Recently, a fellow student published a column with statistics on DACA students and Dreamers. As student government leaders, we felt that it was imperative to contribute to this conversation.

As a Catholic Institution, Notre Dame has an obligation to stand for the dignity of all people. Reducing a group of students on our campus down to statistics is not the road to building a welcoming and inclusive family. As our University’s Spirit of Inclusion Statement reads:

“We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class and nationality, precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated. We must consciously work to create an environment of mutual respect, hospitality and warmth in which none are strangers and all may flourish.”

We absolutely respect everyone’s right to free speech, and strongly encourage students to discuss and debate the issues of the day. However, doing so in a reductive and incendiary fashion alienates members of our community and hinders productive conversation. We are all Notre Dame students, and we must act like it. As University President John Jenkins has said, “either we are all Notre Dame or none of us are.”

For our First Year and Transfer students who just completed their first week of classes, know that our community does not endorse language that dehumanizes anyone, especially not Notre Dame students. For members of our Notre Dame community that are DACA students and Dreamers, know that we stand with you and for you — as we do for every student on campus. It is our responsibility to leave Notre Dame better than we found it, and building a welcoming and inclusive environment is essential in our work to make Notre Dame a true force for good.

In Notre Dame,

Gates McGavick

student body president, senior

Corey Gayheart

student body vice president, senior

Briana Tucker

chief of staff, senior

Aaron Benavides

director of faith & service, sophomore

Caroline Cloonan

director of academic affairs, senior

Claire Marie Kuhn, 
co-director of dtudent affairs, senior

Clark Bowden
co-director of FUEL, sophomore

Dylan Jaskowski

executive controller, senior

Eduardo Luna

co-director of student life, junior

Elizabeth Boyle

director of gender relations, junior

Fritz Schemel

director of community engagement & outreach, sophomore

Grace Dean

director of health & wellness, sophomore

Isabel Edgar

student union secretary, sophomore

James Deitsch

director of social concerns, senior

Katherine Wallace

director of athletics, junior

Maria Palazzolo

 director of university affairs, senior

Mita Rami

director of diversity and inclusion, junior

Peter Seidner

co-director of communications, senior

Rachel Ingal

co-director of FUEL, sophomore

Thomas Krill

campus technology & amp; innovation, senior

Vivian Nweze

co-director of communications, senior

Aug. 26

The views expressed in this Letter to the Editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.