You can say what
you will about hazing, but at this point it is clear that there are bigger
issues happening on Emory’s campus.
Pledging a fraternity is a decision that individuals make, the majority
of whom are fully aware of the gravity of that decision. What goes on in fraternity basements may seem
cruel and unusual, even scary to outsiders, but the recurring issue of
sexual abuse on campus is more alarming than any instance of eating dog food or
drinking vodka. Sexual assault simply
cannot be tolerated on a college campus.
What
is nauseating about the current situation is that there is no obvious
solution. It is easy to throw a house
off campus or expel an individual when they commit a heinous act, but it
shouldn’t come down to that. The issue
at hand is clearly one of culture; sexual assault cannot be addressed on a
case-by-case basis. This is a
campus-wide issue. It should be a basic
right of students to feel safe on the campus they call home for four
years. Nobody wants to live in constant
fear of their personal wellbeing.
I
am impressed with IFC’s swift reaction to the most recent case—we cannot
continue to support a culture that breeds disrespect and neglect. It would be naïve to dismiss this social
freeze as the many taking the fall for the actions of a few. This issue is one that continues to arise and
will not cease to do so until it is addressed directly. Finally a governing body at Emory has decided
to attack a problem at its heart.
We
are the ones with the power here.
Whether or not fraternities continue to be a significant presence at
Emory and across the country remains to be seen, but, the manner in which the
student body acts socially must change.
This is an opportunity for the community as a whole to grow. Instead of erasing problems when they occur,
we have to take actions to prevent the problem from happening in the first
place.
The entire campus
would benefit from education on sexual assault; I know I’m hardly educated on
the subject, at least not formally. I’ve
been lectured on drinking responsibly, and the proper use of condoms, and birth
control on countless occasions, but I’ve never been exposed to healthy dialogue
regarding sexual assault and its prevention.
It is our responsibility as students to respect our peers and foster a
community that values the safety of its constituents. IFC has shown that it is ready to make swift
and powerful motions to change the ugly reality that current students are
living in.
In
a culture where, for many, a night out means getting blackout and going to
Maggie’s; in a culture where, for many, sexual conquest is glorified above all
else; in a culture where, for many, the campus feels like anything but home; it
is our duty to reevaluate how we interact with the people around us. I’d like to personally thank IFC for taking such
a strong stand against the abuse that plagues campuses across the country. This is no longer about institutions or
organizations; this is about community.
We need to save ours before it’s too late.
