Oregon Public Broadcasting

A quiet Oregon university campus is recovering from the shock of a racially charged incident.

George Fox University President Robin Baker addressed his student body at a chapel service Wednesday morning. He began by describing what was discovered on the Newberg campus.

President Robin Baker: “At seven A.M. on Tuesday morning, a university employee discovered a life-sized cardboard cutout of Barack Obama, attached by fishing line to a tree, near Minthorne Hall. A sign on Mr. Obama, Senator Obama, said ‘Act Six Reject.’”

Act Six is a two year-old program at George Fox University. It offers scholarships and support for minority and low-income students interested in attending Christian colleges. As Rob Manning reports, students and staff are responding with anger and determination.

George Fox University is a predominantly white campus, but it’s a school working hard to bring more students of color.

The Act Six program includes 17 underclassmen. When the Obama effigy was discovered yesterday, most of the Act Six students heard at a meeting.

Vanessa Wilkins heard Tuesday night.

Vanessa Wilkens: “I was at first, very angry, very angry. The action of putting the Obama cutout hanging from a tree - that’s despicable. But having it attack the specific group that I’m involved in, it brought it to a level that I’ve never experienced before.”

The university addressed the Obama-Act Six controversy at a chapel assembly. Like most mornings, it began with upbeat Christian music and a folksy sermon featuring pop culture references to the Lord of the Rings’ movies mixed in with Adam and Eve.

Only today, it ended with an emotional address from university president, Robin Baker.

Baker forcefully denounced the incident, and invoked the college’s Christian mission, in addressing the student body.

Robin Baker: “I state boldly to our world that those of us who love Jesus will lead our community in our efforts to serve and love others. This act causes some to question our commitment. Whoever put up that cardboard piece was wrong, and I want you to know that I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

Julianne Johnson: “Father we are just challenged this morning.”

That’s Act Six director, Julianne Johnson.

Julianne Johnson: “By seeing the underbelly of what humankind can be.”

As Baker and Johnson spoke, they were flanked on both sides by a few dozen students, many of them recipients of the Act Six program.

Thalia Delgado is a freshman Act Six scholar from Portland. She says hearing about the cardboard cutout has damaged her comfort level.

Thalia Delgado: “After this incident, I still feel like a lot of people here are genuine and caring, but then there’s in the back of your head it’s just that feeling of ‘who could it have been’ and ‘does that really exist here?’ Because a lot of those issues, like political issues, or race, or issues related to Act Six are constantly swept under the rug, and incidents like this make it really real to all of us.”

The university is conducting an investigation, though they’re not saying yet whether students are responsible. And although Vanessa Wilkins initially said she was angry about the incident, she’s not convinced there’s a widespread problem with racism on campus.

Vanessa Wilkins: “This is a small portion of George Fox, it’s not a representation of the community we have here. We have a lot of support.”

Wilkins’ fellow Act Six scholar, Thalia Delgado, who said she feared sensitive topics have been avoided in the past, says they’re slowly coming to the surface. She recalls a chat she had last night - after the campus was swirling with news of the racial incident.

Thalia Delgado: “Like last night, I was up til four in the morning, in my dorm talking with upperclassmen and other freshmen, and they were asking questions about my life, and as an Act Six student, that’s what I’m here for.”

University officials say that the Act Six program is named for the book of the Bible, The Acts. Officials point out that conflict is a frequent theme in that part of the Bible.

But as efforts take place on campus, there are some worries about the collateral damage throughout Oregon, especially among potential students. Again, Julianne Johnson, the Act Six director.

Julianne Johnson: "But could it compromise our selection process, that applications are actually supposed to come in, in October, the 14th? Yes, absolutely, if we don’t get out to the community.”

University leaders plan to set up what they’re calling ‘talk back sessions’ for both students of color, and white students, over the next few weeks. But president Robin Baker says the issue of racial relations will be a challenge for the students for the rest of the year.