UMD Students Fed Up With Diversity Issues Following Found Noose
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Many University of Maryland students remain on edge in College Park after a noose is found hanging inside a fraternity house.
Police are calling this a hate bias incident.
Students are getting impatient on a campus where racial tensions are being felt more than ever.
Students are fed up with diversity issues that have rocked the entire campus.
"We pay tuition here, we fund this university," one student said.
"Just knowing that walking through this campus that there's people who don't want you here, I don't want anyone to feel that way," says senior Yanet Amanuel, who is a student activist.
The heated emotions stem from days ago when police say a noose was found hanging inside the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house.
"The worst part is there are some people that don't even understand the significance of a noose and having to explain to them what it means," Amanuel says.
Weeks before that, a white supremacist group blasted flyers on campus buildings in College Park, but students say this is just the tipping point.
"This isn't the first hate incident that we've had on campus. We've had chalkings, a student reported that there was 'God hates ni*****' in one of the bathrooms," Amanuel says.
Vice president of student affairs, Linda Clement, says she spoke with students on Thursday and offered to sit down with them individually and discuss the issues their campus is facing.
In a statement, she said that she wants to hear students concerns related to symbols of hate and bigotry.
"I think the issue of race is something we should always try and improve on," says Patrick Hameni, a senior at UMD.
As far as a noose being found in a frat house, police say the investigation is ongoing and they won't be releasing any more information at this time.
It's not enough for some students who are demanding quicker action and feel they're being neglected.
"Definitely feeling ignored and I'd like to say belittled, and I don't feel administration takes student activists seriously," Amanuel says.
Both the university and College Park Police are not granting on camera interviews at this time.
Days ago, bananas with nooses were founding hanging from trees and lampposts around the American University campus in Washington D.C.
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