Stanford,

I have chosen to end my campaign for re-election to the ASSU Senate.

This decision was not an easy one, and was not meant to appease student groups who called for my resignation. It seems that my continued presence in the Senate race has become a distraction from the larger ASSU elections and has made it difficult for students to meaningfully discuss campus issues.

I never intended to be hurtful and am saddened by and apologize for the fact that I was. Nevertheless, I hope that this week’s events and my decision to end my campaign do not encourage or substantiate threats to free discussion. I urge all to always operate under the assumption of best intent. I urge all to recognize the difference between intentionally hateful speech and offensive speech, and to recognize what conflating the two does to limit speech and discussion. I urge all to continue to critically examine all things we deem to be realities, both at the Stanford level as well as on the national and international stage, and not restrict the speech of those who do. As I asserted in my letter yesterday to the Stanford community, our Stanford acceptance was not an invitation to accept things as they are, but an obligation to thoughtfully and continually revisit them.

While I recognize that I will no longer be a representative of the student body with the conclusion of the 17th Undergraduate Senate, I fully intend to continue my work with CAPS — in ensuring relevant and sensitive mental health care for students — and to advocate for marginalized communities and voices on and off Stanford’s campus.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Knight ’17

Contact Gabriel Knight at gknight2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.