When I first came to Columbia, it was quickly apparent that diversity here is a source of pride. During a prospective-student visit, I was told that Columbia is one of the more diverse campuses in the Ivy League, and that living in New York City, there would be ample opportunity to interact with people from different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. When I joined Barnard’s ResLife staff as an resident adviser, the same pride in building and embracing diversity filled the office.

But in the midst of beautifully worded mission statements and my own idealistic program expectations, things occurred in my hall that challenged these ideals. The first incident happened in November: statements targeting Jews and African Americans were written in response to a “What scares you?” poster I had put up for Halloween. The poster was immediately taken down and floor meetings were held about the incident. In the end, the administration decided not to send out a campuswide e-mail, believing that this recognition would give positive reinforcement to the perpetrators. As the semester progressed, the incident, and the idea that prejudice permeates the walls of this institution, was forgotten.

The frustration and shock accompanying the incident, however, did not dissipate as easily. In fact, they resurfaced again the day before classes started when I discovered a picture of a swastika with the word “feminist” emanating from it. Regardless of the intentions behind the messages left on my door and others’ doors, the important thing is that someone felt that this was acceptable. Someone felt that it was OK to write messages of anger and violence anonymously, perhaps because it would be unacceptable for them to publicly claim those thoughts as their own.

But this fear of speaking freely is the problem. Instead of confronting these issues of bias and prejudice, our efforts to embrace diversity and stigmatize inappropriate behavior are only leading to their perpetuation.

The decision not to send out a campuswide e-mail after the first incident must have seemed right at the time. But after the second incident, it is clear that a lack of publicity surrounding an act of bias cannot discourage certain beliefs. The sheer number of hate crimes on this campus proves that these beliefs are entrenched in our community. And the anonymity of these acts shows how extreme the situation is. Perhaps, instead of outright condemnation, it would be better to provide a safe forum for an equal exchange of beliefs, since that’s what embracing diversity is really about. Diversity isn’t just the statistics on an admissions brochure—it’s about encountering different perspectives and life experiences. I still feel that it is important for us as a community to take a stand against hate crimes. But before we stress the need to be politically correct, we need to push for mutual understanding. There is no way in which we can fully embrace the diversity that surrounds us through censure and disapproval. It can only be embraced if we actively recognize all of our beliefs—including our own prejudices—and work for change.

The author, a Barnard College junior majoring in biochemistry, is a resident adviser in Hewitt Hall.