I am a 1998 alum of DePauw University, and I periodically read the The DePaw online as a way to stay informed of campus news and activities. When I caught the most recent issue online, two headlines caught my attention, "String of anti-gay slurs hit home," and "Beta Theta Pi under investigation." I'd like to say that my immediate reaction was horror and sadness. But it wasn't. I sighed and thought to myself, "Wow. Thirteen years later and some things never change."
Time passes. People change. Institutions grow. And yet through it all it appears that the "DePauw bubble" is still intact. Stories about hazing and homophobia at DePauw are not new (go through the archives … trust me, they are there). The fact that these issues continue to dominate the conversation demonstrates that problems (still) exist and that not enough has been done over the years to address them. What does it have to take for the student body, administration and alumni to come together as a community, draw a line in the sand and state that these behaviors are not acceptable under any circumstances. Period.
I know the poor choice of words and actions of a few are not representative of the student body as a whole. But the fact that these issues persist year after year gives me great pause. These are not attitudes I want to be associated with as an alum, as a potential employer or as a parent.
Toby Amir Fox ‘98