“People are tired of letting injustice go, and that’s a good feeling.”

Isaiah Hernadez a freshman and neuroscience major. He talked with Darius Hayes about the environment for minorities at UWM now that classes are back in person.

(Darius Hayes) How do you feel the culture on campus is right now?

(Hernandez) Somewhat segregated, but still together. I don’t feel any constant amounts of prejudice. I think people have a lack of perspective on each other, but that’s anywhere.

(Hayes) How did that incident [when a UWM student posted racist comments online earlier this year] make you feel?

(Hernandez)  The incident made me feel irritated and dull because situations like this are nothing new, just things I thought were in the past. I think the reception to the incident made me feel at least more welcomed to the campus, as so many people were rushing to address that incident and others in the past. People are tired of letting injustice go and that’s a good feeling, so weirdly enough the incident is like a breath of fresh air plainly due to all the people taking the effort of calling it out. I hope the university as a whole doesn’t forget about it.

(Hayes) How do you feel about the university’s response?

(Hernandez) The university’s response was as expected. An issue brought to the wrong ears, and sadly those are the same who need to address these problems the most. I think there was a slow and disingenuous response from the chancellor, but I think the dean [of students] is doing his best to respond and understand the minority students’ reaction. I think more decisive action should have been taken against the instigator of the incident, because they should not be able to simply disappear and not face the music,  to invisibility reappear with no repercussions.

(Hayes) How has the university helped you through the pandemic?

(Hernandez) The university has given me a social life back. But it’s given me  a format of learning that I can actually benefit from, unlike online.

(Hayes) Where do you feel like the university can do better to improve the culture of campus life?

(Hernandez) I honestly couldn’t answer that by myself. It’s a change of heart for multiple people in the way I think the campus should improve, but it also needs time and needs to be natural. Once again it’s a lack of perspective people have on each other, I don’t mean everyone needs to walk around acting like they’re friends with everyone they meet. I mean there should be more discussions and activities, there should be more tolerance for people who have opposing — not hateful or radical, simply just seeing situations differently — view points, and there should be more genuine representation of the diversity. Not cramping minorities into a video so the school can get their diversity points.