Gustavus Adolphus College is guided by five core pillars in its vision: Community, Excellence, Faith, Justice, and Service. These values are the very foundation of GAC and define this community.

“Our organizations are committed to creating environments that are welcoming, but also challenge structures that oppress or marginalize members of our community.” – DLC

As such, the Gustavus community strives to be accepting. The student body is global, varied in its walks of life and diverse in its opinions. This has resulted in a community whose objective is cultivating a welcoming environment.

President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27 temporarily barring entry to refugees and immigrants. As a result of this order, U.S. airport customs officials denied entry to individuals, with some of those individuals having been detained.

Any restrictions that prevent students from going abroad for study, teaching, or research could be considered deeply concerning, and could have a profound impact not only on scholarship, but also on family relationships of our college’s community members.

The Gustavus Adolphus College Diversity Leadership Council, on the behalf of many Gustavus organizations, supports those who are affected by the executive order halting the entry of people from seven countries with a significant Muslim population.

“Our organizations are committed to creating environments that are welcoming, but also challenge structures that oppress or marginalize members of our community. We accomplish this by engaging in open dialogues and courageous conversations throughout the year,” The Diversity Leadership Council said in a campus-wide e-mail.

“Injustices against Gustavus students are injustices against the Gustavus community as a whole,” – DLC

The DLC is expressing its support and solidarity by tabling from Feb. 27 until March 10. The goal is to raise awareness about another issue; the Syrian refugee crisis. On Feb. 23, the Student Senate hosted a forum discussing the travel ban. The event was followed by a candlelight vigil in Christ Chapel where there was a devotional and time to reflect upon events that have occurred.

“The travel ban forum opened with students sharing their personal experiences regarding the executive order. They described how it impacted their daily lives, religion, family and friends. It then opened up to discussion for the attendees to ask questions [of] the students who shared, as well as their general understanding of the executive order,” former Student Senate Co-President, Herchran Singh said.

While the event took place in the Courtyard, many students stopped and listened to the panel, with some even writing letters of support when they left. Multiple discussions regarding the executive order were held at the event, but there were some that took precedence over others.

“Students affected by the executive order took to the mic to share how the executive order has affected their relationships here on campus, as well as their families. A large topic that was touched on was how these students feel here at Gustavus after the executive order and how Gustavus can best help their families understand that Gustavus will protect them to the best of its abilities,” Junior Liz Toeben said.

Multiple ideas were expressed regarding the best approach to reach out to the affected families, with the goal being to help them understand how devoted Gustavus is in protecting its entire community, especially international students during this time.

“One idea that was mentioned was that Gustavus could send letters to the parents of the students affected. These letters would reassure them that their children have a supportive network of individuals behind them, and that the college is doing their best to help ensure that their children have access to  as many resources as possible. There was also talk of reaching out to a nonprofit law firm located in Mankato in the event that legal advising  be] needed for any of the affected students,” Toeben said.

“Injustices against Gustavus students are injustices against the Gustavus community as a whole,” a representative from the DLC stated.

Gustavus has dedicated help in whatever way possible, making its message clear that those affected are not alone, because all Gusties are family.