When two of InterVarsity’s chapters at The Ohio State University (OSU) changed plans at the last minute before their scheduled meetings on April 5th, not all of the students understood right away. “I was upset because we had worked hard to plan our events,” wrote one student.
Campus Staff Member Rachel Szczepinski suggested the change to the students in the Asian American InterVarsity (AAIV) and InterVarsity Undergraduate (IVU) chapters. She said it would show caring for members of InterVarsity’s Black Student Movement (BSM) as they attended a memorial rally for Trayvon Martin, the teenager who had been shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.
“It seemed like a no brainer that the BSM students were going. The news coverage of the shooting has affected black students deeply,” Rachel said. But as she talked with her staff colleagues and the student chapter leaders, most agreed that all three chapters should attend the rally. After all, it was Maundy Thursday, and a chance for InterVarsity students to make a proclamation about redemption.
More Powerful Than Anticipated
The following Sunday afternoon the leaders of the three groups met together and discovered that the rally had been more powerful than they anticipated. A BSM leader said it showed her that her InterVarsity family really cared for her and loved her.
“It was at that moment in which God opened my eyes not only to the true relationship of all three chapters as one larger community, but also how these racial issues were very personal to the greater InterVarsity community, as well because of that relationship we have with BSM,” reported the student quoted at the beginning of this article.
Several others reflected further on the rally and the Sunday meeting.
OSU senior, member of BSM:
Between our three Intervarsity chapters at OSU we have a lot of dialogue about race, race relations, and redemption. Before InterVarsity I hadn't had many candid discussion about these topics with people outside of my race, so talking about this across ethnicities has been one of the most challenging, rewarding, and encouraging parts of my InterVarsity experience.
When I found out that IVU and AAIV were cancelling their regularly scheduled events to come and support BSM at a rally for Trayvon, it was the first time I realized the depth of InterVarsity's commitment to redeeming race relationships. That yes, talking about race and redemption is important and necessary, but acting out on what we stand for is just as important. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with this community.
OSU junior, member of AAIV:
Going to the rally opened my eyes to the racial brokenness that surrounds us. I was immersed in the reality of the racism, pain, and hurt that blacks face on a daily basis, which I hadn't really thought through before. A recurring theme I heard from the speakers was, "Trayvon could have been me/my son/my brother/my friend," and my heart broke for my black brothers and sisters as speakers shared about their own experiences of racial profiling. Every day, they carry the weight and pain of people forming negative judgments about them based on the color of skin. It felt so unjust.
Another Change in Plans
But the story didn’t end there. The following Thursday the Hale Black Cultural Center was defaced by graffiti that read, “Long live Zimmerman.” Rachel said that it affected many students deeply. “It felt like someone had come into their home and sprayed it on the wall,” she said.
That night the AAIV and IVU chapters again changed their plans. They met separately first, and then marched to OSU’s oval. From there they marched together to the Hale Center, where they held a prayer vigil. Leaders of various black campus organizations, including BSM, were meeting inside. Later those inside came out and joined the vigil.
Unresolved racial tension lingers on the OSU campus. Twice more racist graffiti defaced campus buildings during April. A protest was held at a Board of Trustees meeting. Requests to the board included more efforts toward racial diversity and finding ways for minorities to be included rather than tolerated on the OSU campus.
One More Opportunity to Proclaim Redemption
In the midst of it all, the InterVarsity chapters had scheduled an outreach using Proxe Stations, interactive displays that posed questions designed to help students discuss deeper spiritual issues. The theme was Scars Beneath the Surface, focusing on personal and emotional scars that many students feel. Some of the photos used on the Proxe Station showed the recent OSU vandalism.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that we had already been planning on doing this Proxe Station this week. Rachel said. "There's been this collective scar many students have felt with these racist attacks. We’re offering Jesus as a solution for healing.”
Now, in hindsight, Rachel can see how important it was for all three of the InterVarsity chapters to attend that original rally. Without their presence at the rally, they would not have been able to adequately respond to the events that followed.
These past few weeks have brought to Rachel’s mind memories of the Virginia Tech shootings five years ago, when InterVarsity helped coordinate a campus-wide response that allowed OSU students to express their grief.
“It's obvious there is a ton of pain and students are reacting to what is happening. It's almost a necessity that we be there. This is what it means to be a part of renewing the campus."
