Afternoon classes on Tuesday, Nov. 14 will be cancelled as a result of a university-sponsored event “in support of the K-State family.”
A special alert from K-State Today sent out Tuesday afternoon announced “a rare closure of all classes and offices” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in order to encourage attendance for the event Nov. 14.
The event will begin with the K-State Unity Walk to the lawn in front of Anderson Hall at 1 p.m. Starting points will be coordinated across campus.
The walk will lead into KSUnite, “a community-wide program for diversity, inclusion and equity.” From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. university president Richard Myers, student body president Jack Ayres and Darrell Reese, president of the Black Student Union, will address attendees.
Following KSUnite, attendees are invited to participate in a conversation and reflection on education and action.
“I think it’s going to be a powerful ordeal,” Ayres said.
In an email sent to psychology majors Tuesday, Michael Young, professor and department head of psychological sciences, informed students of the event, which aims “to facilitate conversation and to show our support for one another.”
The event will occur nearly two weeks after an incident in which a car was found covered with racist vandalism and threats. The owner of the car, 21-year-old Manhattan resident Dauntarius Williams, later admitted responsibility for the graffiti. Williams had originally made a police report for the incident, but law enforcement officials said they would not pursue charges for Williams for making the false report.
The vandalism and its subsequent investigation involving the FBI led to raised tensions on campus, although the university said it had no record of Williams having ever been a student on campus and the incident happened off-campus.
“This is an opportunity to demonstrate to the community, nation, and world that we are ONE K-STATE FAMILY standing together, celebrating our differences, and struggling to achieve the same goals,” Young wrote in his email.
More details regarding class cancellations and the event will be released in Wednesday’s issue of K-State Today.
