The Point published an open letter to Point Loma Nazarene University’s Board of Trustees last month, addressing issues on campus we found in our reporting. The board is a group of about 20 people with a variety of occupations, who meet once a semester on PLNU’s campus. They play key roles in university decision-making.
They met on March 26 and read the letter, located on the front page of our 10th print edition. As members of both the press and of the PLNU community, our goal was to share what we have observed throughout our reporting and give students a voice.
For the first time since The Point began writing open letters to the board, two members, Jonna Schengel and Steve Heap, asked to meet with the editors who wrote the letter to discuss the issues raised.
We approached the conversation with open minds, not having expectations of where it would lead. Schengel and Heap came with questions primarily regarding the sections on “Listening Circles” and “Immigration and racial dialogue on campus.”
They wanted to ensure that the PLNU community felt that various political and social perspectives could be expressed on campus. In our letter, we addressed what students have expressed in our interviews — that they desired more specificity in news around the world and more opportunities to have conversations rather than listening without the opportunity to respond.
They said that there is a diversity of backgrounds and opinions on the board, and they want to avoid the institution presenting one idea.
In our letter, we highlighted a passivity we have noticed from PLNU regarding education on current events. Schengel said that the school might not address specific events in the news because of the university’s goal not to tell students how to think, but to maintain academic integrity and equip students with critical thinking skills to navigate the outside world.
However, she also said she desires for PLNU to be different from the “real world” to create a safe space to pursue education without bringing in the disruption of what current events may cause.
Considering that the purpose of Listening Circles is to listen without responding, Schengel and Heap asked for ways students can have a more conversational outlet to address issues around the nation. We suggested more opportunities for education from faculty outside of a class setting. The Point noted two such events that took place this school year, “Understanding the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza” and “Faith in Action,” which were put on by PLNU clubs. These were conversation-based, encouraging a safe space to engage with one another on different ideas.
We are grateful for this conversation and the board’s willingness and interest in addressing issues students have voiced. We hope it will open the door to more conversations in the future.
Sincerely,
Sydney Brammer, Co-Editor in Chief
Grace Chaves, Co-Editor in Chief
Zoey Peters, Opinion Editor
Ava Bailey-Klugh, News Editor
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Camden Painton