As I ate lunch in The Hub on Wednesday, March 12, I was suddenly disrupted by angry chants of "DePauw Doesn't Care" -the latest movement about white/male privilege on DePauw University's campus. Another group of people with "no voice" ironically shouting through campus.
Before I go any further, I would first like to agree with their fundamental point: White/male privilege has been, and still is, a serious issue in American society. Women still make less money than men. Whites still have better access to education than most other groups. Gays and lesbians still cannot marry in 33 states. The list goes on.
The way to combat this privilege, however, is not by chanting at every man, woman and child in a 200 foot radius that "DePauw doesn't care!" The truth is, we do care.
I can guarantee that our community is significantly more informed about these issues than most other organizations in the "real world." Through scholarships exclusively available to minority and international students, DePauw has created a student body much more diverse than a typical American community. We have a women's center, cultural resource centers and a student government that funds student organizations that cater to students of nearly every race, gender, sexual orientation and interest. Furthermore, DePauw celebrates that 95 percent of its students study off campus, allowing them to return much more culturally aware.
More shouting at the DePauw administration and student body to not be oppressive is akin to preaching to the choir. Categorizing individual actions as general "white privilege" or "male privilege" cheapens a serious issue. When you equate not being called on in class with the pay inequality of men and women or the educational gap between blacks and whites, you make a serious problem seem frivolous.
In the end, writing a list of "demands"-a technique favored by bank robbers and hostage-takers-really doesn't allow for the open dialogue you are trying to create. Saying that "DePauw doesn't care" is not only incorrect, it's frankly insulting-not only to the administration, but also to the student body it represents.
