On October 6th, students and faculty were called
to meet on an issue that has recently affected the TLU community. Cyber
bullying, a form of bullying that directly targets other students or people in
an online setting, hit home for many of us here at TLU in the past
semester.
In response, the “Cyber Bullying Forum” was created by Dean of
Students, Christi Quiros, to allow students a time and place for
their voices to be heard. Students were invited to speak out and respond to
questions asked by Quiros, the forum’s moderator.
Dean Quiros began the discussion by delivering a few
opening comments to the students on cyber bullying’s definition and its
detrimental effects. When referencing TLU, she said, “I’d like to think of
this as a community.” She went on to say she thought, “this kind of
behavior has been negating that sense of community.”
Quiros then opened the floor of discussion with a question.
She asked students: “How do you think cyber bullying affects the community?” This
prompted many students to speak up.
Most of the initial comments conveyed students’ feelings
of insecurity, a lack of general safety on campus, and most of all, a loss of the
sense of community most students value. Students conveyed that a
sense of community was what drew them initially to TLU.
Many of the cyber bullying attacks were aimed at women and
were of an inappropriate sexual nature. When addressing this, one student
commented, “I don’t want to be objectified anymore.” These feelings cried out
for answers and for justice to be done at TLU. However, as the Forum continued,
those in attendance realized that a unified conclusive course
of action was extremely difficult to find.
Ideas that students brought up were suggestions hoping to
find a solution to the Cyber Bullying issue on campus. However, with
so many opinions and diverse actions being presented, the conversation soon
came to a stalemate and time was running short.
The Forum brought to light a few key points that students were
able to take with them into the community. One was the feeling that they could
take the power away from those who choose to bully others. By uniting with
other students against this issue, it gave a sense that they were now the
majority making bullies the minority.
One way Dean Quiros plans to continue the conversation about cyber
bullying is through The Cyber Bullying Task Force. The Cyber Bullying Task
Force is comprised of students who signed up the night of the Forum and have agreed
to be the ones to initiate change. The Task Force will be meeting to
further discuss what should be done to address the issue on campus and move to
find an appropriate action plan. All of the changes and actions that students
anticipated in the Forum discussion can hopefully become reality as a result of
the Task Force.
The Forum, at its heart, sparked a change in thinking and
made a statement. That statement says that students are tired of seeing
classmates targeting classmates and they are ready to do something about it. As
one student put it, “It’s not an us and them issue, but just ‘us’,”
because after all, it is the sense of community and closeness that makes TLU
unique.”
Almost a month after this forum, we want to know what, if
anything, has changed, here at TLU. Share your experience and thoughts
below!
If you wish to join the Cyber Bullying Task Force and be
apart of the change that was initiated by the Cyber Bullying Forum, contact
Dean Kristi Quiros for more information.
Chaney Hill, Reporter
Jaime Ohm, Reporter
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