Response: February 25 2009

This is the full text of the email sent to the dance program email list-serve, by the director of the dance program: Dr Ananya Chatterjea. It is the first official response we have received since we started the protest two weeks (15 days) ago.

Sub: [Dance] student activism
Date: 2/25/2009 7:42 AM

Dear all,

Many of us have recently witnessed an exhibit sprung from us from the stairwell of Barker. This has now spread to 301 and the entrances from the lobby.

Researching, planning, and realizing this exhibit has, no doubt, taken considerable time, energy, and resources. I still do not know who is responsible for this exhibit, but I have been tracking its progress.

I want to congratulate whoever has done this because of the thoughtful and thought-provoking insights with which this exhibit is filled. In particular, the thoughts around Black History Month draw our attention to today, what we need to do to think through our location in a month dedicated to commemorating "black history." I thank you for your work and for your guerilla tactics. I also thank you for your respect. There has been no angry defacing of walls but a filling up of spaces.

I am proud of this exhibit and am excited that as people from far and wide come to our campus during ACDF, they will witness a thoughtful and reflective group of students.

Thank you
Ananya