Gender and Sexuality Studies Major, Alex Fonnest, named Outstanding Senior of 2024 in the Department of English, the current organizational home of G&SS in the College of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations, Alex!
G&SS Learning Community:
As we navigate these complex times together, we want to reach out and express our unwavering support for each of you. We are reaching out not only as your professors but as fellow community members who share in the weight of these heavy times. The conflict in Gaza and the resultant tensions across campuses in the U.S., including our own, have brought us to a critical moment of reflection and action.
We see and feel the deep impacts of these events—not just as abstract issues, but as real struggles affecting lives and communities across continents. We recognize the bravery it takes to speak up, stand up for peace, and we are moved by the commitment to of all people making the world a more just place.
It is essential that our university continues to be a place where diverse voices can express themselves freely and passionately, without fear of undue reprisal or violence. As advocates committed to social justice, we are reminded daily of our responsibility to foster an environment of understanding, critical inquiry, and respect for different peoples and perspectives. We affirm our commitment to these values, especially now.
We are aware that the current geopolitical conflicts can stir intense emotions and lead to actions and rhetoric that, intentionally or not, may alienate or harm members of our community, including those of Jewish faith or heritage as well as Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian people. It is imperative that we stand against anti-Semitism, anti-Arab-Muslim, and all forms of discrimination unequivocally. We must all commit to fostering a campus environment where all students, staff, and faculty can feel safe, respected, and valued, even in periods of disagreement and conflict.
The distress we feel as we witness these developments cannot be overstated, and it brings to the forefront our responsibilities—not only to each other but to the foundational principles of higher education. It is within this context that academics Viet Thanh Nguyen and Karen Tongson offer a poignant reminder:
To subject them to the threat of police violence was ironic, but so is the fact that the University administration called the police instead of relying on the very skills that the University is supposed to teach: debate and dialogue, critical thinking and analysis, and fostering an atmosphere in which dissent and disagreement are not seen as threatening or divisive but as the mechanisms by which we can achieve clearer intellectual, moral and political positions.
The insights shared by Nguyen and Tongson resonate with the core mission of our university. They challenge us to reflect on the very purpose of our academic community: to be a space for robust scholarship, inclusivity, and critical discourse. We acknowledge the pressures contemporary learners face and promise to support you through these times with all the resources and understanding at our disposal.
To our graduating seniors, we send our deepest love and respect. You have grown and persevered through extraordinary times, and we are immensely proud of your achievements. Please carry forward the strength and values you’ve shaped here and know that you always have a home at NMSU G&SS to return to, as alumni and as part of our extended community—do not be strangers.
Please take care of yourselves and each other. Let’s continue to support one another, strive for every voice to be heard and valued, and let compassion guide our actions.
Dr. J and Dr. W.
April 30th, 2024
Read - "USC: This is a teachable moment" by Viet Thanh Nguyen and Karen Tongson , April 26, 2024
