On October 30th, four people were “kicked out” of the USM Glickman Library. We question both the motives behind this action and the objectivity of the reporting. The sensationalist use of the term “sex offender,” in the title of Dan MaCleod’s article demonstrates a lack of critical analysis. However, this is not our major concern.
Were these individuals “kicked out” because they were “sleeping and snoring” or were they removed because their mere presence was deemed offensive? Although MaCleod reports that the police have no plans to bar access, we urge the University to convene a panel discussion about homeless people’s access to the Library. The voices of the homeless are crucial to this discussion that should also include, students, administration, faculty, librarians, advocates for the homeless, security personnel, and interested members of the public.
While we commend the Office of Civic Engagement’s efforts to engage our students in public service, we are concerned that the event may contradict the mission of promoting diversity and inclusiveness by excluding the homeless from public service.
Karine Odlin
Jaime Douglas
Sean O’Reilly
Jelena Sarenac
Amanda Fickett
Dusan Bjelic