Here’s the quotes we’ve collected over the past few weeks from students with their thoughts on the Statesboro campus book burning incident.

When people act harshly like that, I just don’t think they’re acting as they should. They’re just being too rash about it and not looking at it from another person’s perspective; they’re only thinking about themselves. And I really think people need to just step back, count to 10, and just look at the other side instead of acting so harshly.

Makayla Brown, dual-enrollment student

I think it’s stupid that they did it. I think there are other ways to practice what we believe instead of setting someone’s book on fire and following them to their hotel. I mean, I think they had every right to do what they did but I don’t think it was okay.

Jordan Whitaker, junior elementary education major

Johnathan, who preferred not to give his last name, said, “I think for anyone if your only way of arguing is shutting the other person out then you’ve already failed your point.”

Johnathan is a junior in IT Services.

I understand that it’s their freedom of speech, so they have the right to feel that way, but I think there’s a more respectful way to go about showing your disagreement with the topic… I believe white privilege is a topic that needs to be talked about. A lot of people don’t really notice some of the things that they’re able to do. And it’s not to make anybody feel bad, but it’s just something real that needs to be talked about.

Justin Cosby, senior Elementary Education major 

I feel like there’s a lot of overreaction [to the book burning]. I feel as though they were well within their rights to have burnt the book, based on the first amendment. I do believe that they should not have mobbed their hotel. I don’t know exactly what she said but I’m sure that if it was bad enough to have burnt a book, I fully support that.

Anonymous

The book burning was very distasteful and not classy at all. I am in fact, disgusted that Georgia Southern is not taking any action against the students involved. They did not even give them a slap on the wrist. All this talk of diversity and inclusion, yet you cannot understand how you have privilege? I could respect it more if they just actually asked, “I do not understand how I have privilege, can someone explain to me?” This is more than right now, this is generations of proven history repeating itself.

Ricky Perkins, Armstrong Campus NAACP President, senior Public Health major

The entire situation is disappointing. We can’t progress if we ignore the experiences of another. Instead of burning her book, it would have been more appropriate to discuss the matter further in FYE or organized a student-led debate. I wish they would’ve allowed the author to elaborate more on how white privilege is a very real thing.

Deja Wright, Junior, Sociology

I think the whole thing was just… stupid. Like, who even cares that much about what a book says? At the end of the day it’s just words on paper. Yeah sure they had the right to do it but that doesn’t make it not dumb. I hope the author doesn’t stop doing her tours because of this.

Anonymous, Sophomore, Biology

Disappointed but not surprised.

Ivan Acha

They put others in danger… White sensitivity is a real thing. If you don’t think you benefit from w.p. [white privilege], then open your eyes.-

Kareem El-Hadi, senior biology major 

I don’t really care. I am minding my own business.

Charlie Conger, sophomore