Mel Pardock – Staff Writer

Within the past few weeks, there has been quite a stir around campus in relation to the chalking events of the week of Oct. 17. It is no secret that this has been a hot discussion topic, as it has even been discussed in this paper multiple times, and Gusties are hearing very contradictory narratives surrounding the chalking incident and its aftermath. It is time to piece together everything that is known to be factual.

First, it is important to lay out the timeline. Around 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, the pro-life Gustavus student organization Gusties For Life took to the sidewalks outside Johnson Campus Center to write some pro-life messages in chalk.

“I think the chalk writings occurred because of the midterm elections that are coming up and I think people are nervous about which way it will go. Currently, Minnesota still has protections regarding safe abortions, and depending on who wins the election, sadly, that could very well change,” Senior and Women’s Action Coalition President Leah Meyer said.

After these messages were left on the sidewalk, they were met with mixed reactions from the Gustavus community. Be it reactions to the act of chalking in itself or feelings about the messages written, a cacophony of reactions arose.

“I saw mixed reactions from all students. A large number of students held strong feelings toward the initial chalk writings, whether that be anger, confusion, or sadness. And while many felt them to be disagreeable, they were unsure of how to feel about their messages being erased. I haven’t heard much of anything from the faculty, except for when the situation is brought up I get a roll of the eyes or a pained look. It seems like the community is generally tired of having to uphold political and moral beliefs on the front steps of our school,” Sophomore Raquel Vaughn said. 

The day following the chalking, some students and a member of Gustavus faculty decided to scrub some of these messages off the pavement using water and mops. Campus Safety was called, and the students and faculty member were told to stop and to leave, as their actions were deemed vandalism according to Gustavus’ rules related to chalking. According to the 2022 Gustie Guide: “Tampering with, defacing, or removing postings/chalkings which follow these guidelines is a violation of Gustavus policy and may result in conduct repercussions.”

“Erasing the chalk was an idea spread online and in person, but there was no organized event to erase, just personal decisions. People decided also to promote real facts about abortion healthcare to combat it,” a student said. “The people erasing the chalk were recorded by members of the [pro-life] group and were harrassed when they wrote their own messages. Campus Safety was called on a professor who decided to participate.”

After Campus Safety was called, it was decided that the act of erasing the chalk was an act of vandalism and Gustavus launched an investigation to find all people involved. An email was written by Vice President for Equity & Inclusion Doug Thomspon that was sent as a Gustavus Office of Marketing and Communication email to the community on Oct. 28 discussing the chalking incident.

“The Gustavus Students for Life organization chalked messages on the sidewalks to participate in National Pro-Life Chalk Day 2022, an event associated with Students for Life America. The chalked messages were intentionally removed by other members of our community. I am writing to encourage all of us to understand that there are going to be times when we disagree and it is important that we thoughtfully approach those disagreements with a strong sense of civility,” Thompson said in the email.

And now, in the aftermath, the community is left in uncertainty with more questions than answers, with more rumors and gossip than the truth. It has been incorrectly said that the faculty member involved has been fired by Gustavus, which led to yet another chalking event protesting this incorrect assumption last week. The faculty member has chosen to resign, and was not terminated by Gustavus. 

“Speaking for the Women’s Action Coalition, it saddened us to see these messages because we support all people with uteruses no matter what, and we support the decisions they make for themselves. You never know who may have gone through something. It also saddens us to see that someone who cares a lot about students resigning [in part] due to this issue, while all they were trying to do was stand up for others and what they believe in,” Meyer said. 

As of Nov. 2, some students involved in the erasing of the chalk have received emails informing them that they are being charged in the student conduct system and that their presence is requested at a proceeding taking place Tuesday, Nov. 8. 

“Due to your alleged involvement in compromising chalkings of a recognized student organization on October 18, you are being charged in the student conduct system. Also important for you to know is that there are multiple people being charged in this same case and for efficiency, those cases will be considered together in one proceeding unless you request otherwise,” one student’s email said. 

The proceeding is going to be taking place before a board consisting of one member of Gustavus administration, one faculty member, and one student. At the meeting, the board will be presented with multiple perspectives on the incident and the resulting actions, and afterward they will make disciplinary decisions regarding the matter. Students who are disciplined will not be suspended, but disciplined in a different manner. 

It is crucial in this situation to note that there is no one who knows the full truth of this situation aside from those who were directly affected, and rumors, gossip, and whispers about the exact happenings and aftermath of the chalking incident have been running rampant across campus. These are merely the things Gusties themselves have experienced and heard throughout the event and its results, and in no way represent the full extent of what occurred nor the aftermath.