ABC: Building a Better Campus

COURTESY PHOTO / MARK FISCHLER

A project six years in the making, “ABC – A Better Campus,” an organization devoted to creating a campus culture that is more racially, culturally, and socially accepting, took to the stage of the Silver Center on the night of convocation to present to 220 first-year students. Mark Fischler, associate professor and chair of the criminal justice department, and Ashley Phillips, assistant director of human resources, led the lecture which left no attendee emotionally untouched. “To be honest, it’s a pretty moving experience,” said Fischler.

The movement began six years ago, with numerous faculty and staff wanting to start a program to raise the level of consciousness on campus. They felt they needed to do more to ensure that no students felt isolated on campus. The idea is to start a movement where students, faculty, and staff are committed to making the campus a more tolerant and accepting environment. 

Fischler and Phillip’s presentation lasts about 90 minutes. They show videos and engage with the audience, hoping to start a dialogue with those attending. “The process for us is about sharing stories,” said Phillips. Both Fischler and Phillips share stories of their experiences and how they saw others being victimized or isolated because they were part of the minority. The videos are stories from people who experienced similar situations. Then, the audience is encouraged to share stories of their own marginalization. “As a first year student, you might feel alone. It’s a new experience for you, and you’re out of your element, but we want to make sure no one feels alone here,” said Phillips. The hope is these exchanges of stories will cultivate a sense of togetherness between students, and prevent future occurrences of marginalization. 

Students realize the people sitting next to them might have similar experiences or fears. They also have the same desires to want to feel like part of a community. So, the hope is when they see someone in need, they feel connected to them and reach out to help. “I think no one has left not questioning their role in making this a better campus,” said Fischler.   

Faculty and staff began work on the project six years ago, but the concept of ABC and the lectures didn’t come to fruition until two years ago. Fischler and Philips worked on the lecture and piloted it in front of four people in the summer of 2013. They worked on it, and a revised version, the one they use today, was presented five or six times last year. Undoubtedly, though, they felt the greatest response came after presenting to first-year students on the night of convocation. “I walk around campus and people thank me, and I’ve gotten numerous emails from students who attended,” said Fischler. “They want to get involved.”

That is also the hope for the future of ABC. “We’re building a movement here that will hopefully be taken over by students,” said Fischler. ABC has been working on a collaboration with Student Activities, hoping to get more students involved in the organization. “Our goal with the project was to create a culture shift at PSU. To change the way the campus thinks. To change the way students interact. The only way that’s going to happen is if that comes from students,” said Phillips.

One such student is Junior Heather Tabor, an art major and president of PSU Pride. Tabor now uses her position with Pride to host ABC lectures and help campaigns on social network sites, such as the one ABC started on Twitter. Users are encouraged to share a story of how they supported or stood up for someone, and then attached #psusupport so others can read about them. Being a part of Pride, Tabor feels even more motivated to work towards building a better campus culture. “To me a better campus means a campus is more accepting of all of its students and also takes more steps in its policies and procedures,” said Tabor. 

Student involvement like Tabor’s is what the future of ABC will look like. The goal is to have the group completely run by students while Fischler and Philips stay on to facilitate the turnover as students graduate. Currently, ABC is looking to sponsor events that raise awareness and encourage acceptance under their brand. The most important thing they hope to accomplish, though, is help anyone who feels alone. “If you’re having a tough night, someone is always going to be there. You’re never alone,” said Fischler. “A single act can do so much to change the direction of someone’s life.”