Fellow students,
We hope that everyone finds themselves adapting to the new circumstances as well as possible. We know that this is a challenging and emotional experience for many of us, and it is more important for us now than ever before to care and be there for our fellow students—to be empathetic and realize that we are all in this together.
In this vein, we must also condemn actions that go against the spirit of compassion. Recently, stereotypes devoid of any factual basis have led to discrimination and prejudiced actions against members of our student community of Asian descent. This is unacceptable. COVID-19 affects all our communities equally, and any rhetoric or attacks aimed at particular communities due to their perceived nationality is ignorant and harmful not only to these individuals, but to the values of our entire Penn State community. We strongly denounce such behavior and stand with all students who are affected by these incidents.
We often talk about how great the Penn State community is, but now is the time to prove it. Be kind and compassionate to your fellow students. Reach out to those that may need more support. Times are hard, but we must hold to our community’s ideals of acceptance and caring. Only then will every Penn Stater feel the support that they need to persevere through these difficult times.
For the Glory,
Claire Kelling, President, The Graduate & Professional Student Association
Laura McKinney, President, The University Park Undergraduate Association
Sean Walsh, President, The World Campus Student Government Association
Kenneth Gatten III, President, The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments