Against a backdrop of recent hate crimes, about 300 people gathered Tuesday on the Chico State University campus to say bigotry and hatred are not welcome there.

A succession of faculty, students, administrators and staff spoke before the noon rally in the campus Free Speech Area, denouncing racism.

However, the underlying message was that racial slurs and bigotry are not rare on campus, nor in the community.

"This is a daily thing. We have to remind ourselves this happens every day," said Melanie Carlson, a graduate student and one-time Associated Students elected officer.

Adam Dondro, current Associated Students executive vice president, said the rally demonstrated what Chico State was really about and that racism has no place on campus.

At the same time, he also told his audience, "Everyone here today needs to remember this is happening every day all over the country and around the world."

Bob Ray, a graduate student in political science and a long-term activist in south of campus affairs, described Chico State as the "second whitest" school in the 23-campus California State University system.

"It is very hard to feel safe on this campus if you are part of a very, very small minority," Ray told the crowd.

While Chico State President Paul J. Zingg couldn't attend the rally because he had to be at a meeting with CSU Chancellor Charles Reed in Long Beach, he sent a written statement, which was read by Provost Scott McNall.

"Our university community has been rudely reminded in recent incidents that we have a long way to go before the values that we most rely upon respect, tolerance, civility, understanding are embraced by all who come to our campus," read McNall.

"Yet an event such as this rally is a powerful reminder of our resolve to never shrink from declaring and pursuing those values that our university must stand for.

"We will not sit in silence when members of our community suffer assaults on their dignity and person.

"We will not turn away when the ugly actions of a few threaten the good will of the many.

"We will not deny our individual and collective responsibilities to build a stronger community, a greater university, and a better future," continued Zingg's statement.

Rachel Whiting, director of the Associated Students-sponsored Women's Center and one of the organizers of the rally, said that at one level the acts of graffiti and vandalism are relatively small crimes, but they are "like a pimple forming under the surface.

"If they go unchecked, they grow larger and larger," she told the Enterprise-Record.

She said the same impulses that generate race hatred can manifest themselves in sexual assaults and opposition to homosexual marriage.

Carol Burr, a professor of English and director of the campus Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies, said bigoted behaviors are saying, "We reject you."

She urged the audience to "challenge racism and all other isms' we face every day.

"This is everyone's issue and until we say, No!', to this behavior, we are complicit."