A drama-filled spring semester just continues to amplify at Sonoma State University. Early last week, on May 2, the university sent out a campus wide email regarding what SSU described as hate crime committed on campus.

The notice reported that university staff had found a barbecue grill sitting at the bottom of the Zinfandel Village pool, located on the north-western side of campus. Found on the grill, was a rope, with the loose end of the rope fashioned into a noose and left hanging on the pool’s accessibility lift.

Following a brief description of the incident, the University provided a disclaimer within the email, “There is no suspect information at this time. We do not know the motives of the individual(s) involved in this incident.”

The email continued, “Sonoma State University is committed to maintaining an inclusive and equitable community that values diversity and fosters mutual respect. Any act of bias or discrimination based upon a protected class is prohibited pursuant to the Interim CSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation.”

Freshmen SSU student Ajai Daner, lives on campus in Cabernet Village, located right next to the scene of the incident. Daner caught a glimpse of the scene before any University Staff had arrived, “Initially, me and my friends were just kind of confused and found it kind of ridiculous. We took a minute or two just looking at it.”

Daner continued, “We had seen the rope attached to the grill, but it wasn’t until I read the email afterwards that I realized it was fashioned into some sort of noose. That’s pretty messed up and really isn’t something that should be joked around about”.

Roommate of Daner, Austin Negrete described his witness of the scene, “I at first found it kind of funny and absurd, like who throws a grill in the pool? I also didn’t get a good enough view to see the rope, so when I read the email I was a little shocked. I hope they find who did this and resolve the issue”.