Last Monday, a resolution was introduced in the Student Government Association (SGA) regarding the Yik Yak anonymous gossip and social messaging app. The app has gained popularity in recent months and, at times, has been used to promote hate speech and discriminatory sentiments towards specific individuals and groups at Emory. SGA Resolution 48sl03 calls for the Emory community to discontinue its use of the app through a university-wide Yik Yak ban across all Emory wireless networks. We recognize that the issue has been highly debated, and that the Emory College student population is divided on this issue.
As of Wednesday night, the legislative body of the 59th College Council has voted to stand in full support of SGA on the issue of urging Emory University’s Libraries and Information Technology Services to disable the usage of Yik Yak on Emory’s networks. We as a Council believe that concrete steps must be taken to promote the safe and inclusive community we have committed ourselves to uphold. Yik Yak has already proven itself to be in direct conflict with the Emory University Discriminatory Harassment Policy (Policy 1.3.2). While College Council recognizes that not all posts on Yik Yak are discriminatory or hateful, it is unacceptable for the university to provide a vehicle for such speech, given the nature of Emory’s Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment policies. Spaces, whether physical or virtual, that are consistently misused to promote hate speech, must be acknowledged and rejected by the University.
The purpose of this resolution is not to restrict Emory students from using Yik Yak but rather to encourage the University to uphold its values set forth in Policy 1.3.2, by condemning hate speech and restricting Yik Yak usage through Emory University resources, including EmoryUnplugged.
We call on SGA to vote in favor of Resolution 48sl03 at their meeting on Monday, which is open to members of the Emory community who would like to share their opinions on the matter.
The above letter represents the majority opinion of the 59th College Council.
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
So Emory is going to say take it down and take away this resource for people to promote hate speech instead of enlightening the philosophical/ideological foundations of its students. Yik Yak is just ONE vehicle for hateful speech or what not. Does changing one aspect of the environment really change the workings of the mind and of the human spirit overnight? Because this sounds like another development where overnight change is expected and after all is said and done is expected to be forgotten.