Assaulted student speaks out against crime

 It’s a story that might sound like something out of a movie. Threatening phone calls, racial slurs, cars repeatedly driving by the house late at night, offers to be escorted by police at every move. However, for one University of Northern Iowa student, it’s all too real and it’s happening right here in Cedar Falls.

It started for UNI junior and Northern Iowa Student Government Director of Diversity Affairs Ramon Cantu the night of Oct. 31 when he was assaulted at a party.

“I was invited to a party,” said Cantu. “It was an all-Anglo (American) party … from what I saw.

I was received well; I walked in with two young ladies, Anglo-American descent, proceeded to use the restroom and went upstairs. A guy came in (and) a racial slur was evoked. I got hit; he ran. I exited the restroom after I gathered myself, went downstairs and proceeded to exit the building.”

Since then, Cantu has received phone calls on his home phone including racial slurs, had items thrown at him and racial slurs yelled from passing vehicles.

“I was threatened not to show up to a meeting here on campus as part of last Thursday’s discussion on bias toward students,” he said.

“I had a scheduled meeting with the Commission on Human Rights that day around 2 p.m. Before the meeting was going to start, I was threatened not to show up or my life would be in danger.”

Despite these things, Cantu said he was not scared.

“I mean what do you want me to do? Run? I’m not running anywhere,” he said. “I think I told the chief of police for UNI that the only way I’m leaving here is with toe tags and in a coroner’s bag, so I’m not going anywhere. People need to know that people are going to stand up for those that will not voice their own opinions. I didn’t ask for this; it happened.”

Thursday afternoon nearly 100 students, faculty and staff came together by the Maucker Union fountain to prove that point. They participated in a silent protest to speak out about several incidents that have occurred at UNI and to communicate that they will not allow or ignore hate crimes at UNI.

Many participants wore black clothing and donned signs calling for an end of intolerance. UNI President Benjamin Allen, NISG President Adam Haselhuhn, Vice President for Student Affairs Terry Hogan and other administrators joined in the demonstration. Students in Jennifer Cooley’s Introduction to Hispanic Literature class organized the event.

“We are not an organization; we are not an interest group,” said sophomore Carmen Castillo. “We care about our fellow students and we wanted to speak up.

We want to show the community that we will not be silenced; we will speak up because this could happen to any one of us …. We want to make it known that these crimes will not be tolerated in this community,” Castillo continued.

According to sociology professor Ruth Chananie-Hill, one of two active white supremacist chapters in the area have taken responsibility for the swastika recently painted by Dancer Hall and the threatening phone calls to Cantu.

“One of the things I have been very upset about is there is no centralized information source for us to find out what is happening to some of the minorities on campus,” Chananie-Hill said.

“I don’t know why I have been targeted by white supremacists; I don’t know who hit me,” said Cantu. “I am standing up for people who look like you, them, us, as well as myself.

“As my story went around campus and other stories were popping up left and right, you can see here today from today’s silent discussion (and) silent walkout (that) students in general are wanting to stand up against hatred,” he continued. “So I am not the only one.”

Frank Thompson, finance professor and president of United Faculty, proposed creating a blog for individuals to report and start documenting these kinds of incidents. According to Thompson, the faculty union would be very concerned about any particular issue of racism on campus. In order to combat these kinds of actions, the community needs to start reporting and documenting these cases.

“If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, did the tree actually fall? Well, if you don’t document these cases, then it’s like it never occurred,” Thompson said. “So we need to get the evidence we can begin to work with the administration. Because I think the administration is looking toward (giving) students a type of situation on this campus which is safe for all and ends racism as we see it within society.”

As one of two NISG directors of Diversity Affairs, Cantu plans to continue his work with diversity. Thus far, he has played a role in planning several activities including community service events, presentations and attending an anti-violence conference. However, Cantu said promoting diversity this year hasn’t gone as well as planned.

“It seems that only minorities have been reciprocal of what’s going on as far promoting diversity. As an officer of NISG and along with my constituents, we have tried to do a Diversity First Retreat, part of the diversity initiative, and we have not been successful in promoting that,” Cantu said.

“It’s kinda like there is a lot of indifference here, whether if you’re from the south, small-town Iowa or from the east and the west,” he continued. “Students don’t really understand each other and they don’t understand each other because they’re not getting to know each other.”