An open letter to President Jischke and members of the September 29th Movement:

It feels to me like ISU is at one of those crucial points in history, where an opportunity taken or lost is a fork in the road.

The Catt Hall issue divides our community, and yet gives us a chance to help heal longer standing and deeper wounds in our society, not only racism but all the “ism’s” that we have all grown up with and suffered from.

Conflict mediation is still a young art, severely underused on this planet, but we have an opportunity at this institution of learning of supporting the development of our social and individual potentials, to show our vision and leadership toward those ends.

My suggestion is to create an experiment in dialogue, understanding and healing.

One possibility among many toward that goal would be to look together for an experienced mediator, and create a diverse and representative group to meet and search for common ground on these issues.

All sides need a safe place to express themselves, and contribute to building an inclusive and respectful community. Without community, our children will never have the quality of life they deserve.

The choice and responsibility are ours.

Jeff Hall

Graduate student