Last month, Linda Osborne, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, received an angry phone call from a Tech professor who was wondering why the BCM was “encouraging hate.” The professor was complaining about the small signs placed on campus that had “Hate” written on them. After Osborne explained to the professor that “Love” was written on the other side of each sign, he then understood and apologized. Just like the professor, we too sometimes forget to look at the other side.

We are not a race. We are not a religion. We are not a gender. We are not a sexual orientation. We are not a college. We are not a political party. We are not a country.

We are individuals.

This is the idea that has come out of the Love/Hate campaign that started this spring quarter with a barrage of controversy. It’s amazing how two simple words have sparked a million thoughts over the past month. The campaign motto of “Building Bridges of Understanding” has exposed the campus to the wide variety of perspectives on religion, politics and other topics that are at times hard to swallow.

Let’s be honest, every person has stereotyped another person at least once in their life whether intentionally or not. At times, it seems like human nature to condemn rather than to understand. We have become a society of pointing fingers that chooses to blame problems on others instead of ourselves. Why? Because it’s easier to do so.

This campaign has become the call to truce for the student body; a chance to lower our egos, walk outside of our foundation of labels and stereotypes and acknowledge the rainbow of diversity that encircles our existence.

The main topic that has been targeted is the issue of religion in our country, mainly Christianity. The BCM, who put the Love/Hate campaign together, wanted to see what people’s impressions were of Christianity and Christians. In doing so, BCM students then acknowledged the responses to Christianity and personally apologized for the misconceptions and negative representations of Christianity over the years.

Donald Page, a senior photography major, said the campaign has been a growing experience for him.

“This has been a kind of re-opening for me to realize that there are so many different perspectives from my own. To get to see those in others again makes me happy.”

The idea of this campaign itself should be applauded because it has become one of the most creative and revealing looks into campus relations in our school’s history. Love/Hate is an idea that transcends campus relations and extends toward the concept of nationwide harmony. The message is to listen, to understand and to see everything; from both sides.