We are writing as a group of alumni who were alarmed and horrified to read of the hateful comments by members of the TCNJ College Republicans and others in a public GroupMe chat last November.
As a group we condemn the racist, anti-semitic, homophobic and transphobic language used by the students and their associates. Those who said such things put their ignorance on full display. They should be ashamed of their actions and the unneeded attention this has brought to the College. We hope that the students (and outside commenters) will take responsibility and apologize.
We want to let the students in the groups that were referenced in these hateful comments know that we stand in full support with them. We hope that the campus community joins us to ensure that everyone on campus feels welcome, supported and safe.
Unfortunately we are experiencing a time in this country when some individuals feel it’s acceptable to marginalize and attack those who are not like them. They take pleasure in divisiveness. Angry, mocking, ill-informed rhetoric is too often superseding rational discussion.
A college and its campus should be a place in which students come to be educated, not just in the classroom, but by their experiences with a diverse group of students, professors and staff. The actions of those who made these awful remarks damage the potential for that to happen.
Those of us who have signed this email take pride in our TSC/TCNJ degrees and our experiences at the school. We want everyone to have access to the same kinds of experiences we did without being made to feel uncomfortable because of someone else's prejudices.
Lastly, we also want to commend the staff of The Signal for their work and professionalism. Many who signed this letter are Signal alums and know firsthand how challenging it can be to cover campus events while dealing with personal attacks.
To be agents of change in this world, we need to speak up in situations like this one. For all those impacted by these hateful comments, we stand with you.
Sincerely,
Andrea Alfieri '97, Paul Alfieri '97, Marlaina Cockcroft '96, Tristan Cockcroft '97, Nancy Colasurdo '92, Joanna Fantozzi '11, Barry Federovitch '89, Dan Fox '96, Lisa Fox '96, Miguel Gonzalez '19, Julie Herstein '03, Joe Lewin '91, Jeffrey MacKenzie '22, Christine Ott '92, David Kushin '96, Jeff Ryan '98, Jennifer Ryan '98, Sean Ryan '98, Gregg Savarese '97, Deron T. Schreck '96, Randolph “Wolf” Shipon PhD '96, Mark Simon '97, Dave Steed '99, Carrie Zukowski '00
