With the recent hate crimes on this campus, too many faculty, students and staff wonder with great concern, when will it end?

This semester alone, UW-Whitewater has faced three reported hate crimes, two of which were geared toward sexual orientation, while the most recent was geared toward racial intolerance.

With these hate crimes came the rush of various media organizations from across the state.

As a result, UW-Whitewater has seen more than its fair share of negative publicity over the past two months.

However, students, organizations, faculty and athletics have still done some impressive things this semester, receiving awards, grants and national recognition.

But these achievements have been overshadowed by the recent hate crimes, which tell the world that UW-Whitewater has not moved past the racial intolerance of the ’50s and ’60s, or the sexual rights issues that plagued the United States in the early ’90s.

When students stoop to these behaviors, not only does it make the people performing these acts look terrible, but it also tarnishes the image of this university.

Upon hearing “UW-Whitewater,” people once raved about the success of the Warhawk football team or of the university’s excellent business program.

Now, questions are raised about the safety of this university and its campus. People no longer focus on the good that has come from this university.

It takes a lot of effort and hard work for a university to build up a good reputation; a reputation that draws the attention of prospective students from across the nation.

Yet it only takes one or two bad events to set the university’s goals of attracting the best and the brightest back.

At the same time, though, many student organizations, faculty and staff have put in a lot of effort to raising awareness of the destructive nature of these hate crimes. But no matter their efforts, the perpetrators or witnesses of these acts have yet to come forward.

While it is encouraging that diversity forums and rallies are held, it appears as though the only people who attend these events are the one’s who treat their fellow humans with dignity and respect. It is unlikely that the perpetrators of these hate crimes are ever in attendence.

Still, it is vital people not give up on these efforts. The students at this university need to stand united in this time of turmoil.

Police services are making their presence on this campus known, with increased patrolling and escorting services for those who request it.

However, there is only so much the university can do to stop these events.

It is up to those who have committed these acts, or those who have witnessed them, to take a stand and put a stop to this unwarranted violence. Enough is enough.