DANBURY, CONN. — After several swastikas — a symbol nowadays most commonly linked with Germany’s Nazi Party during World War II — were recently discovered on the Midtown campus of Western Connecticut State University, it sent a shockwave through the community.

“It’s terrible that such things happen, but the reason it happens is that the swastika has become a symbol of all bad things,” said Dr. Wynn Gadkar-Wilcox, assistant professor of History and Non-Western Cultures, “and people don’t understand the context.”

Gadkar-Wilcox and Dr. Michael Nolan, also an assistant professor of History and Non-Western Cultures, will hold a discussion at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, to discuss the symbol that grabs attention as an international symbol of heinous crimes against humanity.

“This is part of an educational effort to get people to understand what its origins were and how it was appropriated by the Nazis,” said Gadkar-Wilcox.

The lecture comes on the heels of one incident in particular in which a student allegedly outlined two symbols on the wet window of another student’s car. A third symbol was found in a bathroom in the Haas library and has been removed.

Although it’s seen as a generic symbol of rebellion and hatred, Gadkar-Wilcox said, the swastika is also a sacred symbol for Hindus and Buddists. The religious symbol sometimes appears as an inverted form of the Nazi swastika, but not always. They frequently grace the entrances of Buddhist and Hindu houses of worship and appear in Buddhist literature.

“In the religious arena, it represents the concept that the world is constantly changing,” said Gadkar-Wilcox, who maintains that the user’s intention denotes the symbol’s meaning. That’s why he and Nolan wanted to bring the swastika’s history into focus.

“Our students need to know why this symbol may be frightening or hateful … and they also need to know why the symbol is considered sacred to Hindus or Buddhists. If people understand both these things, these incidents are less likely to occur.

“People are motivated to use the symbol not because they want to express hatred but because someone has told them not to use it — it’s something taboo,” said Gadkar-Wilcox. “The antidote to that problem is to explain to people why they should or should not use it.”

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.