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November 16, 2005
Krystel Jackson stands outside her door in West Hall at Northwestern Michigan College, where a racial slur was allegedly written in permenant marker. Sanctions issued after slur appears on dorm doorTRAVERSE CITY - Northwestern Michigan College ordered two students to move and one non-student to stay away from the dorms after a racial slur allegedly was written on the door of a black student.The college sanctioned Elizabeth Feister, 19, of Cadillac, and Kristen Hunter, 19, of Leslie, for graffiti that was reported on Nov. 2. The women said they did not write the words and are appealing the college's action. The college also ordered that Brian Helmsley, a non-student, be banned from the two dorm buildings for more than a year unless he is escorted by a security officer. Helmsley admitted to writing the slur, according to a letter from the college to him. "We don't tolerate this type of behavior," college spokesman Dean Jones said. Krystel Jackson, 18, returned to her room with a friend the evening of Nov. 2 and found the phrase "African Tribal Bitch" written on her door in permanent marker. Jackson, who was born in South Africa and grew up in Switzerland, said she was angry and afraid when she found the message. "I was scared. I was shocked," she said. "It hurt a lot." She and her friend Leniesha Lowery, 18, originally from Detroit, said they both have had trouble eating and sleeping since the incident. "We were mad at first but when we got to thinking about it, we sat down and started crying," Jackson said. "We've always felt welcome until that day," Lowery said. Both said they never have encountered racist remarks before. Several students - black, white and Asian - signed a note expressing support to them after the incident, Jackson said. Others have said it's been "blown out of proportion" after a story about it appeared in the student newspaper, the White Pine Press, Jackson said. "It is a big deal," she said. "You just don't do that." Letters from the college addressed to Hunter and Feister on Nov. 10 do not mention the graffiti but state "You are responsible for the above-referenced violation of the Student Code of Conduct and Residence Hall Community Living Standards." In addition to relocating, they are ordered to not have any contact with Jackson. Violation could result in removal from the residence halls. The letter to Helmsley lists the phrase written on the door. If he violates the sanction, police will be notified to escort him from campus and he could face trespassing charges, the letter states. Traverse City police also were called after the original occurrence. Hunter and Feister said they have had disagreements with Jackson in the past, but nothing to do with race. "I think it's disgusting," Hunter said of the words written on Jackson's door. "We understand why she's upset," Feister said. Chuck Shreve, dean of student services, would not detail the students' alleged involvement. But he said investigations "revealed a connection of some sort." Both students said they're being maligned for something they didn't do and that they are not friends of Helmsley. They said he hung around the dorm and a lot of people there knew him. Carol Schubel, who lives in the dorm room next to Jackson, said she believes the graffiti was an isolated incident. "Everybody likes her up here," she said of Jackson. "I think it's fine on this floor." Kaylee Patterson, a student who lives off campus, was disturbed to hear of the incident. "It really bothers me," she said.
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