TO THE EDITOR:
The Op-Ed, “A Message to the Chancellor,” from Stephen Stacks that was published on Tuesday brilliantly exposed the disappointments in Chancellor Folt’s emails over the last couple of years. However, it is unrealistically optimistic to believe that simply pointing out the ways in which the Chancellor’s statements and actions fail to support all students will change the situation.
When news breaks from UNC that could be construed as a threat to the status quo, the University issues a statement that, in effect, communicates to donors and political power players who control the funding of the university that their interests are not threatened. This is the consistent underlying purpose behind these messages. This does not excuse Chancellor Folt from taking a stand against politics that threaten marginalized groups on campus, but it does explain why she has yet to take a stand and cannot be relied upon to do so going forward. In this rise of the radical right, the imperative falls upon members of the community who understand this reality to organize outside the power structure of the university to support segments of our community who will otherwise face harm and neglect.
George Gildehaus
Sophomore
Environmental Studies
