Disagreeing viewpoints lead to harmful rhetoric from a first-year student at UST

As college students, we are taught to respect everyone’s opinions, even those we disagree with. 

A female first-year student attending the University of St. Thomas was recorded saying “go back to your own country, [expletive],” outside of Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota on Oct. 14.  

The comment was directed at 30-year-old, Russian-born human rights activist Derek Torstenson who was protesting the event held by Turning Point USA, an organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school and college campuses. The prospective nursing student was reportedly on her way to the event which featured keynote speaker Riley Gaines, a right-wing political activist who primarily advocates for excluding transgender women from women’s sports. 

“I’m disappointed in the school that they have students that want to be nurses, who don’t respect people’s beliefs,” Torstenson told The Record in an interview. “There’s immigrants at [UST] that reached out to me, and they were very upset by it.” 

He also told The Record that before the student made the comment, he said “you’re going into a transphobic event” to the people filtering into the building.  

Torstenson, along with other community members, are hosting a protest to demonstrate their contempt with how the university reacted to the situation from 4-6 p.m. at UST on the corner of Summit Avenue on Thursday, Oct. 22. 

The video quickly spread throughout social media, sparking outrage with many people who viewed the video announcing concerns about the idea the student was interested in entering the field of nursing. 

“Nursing has no place for racism,” said one comment under the viral video.  

Others who spoke up on social media agreed and voiced their disappointment.  

“Apparently, she aspires to be a nurse. Someone needs to educate her about the diverse patients medical professionals see,” another comment said.   

Some social media users disagreed and shared their support for the student. 

“Good for her! If you hate this country as a recent arrival and demand to change it, leave,” a commenter said. 

The University was notified of the video, and responded Tuesday, Oct. 16 saying, “the video is inconsistent with the university’s values and convictions.”  

The student has since released an apology statement, which was distributed by UST, and has withdrawn from campus.  

“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during the situation with the protesters,” she said. “What I said and did was wrong, and I understand that my actions caused hurt and disappointment. Regardless of the circumstances, I should have handled the situation with respect, and I take full responsibility for my behavior. I am truly sorry.”  

At catholic liberal arts schools like CSB+SJU and UST there should be expectations of respect and dignity that apply to not only future nurses but for everyone.  

Tasha Momanyi, a CSB junior, nursing student and co-president for the CSB+SJU Nursing Club, believes a good character is one of the most important qualities an aspiring nurse can have and nurses should prioritize their patients regardless of their personal beliefs.  

“It’s really important for us to put our beliefs aside and put everything aside and take care of the patient at hand,” she said. “Being able to take care of the patient because of their diagnosis and because they’re in pain… At the end of the day, we’re all human, despite who we are, what we are. It doesn’t matter. We’re all human.” 

Triston Vialpando, an SJU sophomore and nursing student, agreed that the profession is more than just a bachelor’s degree.  

“I think it’s disrespectful, because obviously as a nurse you will have patients of different cultures and ethnicities,” he said. “It’s immature to act that way. No nursing student should act like that.” 

This sentiment underscores a broader conversation about what it truly means to enter the healthcare field, where compassion and empathy are fundamental requirements. 

“Nursing to me means I should help everyone I can and give everyone an equal chance, and being able to help people at their lowest and keep them comfortable in their environment,” Vialpando said.  

Momanyi said the incident raised concerns about how future nurses will treat patients from different backgrounds. 

“For her to be a nursing student and to say those things and to want to take care of people who come from all different walks of life … it just proves to show where her heart is, and being a nurse isn’t truly there,” Momanyi said. 

As the editorial board of The Record, we believe everyone should have an opportunity to voice their opinions, but disrespect to human dignity is crossing the line. No fruitful discussion stems from violence, and no mutual understanding can come from spewing hate.  

We urge you to think before you react to opinions you might not agree with. As citizens who are a part of the melting pot of the United States, we should be mindful of different views and beliefs. We all come from different backgrounds and life experiences, and we are all called to respect every human’s dignity.  

As we graduate and become more integrated into the world, we should enter our careers with respect no matter if we are nurses, teachers, scientists, accountants or journalists.