University President Gregory L. Fenves declined to take action on renaming the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts in a March 16 statement. The statement came in response to the Young Democrats of Emory’s request to rename the Center and support resolutions from the 65th College Council (CC) and the 54th legislature of the Student Government Association (SGA).
“In my short time at Emory, I have seen how Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz are devoted to Emory and have been generous benefactors for the performing arts, recognizing that artistic expression enriches the lives of students, faculty, staff and the community in which we live,” Fenves wrote.
The Center is named after Donna Schwartz (62C) and Marvin Schwartz, who contributed $8 million toward the building’s construction.
Marvin Schwartz received backlash after sponsoring a controversial event featuring conservative political commentator Heather Mac Donald on Jan. 28, 2020. The event was co-hosted by Emory College Republicans and the Emory Law’s chapter of the Federalist Society.
Fenves wrote that taking action against an individual who invited a guest with differing opinions from community members “would undermine the freedom to express, share, challenge, and discover, which is the bedrock of what a university does.”
Mac Donald ignited campus-wide dissent after she claimed that the “vast majority of what is called campus rape [are] voluntary hookups” and indicted minority students who “think of themselves as victims and to see bigotry where none exists.”
“Though we recognize that the speaker’s visit angered and alienated members of our community, it was an event that was consistent with Emory policy and our commitment to the free expression of ideas,” Fenves explained. “It is important to understand that speech presented on campus does not represent endorsement by the university.”
President of Young Democrats of Emory Alex Chanen (21B) wrote in a March 17 email to the Wheel that Fenves’ statement did not address the issues raised by the organization or by SGA and CC. Young Dems has requested to meet with the President's office, Chanen said.
“At this time, we have no plans to drop the renaming initiative,” Chanen added. “We plan to continue to hold the Emory administration accountable to help create a more equitable community.”
Despite acknowledging that Mac Donald’s speech hurt communities at Emory, Third-Year CC Legislator Katherine Cui (22B) emphasized in a March 17 email to the Wheel that as an Asian female, she supports diversity and inclusion on campus. Cui, who abstained from voting on the CC resolution, added that she has “no tolerance for racial discrimination.”
“I am not saying whether we should rename it or not, but I respect the administration’s decision and I think it makes sense that they don’t want to take action, especially that this is not an easy topic,” Cui wrote. “Students have the right to voice their concerns, and the administration has the right to make their decisions as well.”
President of Emory College Republicans Jasmine Jaffe (22C) said in a March 17 email to the Wheel that the group is “very pleased with President Fenves’ renewed commitment to Emory’s policy of open expression and freedom of association.”
Emory’s Open Expression Policy protects “expression that communicates a viewpoint, regardless of form” and includes “communicative activity, whether or not it occurs in the context of a Meeting or Event.” However, civility and mutual respect “do not limit the rights protected by the Policy.”
“We are deeply saddened that there is a sizable portion of students who do not understand the importance of open expression, and rather seek to silence and push out ideologically minority voices,” Jaffe wrote. “We hope that President Fenves and the administration will do more to emphasize to the student body why free speech, a foundational element of our democracy, is a crucial element of promoting tolerance, diversity, and intellectual debate.”
