An open letter written by Hillel at York president Natalie Slavat, addressed to Student Centre Executive Director Scott Jarvis, has garnered little to no response from Jarvis himself, or other members of the York University Student Centre.
The letter titled “Open Letter to the York University Student Centre” published in The Times of Israel highlights the contest guidelines which state that the murals in the Student Centre, hung for more than two years, must now come down.
The contest which was held in the 2012-2013 academic year was open to all students and judged by a panel of nine different members: two faculty members, two alumni, and three undergraduate students from York’s visual arts program. The remaining two members of the panel were comprised of representatives from the Student Centre.
York has gone through a whirlwind of media attention after media mogul Paul Bronfman pulled his support for the school when the mural was not taken down.
The Student Centre, which is run by the YUSC, is a separate legal entity from the school itself, and opted to keep the mural up despite what many consider to be a call for violence against Jews and the state of Israel.
“Someone who is working for students should be putting student concerns and student needs first,” says Slavat.
“I believe the responsibility truly should be placed on Jarvis and the members of the Student Centre. I believe they are the ones that are setting the students at a disadvantage.”
Slavat’s open letter, which directly addresses Jarvis, makes the claim that despite one’s stance on the politics of the Middle East, the painting promotes violence.
“The rock, in our eyes, symbolizes what’s going on in Israel today,” adds Slavat.
Slavat says she believes in freedom of expression, but she is firm in her belief that the actions of Jarvis have put students at a disadvantage.
“Walking into the Student Centre, which is meant to be an inclusive space for all students, and having a call to violence like this doesn’t create an inclusive space.”
Slavat claims to have sent off multiple emails to members of the YUSC and Jarvis regarding her open letter, as well as complaints about the mural itself, but received no response.
Excalibur reached out to Jarvis on January 29, where he passed along contact information for Gayle McFadden, VP operations for the YFS, and chair of the YUSC.
Neither have commented further on the matter.
President Mamdouh Shoukri issued a statement regarding the mural and community concerns, stating the school is committed to the values of freedom of expression, open dialogue, and constructive discussion.
“We look forward to continuing the important dialogue around inclusion that has emerged. The mural has given rise to a broader conversation about whether as an institution and as individuals we are doing all we can to ensure that all members of our community feel welcome and supported,” writes Shoukri.
Shoukri promised that in response to the debate regarding the mural, the school would create a President’s Advisory Committee on Inclusion to be launched by March 1, a review of existing policies to ensure an inclusive learning environment, and work alongside partners to ensure York continues to be a “leader in promoting inclusion.”
The YUSC published a short biography on the artist of the mural, Ahmad Al Abid. His “inspiration for this piece is the ongoing issue in Palestine where illegal settlement expansions have become common. These expansions come at the expense of uprooting century-old olive trees, trees intertwined with the roots of the Palestinian people.”
Further research has revealed that Abid hasn’t pursued art as a career after graduating from York.
Michael Burton, Editor-in-Chief
Featured image courtesy of Meryle Kates
