A likeness of Sen. Barack Obama was found hanging in the George Fox University quad early Tuesday along with graffiti aimed at minority recipients of a scholarship program, the university president told The Oregonian this morning. President Robin Baker said he plans to discuss the incident with the student body later this morning.
"We are a faith community driven by the teachings of Christ," said Baker, who has presided over the Christian college for about a year. "We have to express love toward each other so it was a great disappointment that anything like this would happen."
George Fox University, which is located in Newberg, was founded in 1891 by Quaker pioneers.
A custodian discovered the cutout of Obama about 7 a.m. Tuesday and removed it. The cutout was hung from a tree with fishing line near Minthorn Hall. He said the image of the African-American Democratic nominee for president was accompanied by the words, "Act Six reject."
Act Six is a scholarship program that was established two years ago and is aimed at including more low-income and minority students in the George Fox student body, Baker said. Students are chosen for their leadership potential; all receive full scholarships.
He said about seven of those students are African-American. About a quarter of the student body is minority, "which for us is a really significant achievement," he said.
Baker said he met with the students in that program late Tuesday to discuss the incident.
"Their reaction was quite positive," Baker said.
"We select these kids in their senior year of high school," he said. "We talk to them about what it is like to join a suburban campus and some of the problems associated with it. It was very disappointing to find this."