As of late, there has been heightened national awareness to the increased instances of bullying and violence in response to Rutgers student Tyler Clementi’s as well as several other students’ suicides. In fact, it is suspected that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students with about 1,100 deaths per year. Despite this increase in national attention Wooster seems to be drifting towards the opposite end of the spectrum.
Last weekend a member of a Greek group was physically assaulted purely because she was associated with the club. The event was unprovoked and thus far speaks as the climax of hatred that has been mounting towards social clubs for no apparent reason. As a member of the Greek community it’s appalling to see the situation escalate to this level.† Hasn’t anyone learned anything from Clementi’s death?
I’m appalled to know that in three years ó –less for some of us ó these people are going to be assimilating into the “real world” and at the college level these instances of unprovoked hatred are still something that students are forced to deal with.
The hatred doesn’t seem to spawn from any direct instance or person, but rather it’s for the entire group as a collective. I am well aware of the people out there who think that Greek life is nothing more than a ploy to buy your friendships. But if you feel that way then so be it ó I respect that, but don’t express your opinions by violating someone else’s rights or slandering every member of the Greek community that you see on the weekend.
To give those who think that we buy our friends, or those who just don’t really understand what our money goes toward, I’ll let you know. For my group at least, and I know this is the same for many of the other groups on campus, the money that we pay every semester goes to social events that provide the campus entertainment on the weekends. The money is for you. Social gatherings are open, despite the discrimination against the Greek community ó we as a community don’t discriminate when determining who is allowed to attend our social events.
In regards to the hatred ó I suppose I’m left with an open-ended question: what do you get out of hating someone purely because they are in a group, slandering them in public for no reason? And why is it the Greek community that receives the brunt of this hatred?
When speaking with my mom about the subject she responded using her token phrase, “What, were these people raised by a pack of wolves?” and after the issues thus far in the semester and have to wonder is there any truth to that? I can’t force these wrong-doers to change their ways but in response I can only offer you some advice ó grow up. So next time you decide to yell s*&t at the next anonymous sorority girl that walks by, think about how you’re making that person feel and who is providing your beverages on the weekends.
Madelyn Halstead is an Editor in Chief for the Voice. She can be reached for comment at MHalstead11@wooster.edu.