UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley hosted the second of three listening sessions yesterday intended to field public comments on the state of anxiety about the racial climate on campus after Sept. 11.
Several university staff members among the crowd added to the 15 troubling reports of verbal or physical assaults that the Chancellor's Office has received since the terrorist attacks.
Gurbax Sekhon, professor of pediatrics, geriatrics and oncology, offered one instance of humiliation he has been subjected to since the attacks. Sekhon, a Sikh who emigrated from India in 1964, was surrounded by four apparent students and verbally persecuted with taunts including \Which country will you bomb next?"" and stereotypes. While Sekhon confronted his besiegers, he said he worries for the Sikh children.
Sekhon's fears are precipitated by attacks on Sikhs around the country. Sikhs wear a beard and a wrapped turban as symbols of their religion and are often mistaken for being Muslim. The Sikh Council on Religion and Education in Washington claims 200 attacks on Sikhs in recent months, including a death in Arizona and a pair of severe beatings in Seattle.
""The incidents have touched everyone's life,"" Sekhon said. ""Madison, it may be good, but who knows who's out on the highway.""
Two additional staff members voiced concerns. Jaspalinder Singh Chahal, a Sikh business services staff member said his experience in America since 1992 has been exceedingly positive, except for a small insensitive fraction of the population.
""The vast majority understand these things, but ... 2 to 3 percent ... [do not],"" he said.
A coordinator of student advisers expressed visible frustration with one administrator's heavily skeptical response to reports of uncomfortable situations encountered by members of the campus community. She identified a perceived university trend of being more sensitive to the needs and emotions of students than the staff.
Wiley decried the ""damaged learning environment"" caused by the harassment, calling some ordinary rudeness not associated with Sept. 11, while other incidents had escalated into physical assault. The chancellor said he hoped for a day when any racist, bully mentality would be countered by active support and defense provided by witnesses and bystanders at the time of the encounter. He once again encouraged the reporting of any incidents, emphasizing the Dean of Students Speak Up program to which students can report incidents of harassment.
Wiley also hoped for more participation and input through the final listening session today at 4:30 p.m. in Witte Residence Hall.
