By Katie Sanchez, Editor-in-Chief

Xavier’s Take it On initiative is beginning the school year without a faculty director after communications professor Dr. Andrew Zolides left the position in May.

Zolides became the organization’s faculty director during the Fall 2023 semester. He stepped down from the role in May several weeks after he voiced frustration over the University and Xavier University Police Department (XUPD)’s actions in the arrests of two former students protesting Israel’s involvement in the war in Gaza and demanding Xavier’s divestment from Israel-affiliated companies.

Founded in 2020, Take it On is a nonpartisan initiative at Xavier aimed at promoting Ignatian civic engagement and has held events for students, faculty and staff about current events and election education. Take it On is overseen by the Office of the Provost and is run by a faculty member. 

Zolides discussed the planned protests via email with members of Xavier’s Executive Cabinet several days before Commencement. The University and XUPD Chief Robert Warfel were aware that a group under the name “XU Free Palestine” had posted online about the planned protest. XUPD and members of the Executive Cabinet had developed a plan for responding to the protests that involved arresting protestors who were outside of the designated protest area — the Husman Stage. 

“The directive from the President’s office was that (Commencement) needed to occur, and it needed to occur without incident,” Warfel said. 

Responding to this plan, Zolides decided to be present for the protest and offer to help facilitate dialogue as director of Take it On. “To me, that’s part of the role of the Take it On director. If our goal is to encourage productive, respectful civic engagement, then this is a form of civic engagement, so how can I help it go well?” he said.  

When two individuals arrived outside Cintas Center, Zolides approached them. “I said, ‘I’m not going to be with you, but I’ll be over here watching. Let me know if you need me and I will do what I can to help,’” Zolides recalled. 

After being told that they were not permitted to protest outside of Husman Stage, the two protestors were arrested. Zolides attempted to intervene during the arrest and encourage the protestors to move to Husman Stage, but the protestors declined. 

“We’re a private entity, a private institution,” said Warfel about the arrests. “The designated protest areas were made clear.”  

After the protests, Zolides attended Commencement. As Dr. Colleen Hanycz, President, exited the stage, Zolides said he shouted, “Please release the students and drop the charges!” It was unclear if Hanycz heard Zolides’ plea. 

Zolides made comments to news publications about the arrest, telling the Cincinnati Enquirer that he believed a “strong show of force” had been made against the protestors and that he believed it could have been handled more peacefully. 

In the weeks after the arrests, Zolides contacted Associate Provost for Academic Engagement Dr. Christian Mastilak, who oversees Take it On from the Office of the Provost, and Provost Dr. Rachel Chrastil, expressing a desire to discuss the events and the University’s response. Mastilak organized a private meeting between himself and Zolides, during which Zolides said Mastilak told him that senior leadership had taken issue with his actions during and after the protests, especially his discussing the matter with journalists.

Zolides said that Mastilak discussed leadership’s concerns about his position as Take it On Director, noting that if he continued in the role he should no longer make comments to the press or make public criticisms of the University. “They made it quite clear that I would be on a shorter leash,” Zolides said. 

As a result of this conversation, Zolides decided to step down as Take it On Director, believing that he could not continue to act in the role under University leadership’s vision of Take it On. 

“I want senior leadership, especially President Hanycz, to be more open to not just hearing these kinds of criticisms, but actively responding to them in public university forums,” Zolides said. Zolides also submitted an opinion piece on this topic to Newswire that will be published alongside this article. 

Mastilak declined to confirm or deny the details of this conversation or provide further comment on the matter. 

Mastilak has put out a call for the next faculty director of Take it On but has not yet determined a field of candidates. He has no set deadline for when the next director will assume their role, but hopes to do so as soon as possible. He said that Take it On will continue to work publicly and internally to promote dialogue on campus, particularly as the 2024 presidential election approaches.