In the wake of yet another deeply troubling racial bias incident on our campus, The Hill News finds ourselves confronted with a reminder that there is much work to be done in the pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion. St. Lawrence has not yet created an environment where every member of our community feels safe, valued, respected and heard. It is disheartening to acknowledge this fact, but it is essential that we do so if we are to move forward and affect real change. 

In response to the recent bias events, the Thelmothesian Society has put together a resolution urging the St. Lawrence University Faculty Council to implement mandatory annual DEI training for faculty. THN wholeheartedly supports this resolution and urges fellow students and clubs to offer their support. Such training is a necessary first step to provide our faculty with the tools they need to foster a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students. 

On Monday, Sept. 25, senior executive board members of Thelmo met with student leader representatives of clubs across campus to present this resolution and discuss solutions to how to handle potential future incidents. No St. Lawrence faculty or staff were present at this meeting at the request of the student leaders. A THN representative was present at this meeting. 

This resolution was presented before the Thelmo Senate on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The resolution was voted on and passed unanimously. Thelmo executive board members stressed that this resolution was just the first step, and further efforts will be continued in the future.