Dear EMU Residence Life,

I wish I could say that what you are about to read was a love letter or a thank you note or something of that sort. I would like to start by pointing out that this is unfortunately not the case. This letter is simply a message to whomever the topics that I will be talking about may concern.

To be quite honest, I was originally hesitant to write this letter as the department of Res. Life is made up of many people I work with and respect highly. However, as days went by and I received information on how certain issues were being handled, I decided – why not just go ahead and share some of my thoughts?

As grateful as I am for all the work that you have done in housing us students, we have got to talk about one of many elephants in the room. Remember the BSA House, also known as Suter House? You know, the group house that was offered to BSA by Residence Life in the spring of 2021 in hopes of creating a safe space for BIPOC students at EMU? So when did we collectively decide that that was no longer going to be the case? Now I will say that I do remember agreeing that the house could no longer be referred to as the BSA House due to policy-related reasons (even though the house was offered to BSA members as the BSA House). However, I also remember agreeing in that very same conversation that the house could and should continue being a safe space for BIPOC students.

Despite the disappointment of having the ‘BSA House’ title taken from us after only a few months into the fall semester, the residents of Suter House, including myself, were dedicated to continue making the house a safe space and hub for BIPOC students on EMU’s campus. That has been our commitment all school year and we have had success in that, if I do say so myself. From hosting BSA meetings, to providing a space for an LSA event, many of us students have worked hard in turning the house into a space for multicultural students – which was what was asked of us when we were offered the house in the first place. 

Now after almost an entire school year of living in this house, which by the way was never a group house prior to being offered to BSA, you can imagine my surprise and hurt when I learned that it was being offered next year for anyone to apply and live there.

So you’re just taking away the BIPOC safe space that you offered to us in the first place? And you’re doing so without consulting us at all whatsoever?

You know, I tried to make sense of all of this at first but then I was even more struck when I heard about conversations that were being had in addition to the reclaiming of the house. I heard through the grapevine that the same people who offered BSA the house said that the house was never meant to be a BIPOC space and that it just so happened that BSA students applied for a group house and got approved to live in Suter House.

I have emails galore proving that statement wrong. 

The house was offered to BSA as a space for BIPOC students. Then it was taken back without our knowledge. That’s what happened.

I remember so vividly starting off the school year, eager to live in the BSA House, having conversation after conversation about how I just couldn’t believe that EMU was finally creating a space dedicated to centering the needs of BIPOC students. I will be finishing out the school year knowing that it was all too good to be true. 

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Merry Yirga

Multiple More Clubs Support This Letter, Such As LSA, APISA, EMSWA, and Safe Space.