Students of Oklahoma University shared on Twitter their experiences with the university's "diversity" using the hashtag #yOUrbad. Most students were mad at the said university because they are showing a different image of the university from the one that exists.
Fox News reported that many students were at rage as Oklahoma University received an award for promoting diversity and inclusion on campus. For the students, it was far from what is really happening inside the university. People of colour and the LGBTQ community beg to differ.
Some tweets are about their experience with a professor limiting genders into two. There were some tweets which talked about how undocumented people are called "illegal aliens". Also, there are tweets that talks about how the University administration is not giving attention to these things as they do not experience these. They never see it as a problem because they never encounter any of these.
Emily Pham, management information systems senior, was the one who started the hashtag. She said that she wanted other students to share their experiences and personal encounters in the university. She wanted to show how the staff and administration truly deals with diversity and inclusion. She stated that as a woman of colour, it is very hard for her to voice out her opinion. She added that it is very hard to get attention for their problems as the University does not see it as a problem.
According to OU Daily, Oklahoma University President, David Boren, did not directly address the issue. He only said that Oklahoma University is committed into making the University as diverse as possible. Also, OU press secretary Corbin Wallace said that OU will be the most diverse when it comes to its students in 2020.
Another University admin, Vice President for the University Community Jabar Shumate, stated that the University's goal is to have a welcoming atmosphere. They understand the tweets and will address the issues. Pham said she wishes that the University will really work on these issues as other people only see it as nothing.
