ASG makes amends
Dr. Avery apologizes to ASG for her role in the showing of an insensitive video
Mikaela Foehr / News Editor / The USD Vista
In light of the tense atmosphere at the Associated Student Government (ASG) senate meeting following the Feb.1 leadership training incident, in which a video was shown which made some students visibly uncomfortable, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Avery, Ed.D. made the decision to address the senate. Avery read a prepared statement and answered questions from senators and members of the public during her allotted senate agenda time.
Avery was there to address her role in one specific portion of the leadership training session for ASG and Torero Program Board (TPB) student leaders. Nicholas Twohig, a graduate assistant for TPB, gave a presentation on communicating across differences. During the presentation, he elected to show a video that was taken to be racially insensitive, particularly toward black students. In the aftermath of the training, students in ASG and TPB, as well as members of the public, were upset by the decision to show the video, and concerned about why the video was allowed to be shown. Since Avery was the advisor who oversaw the training at large, and met with Twohig before his presentation was finalized, she was asked to address the senate during the following meeting.
Avery’s statement consisted of a description of her and Nicholas Twohig’s interactions before the training, an explanation of her assumption that Twohig would provide a trigger warning and cut out the most triggering aspects of the video, apologies to all the students who felt harmed by the video, and a pledge to continue learning.
“I stand before you today having recognized that my white silence and complacency when I did not tell (Twohig) unequivocally that he could not use that video due to its tokenization and perpetuation of harm, in turn harmed you,” Avery said.
Students in both the senate and audience seemed appreciative that she took the time to make the statement. They were also prepared with recommendations for how Avery could attempt to further educate herself on racial sensitivity. Students also took this time to recommend that more of the university’s administrative team should be included in the process of racial bias and communication training. It was especially recommended by multiple members of the public and senate that the university implement mandatory bias training for faculty, but especially university administrators.
Avery pledged to take all the recommendations forward with her and communicate them to her higher ups. This was seconded by Marion Chavarria Rivera, the President of ASG, who has a scheduled meeting with USD President James T. Harris III Ed.D. in the near future.
“I am meeting with President Harris later in March, and I want you all to know that I will be bringing these things to him, and other administrators, and holding them to them,” Chavarria Rivera said.
Nicholas Twohig, the graduate assistant who gave the presentation that sparked this controversy, will no longer be working as a graduate assistant for the Torero Program Board (TPB) according to the statement made by Avery.