Members of the Bowling Green community were able to speak their minds and share their feelings following Tuesday’s election results in an on-campus Town Hall forum.

Many attendees expressed disappointment regarding the lack of information and attention to an alleged incident of assault that occurred on Crim Street Wednesday following the election.

According to a Nov. 11 Sentinel-Tribune article, the alleged assault was reported at 9:35 a.m. on Thursday morning in the 200 block of Crim Street, a day after it was said to have occurred.

Kendall Lake, senior and director of The Vagina Monologues on campus, spoke about the lack of clear and swift communication following the incident.

“I’m going to ask point blank if there are any members of the administration that can enlighten us as to why we didn’t hear about the incident that happened.”

Vice Provost Thomas Gibson chose to address Lake’s question.

“What folks really need to understand is, when incidents are reported on social media, it takes some effort for me and other administrators to known that there’s potentially an issue,” Gibson said. “If it’s not reported directly to someone either within Student Affairs, the Dean of Students Office (or) the University Police Department, there is cause for some delay in our ability to respond.”

The incident was originally brought to the University’s attention through Twitter, at which point the University reached out to the student who was attacked. The student met with administrators and worked with that student to file a police report so that an investigation could begin.

“We take these issues very, very seriously. I take these issues very, very seriously,” Gibson said.

The University responded to the incident and communicated the incident within 24 to 48 hours, Gibson said.

On Thursday night, Nicole Jackson received an email from one of her graduate students who did not feel safe on campus. Jackson, an assistant professor in the History Department, replied to Gibson on Monday.

“I get here tonight and I find out that there was essentially a student attacked,” Jackson said. “So how are we supposed to make this place safe for our students if we don’t know what happened.”

Jackson’s words were met with applause from other attendees.

“And on top of that, we recruit students. How in the world do you expect me to recruit students of color, students who are marginalized, to a campus that won’t even let me know that they are potentially unsafe?” Jackson said. “You may have told students within 48 hours, but you certainly didn’t tell us.”

Gibson admitted that there is room for improvement in communication within the entire campus community, including faculty and staff.

Vice Provost Thomas Gibson did issue an email statement to the University student community Thursday night regarding the incident.

“I want to assure you that we take these reports seriously. We are committed to investigating and responding to reports of concern,” Gibson’s email read. “The Division of Student Affairs, Office of the Dean of Students and Office of Multicultural Affairs offer support and assistance for students who experience or witness incidents of bias.”

Among many who spoke at Monday’s forum was Graduate Student Senate President Amira Hassanaoui. Hassanaoui is an international student from Tunisia, and introduced herself as a cis woman of color.

“This election hit me so strong,” Hassanaoui said. “Even though I do not identify as an American citizen, but this is not the America I signed up for when I decided to leave my homeland.”

Hassanaoui protested during the Tunisian revolution and has pledged to herself to never be silent when faced with or as a witness of oppression.

President of Black Student Union Jauntez Bates, President of the NAACP chapter at the University Bryce Davis, President of USG Amanda Dortch and other University student leaders spoke to those in attendance Monday evening, too.

There were a multitude of other diversity-related issues discussed at the forum.

These issues included a want for diversity educational programs for students, a lack of diversity at the University, the increase of racism and marginalization on campus and in the community observed since the election, unreported instances of hate crimes and a need for people to educate themselves on the topic of marginalization.

The town hall meeting was hosted by Undergraduate Student Government, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of Campus Activities, Graduate Student Senate, Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, Not In Our Town, Vision and many other campus groups and offices.