As more time passes since the two ‘bias incidents’ at Rose Hill, resident students at Fordham Lincoln Center have used solidarity signs posted on their residence doors to keep others aware. And while there appears to have been initial conflict with the posting of the signs, a resident student received an apology from Residential Life after a sign was mistakenly removed from their door.

“A staff member was unaware of the posting policy involving personal signs and took down the sign. As long as it’s not offensive language it’s allowed.” Jenifer Campbell, director of Residential Life at Lincoln Center, said in reference to the removal of the sign.

Peyton Berry, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘18, intended to express solidarity with the students affected by the recent ‘bias incidents’ at the Rose Hill campus. Berry is not alone in expressing this sentiment, as there are a number of signs of a similar nature attached to the doors of McKeon and McMahon residents, although Berry’s sign uses a very specific wording not seen in the other signs.

“I was told that a staff member took down the sign under the assumption that signs were not allowed on doors, which I was suspicious about,” Berry said. After the removal of the sign, Berry received an email from Campbell asking to meet. The text of the email said it concerned “the sign removed in haste.”

“I assumed ResLife wanted to talk to me about it, and wanted to punish me for it … No one I knew really knew what to expect, since it’s been so turbulent from a lot of things happening on both campuses.”

Berry was surprised to learn that, after Campbell explained the situation, “she wanted to apologize since signs are allowed on doors and she also offered my sign back,” Berry said.

“Basically in terms of individual doors, students can put up personal messages on their doors. They are not allowed to plaster their doors or anything to that effect, but it is allowed,” Campbell said.

“Students have the right to hang signs as long as they don’t include offensive language,” she continued.

“It was a short conversation, but it was nice to learn that ResLife was there for me and was supportive of my solidarity sign,” Berry continued.

Disclosure: Connor Mannion is on the executive board of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), the student government body for resident students of Fordham, Lincoln Center.