As a freshman at the Ohio State University, you come in excited and nervous. You’re going through the nerves of a new school year, in a new place, away from your family and friends. As the school year goes along, you find a home within this big place, ODI.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion extended a helping hand and open arms to thousands of students, many a part of the Black community, including me. Coming to a predominantly white institution, you try to find your spot among all these people who possibly look different from you and come from different places, some better, some worse. Regardless of who you are, who you were, or where you came from, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion always had the doors of Hale Hall open to welcome you in.
I am a freshman, majoring in social work. I jump at the chance to help my community to lead us in the path of success. I would not be here if it were not for the Young Scholars Program, which is a part of DEI. You might ask, “Jasmine, why look into this issue when things have already been decided?”
Sitting back silently letting our rights get overlooked and forgotten will never be something I am comfortable with. Allowing my community to be moved and shifted by Senate Bill 1, which mind you is not passed yet, will not be something I can just sit back and watch.
Now 19, I voted for the first time. To see that this is the outcome is truly saddening.
To a lot of us, it feels like our vote meant nothing. The support and comfort we did feel is now being taken from us, by people who do not know who we are, where we come from, our backgrounds, and the journey to even get to where we are today.
If you agree with this bill, put yourself in our shoes. You come to a university where you already feel outnumbered, just to get the one place you feel you call home dissolved. How would you feel? I honestly do not see how this could look right to anyone, how people can truly feel OK about the decisions being made in our everyday lives. All we are left with is unanswered questions.
At a meeting Feb. 27, President Ted Carter, Jr., announced that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change would be dissolved.
He followed up saying that on the positive side, we as a university still had our values. The room rang with laughter at that: We lose our rights but at least we have our values, right?
DEI brought us together. Our presence and numbers speak volumes. According to a student government survey of 2,000 students, 92 percent said they value having DEI on our university campus.
No one is OK with this and that is why I and everyone else will not stop our fight for our rights.
Jasmine Evans is a graduate of Jones Leadership Academy of Business in Toledo now attending Ohio State University.
First Published March 8, 2025, 5:00 a.m.
