Editors Note: This article has been updated with a statement made by Iowa State University.  

After instances of declared racism and homophobia at Iowa State, past and present, being brought to light, another incident occurred at the Union Drive Community Center (UDCC). 

On March 30, a poster was found on the bulletin board on the second floor of UDCC; the QR code visualized on the poster led to a collection of videos holding anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-vaccine and homophobic sentiments. 

Iowa State has had issues with racism and homophobia on campus, specifically in the last few years with issues of racist chalking, public funding and racist history, students participating in a racist TikTok trend, Iowa State College Republicans attacking marginalized communities on Twitter and backlash against Iowa State’s Student Government following a statement they made regarding personal tweets of a woman of color Iowa State staff member. 

An Iowa State student who found the poster, who wishes to stay anonymous due to fear of retaliation because he is a person of color, explained that he found the most recent poster in the UDCC and reached out to the Iowa State Daily to bring light to the situation. 

“I was just coming back from a class I had and I was just passing by the dining hall when I went to the UDCC to pick up a package and as I was leaving out the doors to go back to my dorm, I just saw this weird poster,” the anonymous student said. “And I was like, ‘what is this?’ So I scanned it and I looked at it and on the sidebar I saw Alex Jones, Paul Joseph Watson and other familiar names and it sent immediate red flags in my mind… It’s just so wacky to see this kind of stuff at a dining hall though, frankly, I don’t find it that surprising considering our Iowa State’s history.” 

He explained that while he didn’t necessarily feel unsafe due to the fact that he is a man-identifying individual, he said he believes partially in the institution to keep him safe. The anonymous student, however, said this incident did make him feel unwelcome in the Iowa State community. 

The anonymous student also said Iowa State’s administration should respond to this incident in order to stop spreading these racial and oppressive ideals on campus.  

“I think they should respond. I think denouncement is a good step towards recognition and denouncement,” the anonymous student said. “But also we should work towards who should work on programs and community-building efforts to try and stop these ideas from spreading. Because I think ultimately a lot of these ideas spread because of discontent with others and with the status quo. So if we focus on more community building, I think it’s less likely that we’ll encounter these kinds of problems.”  

ISU Dining recently released a statement regarding the poster found in the dining hall.

“Recently, we became aware of hurtful communication on a bulletin board in UDCC. Sadly, we have learned from experience this expressed hate for another human being can happen at any time in our world, and this includes the spaces we call home,” the statement read. “It is reprehensible, hurtful and above all our collective responsibility to call out and eliminate. We ask everyone to pay attention to your surroundings and to call ISU Police should you see anything that concerns you.” 

The university has made the following statement about the incident: 

“University policy requires approval for all postings on bulletin boards designated to departments or organizations. ISU Dining policy, which applies to the Union Drive Community Center bulletin board, only allows for posters or other materials directly related to meal plans or dining information to be displayed. The poster in UDCC did not meet standards and was therefore removed from the bulletin board. 

“Iowa State strives to be a welcoming and inclusive campus through its Principles of Community, and condemns all forms of racism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and bigotry. You can learn more about the university’s efforts on the Campus Climate website and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website.”