Dear Molloy,

I haven’t tried thinking about my time there in years because as much as it established a foundation for who I am as a person, I have ACTIVELY REPRESSED my memories of my time there in those halls. 

I wanted to survive high school, so I remained silent about what I saw and experienced. But my silence has gone on too long because apparently you have failed your students still. 

Today? I’ve got time and I’m gonna hold you accountable for once.

My name is Kris Atienza. I graduated in 2012, with many friends and treated as a leader in many after school groups. One lesson I’ve kept all these years is that I’ve got a voice and I should use it. So here I am.

During my last visit? I remember getting grossly hit on by male students while some teachers and TAs just did nothing. Actually, that’s a lie, they were more concerned that I had my phone out and not at those comments. That was in 2013. I have actively avoided returning to the school because I know deep in my heart that I’m probably not welcome back there (because since graduation, I’ve come out as non-binary and openly queer, and I remember exactly how teachers and students talked about people like me.) 

And as I read your instagram comment section, I am again filled with anger as all my memories at Molloy come crashing back to me. Reading the names of some faculty *still* being the ones with problematic behavior is disheartening. I forgot about how ignorant teachers were and how they would encourage other students to join in.

I forgot how much ignorance would be spread by teachers and how many times we uncomfortably laughed to just avoid being singled out. I forgot how many times I shared looks with other students of color when we would hear some of the things teachers would say. I remember having other students of color warning me which teachers were outwardly racist or sexist and how to avoid them or at least appease them. We had each other since it was very clear that the administration did not have us. 

I remember every single year I attended that you would send a group of students to the Right to Life march. Every year. And always made sure to feature them in our yearbook. If you were able to proudly have your students associate with that movement, why are you so hesitant to support the black lives matter movement? If you were willing to send your students to peacefully protest for life at its beginning, surely you agree that those who are getting killed for their race are also entitled to their right to live?

You had teachers that were definitely not afraid to show the graphic nature of abortion, why are you so scared to address the graphic reality that so many of your students, past and present, face?

Why haven’t you addressed ANY of the criticisms that were brought forward on your social media? I know you’re well aware of whatever is posted about y’all, some faculty were not quiet about possibly filing lawsuits against students talking poorly about them on facebook. 

I remember how many awards and trophies were brought back to the school, courtesy of many students of color. How dare you use the students as nice props to make you look good while still sitting on your hands and doing nothing to support them? You have so many alumni, you never let us forget that, so why don’t you use all those highly regarded connections and actually make a difference for the future.

I thought it was strange that as much as my mom would say that your institution provided a lot to me, I always struggled remembering my time as a student. It’s because I forgot how much ignorance I experienced on a regular basis. I forgot how much white students would get away with everything, while everyone else would get punished for the same exact things.  

I regret all the times I acted like you were the perfect institution, when all you cared about was making yourself look like the best while cultivating an ugly culture. I used to regret deleting so many people after I graduated. But now I don’t, because it seems that a lot of the ugliness of society just so happened to be thriving within those who I cut out of my life. I am eternally grateful for the few friends I still have to this day from my time there, because I know I wouldn’t have made it without them. 

It’s 2020 and we are here. You have all these notable alumni and yet you offer a minimal statement during these hectic times. Do better.