To The Trail,
Below is the statement the MENA Student Association sent to the Office of the Dean of Students in response to our invitation to this year’s Leadership Awards Ceremony.
The MENA Student Association will not be accepting the awards offered to us at this year’s Leadership Awards Ceremony. We feel that awarding the MENA Student Association these accolades allows UPS administration to paint a certain image of itself as supportive of our group’s work. This image is inconsistent with our experience, and we will not legitimize this disingenuousness by accepting these awards. We are proud of our group and the work we have done: we know it is worthy of honoring. However, we do not wish for this validation from the hands of an administration which persecutes our peers for engaging in protest, and has disrespected our work and members.
Signed,
Middle Eastern and North African Student Association