remember that the people we do not agree with are human beings that we can talk to. The university’s values are strong and do not agree with the Kavanaugh ruling. Now it is up to us to uphold our values in our everyday lives by keeping this discussion open.