Wespeak

Judge Individuals, Not Groups

By Nick Suplina

What sets Wesleyan apart from other distinguished liberal arts institutions is our celebrated tradition of open-mindedness, liberal attitudes, and activism. I chose to come to Wesleyan because I wanted to be a part of the diverse, active, and change-oriented environment that has made our school so unique. But our doctrine of acceptance and tolerance is often replaced by popular political trends which do not call for progressive thought, but instead places the power to judge good and bad in the hands of those that haven’t had it before.

While this may be better than perpetuating the status quo, I believe we owe ourselves a little more. In large part this article is in response to the September 1998 issue of Hermes  wherein an article titled "Wesleyan Activism: 1968-1998" provided more of a register of bad decisions by the administration and incidents in or around fraternities than a thorough history of activism. While I have a vested interest in defending fraternities because of my membership in Chi Psi, I do not wish to forgive the actions of the individuals before me. Instead, I would rather point out they were, indeed, individuals that attended Wesleyan before me. All too often judgments are being passed on entire institutions for infractions involving people that current members don’t even know.

I don’t wish to point fingers at those who wrote the article in the Hermes, the truth is, everyone is guilty of this kind of thinking at one time or another. I instead would like to ask Wesleyan as a whole to stop pointing fingers. Once we have an identified enemy, it becomes very easy to confirm all of our biases when they slip up. All we need to hear is that something, ANYTHING happened outside a frat, and instantly we assume the worst and jump to conclusions. We must be aware that when we fall into the habit of fighting against a "type" of person, we become guilty of the same discrimination Wes students have fought for so long to eliminate. I think it is time for us as educated, open-minded students to take a step back and look objectively at the way we identify issues and approach activism. It is possible to get so caught up in the spirit of reform that one doesn’t adequately reflect on what she/he is fighting against. Chi Psi and other fraternities are constantly evolving and striving towards the same positive change that many students see us as impeding. For us to achieve this change, however, it will be necessary for the entire community to leave negative stereotypes in the past and, in the true spirit of liberalism, accept us as an essential part of Wesleyan’s diverse identity.

Suplina is a member of the class of 2000