I would like to respond to Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Travis T. Apgar briefly:
I was the one who the assistant chief of the Troy police talked to about the boundaries, and what he said exactly was, “You’ve won this battle; just stay on the grass and off the sidewalk and you’ll be fine.” At no point was it tense, and the only other time anyone gave us instructions was when former Vice President for Student Life Ade Knowles asked us to come closer so we could better enjoy the performance he was leading.
At no point did Apgar make any effort to have a dialogue with the demonstration. His lack of understanding of the intentions is his own fault due to his inability to govern without authoritarianism, and that inability alone. This kind of bald-faced lie only serves to further illustrate the lack of honesty and integrity that the administration has demonstrated over the last two years. Perhaps, rather than project his own anxiety onto the events of October 13, Apgar should respect the primacy of student rights and work to serve the students rather than repress the students.
Dan Seel ’18
Editor’s note: this letter to the editor is in response to Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Travis T. Apgar’s comments in the November 9, 2017 article titled “Dean of Students Office begins judicial inquiries into protest participation.”