The recent push for diversity on Elon University's campus is not enough for one student.

"I am glad that Elon is taking all of these measures to bring in diversity," said senior Ali Garced, resident area coordinator of East Area. "However, I think the major issue Elon should be focusing on is keeping the little diversity that we already have here at Elon. I feel too little energy is spent on keeping our small diverse population interested in returning next year."

During a special College Coffee Oct. 25, university staff and faculty had the opportunity to tour the new Colonnades buildings and the Loy Center. Senior Taylor Ferguson, a resident assistant in the Colonnades neighborhood who identifies as bisexual, volunteered to leave her first-floor room open for the tour. At that time, she let Residence Life staff know she had two potentially racy posters in her room that she was told she would need approved.

One poster, displayed in Ferguson's bathroom, showed two women kissing while clothed. A second poster, near her bed, displays two shirtless women, but without any full frontal nudity.

When Dawn Morgan, assistant director of Residence Life in Colonnades, entered Ferguson's room about 15 minutes before the start of the tour, she asked Ferguson if she would be willing to remove them.

"I told her I would prefer not to because it took me forever and I'd already put a lot of holes in the wall," Ferguson said. "I didn't feel I needed to hide them. I'm comfortable having my parents and other residents in my room. I'd never been questioned or needed to take them down."

When Elaine Turner, director of Residence Life, entered Ferguson's room, she asked her to take them down in a tone Ferguson described as "sternly."

"I didn't know how to respond at that point, but I told her I'd prefer not to," she said.

At that point, Scott Hendershot, assistant director of Residence Life for West Area, said he'd be willing to help her put them back up following the tour. After being removed from the walls, the two posters were hidden behind Ferguson's bed.

"I get we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable," Ferguson said. "But they never gave a clear reason. (Turner) said it wasn't a personal attack."

Word spread quickly through the student staff of Residence Life and Ferguson said she regretted not taking a bigger stand against the action, in the moment.

"When I talked to (Morgan) individually (that morning), I told her I wasn't personally offended but I do feel it's hypocritical," Ferguson said. "I have my bed illegally risen and a stolen Elon football sign hanging and no one said anything about those two things. I felt as though the things they had grounds to say something about, they didn't."

Garced said diversity is a common theme among training for Residence Life staff.

"Every day we talk about diversity and how Elon is doing such a good job," she said.

Part of that training involves simulations of how to handle situations between two residents. One example, Garced said, is between a straight student and a gay student who wants to put up a flag or poster the other does not want.

"We're taught to have them work it out amongst themselves because they're in college," Garced said. "The compromise is you shouldn't keep it on the (straight) roommate's side of the wall. The answer is never to take it down."

Garced said she would like to see more emphasis put toward the diverse relationship between students and the staff and faculty.

"I think it's the staff and faculty the most that need to be the ones practicing what they preach, because from what I've seen, the students seem to have the least amount of problems," she said. "The problems arise when staff and faculty members are uncomfortable."

Ferguson said she wishes the situation could have led to a follow-up conversation with the rest of Residence Life staff explaining why the decision was made to hide the posters.

"They could have made a statement and explained themselves instead of covering it up," she said. "It was so censored and so hidden, it's almost worse. They told me to take it down, so give me a reason. Justify yourself. By hiding, it makes it look like they can't."

Morgan said she did not know the specifics of the situation and had no comment.

There is no specific Residence Life policy for posters, she said, unless they are a fire hazard, against code or offensive to the roommate, in which case it would be moved to the other side of the room.

Ferguson said she planned to speak with Morgan Nov. 9 during their weekly meeting.