Last Thursday, The Daily Cardinal, Badger Herald, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison.com, UW-Madison and other news outlets broke headlines on a report detailing an unfortunate alleged racial incident against two black female students walking through frat row.
According to the report, the two students were cutting across the backyard of notorious UW-Madison fraternity, Delta Upsilon, when they were allegedly greeted by residents with an attack of racial slurs and classist epithets as well as a flying glass bottle.
The two students immediately reported the incident to the university. UW-Madison immediately released a statement, suspended the fraternity and initiated a full-fledged investigation. But how did many UW students initially and publicly respond to their peers falling victim to abhorrent racism?
With a surging concern, not for the victims brave enough to report the confrontation, but for the already rocky reputation blanketing the UW-Madison Greek Community.
Typical.
Flooding the Badger Herald comment section, once again, are remarks riddled with outpouring anger against coverage that is sure to ruin Delta Upsilon’s image across campus. Questions as to why The Badger Herald continuously abrades the Greek Community nestle between comments demanding the fraternity NOT be held accountable. But little attention is given to the two female victims who warrant the bulk of student support, let alone the overarching problem of racism at hand—leaving the impression that UW students just do not care.
Unfortunately, every year individuals take over the Badger Herald comment section and use it as their own anonymous and ignorant soapbox and every year this Board has a problem with it. While we understand the concern for an unwanted link between UW-Madison sororities and fraternities with incessant drinking and disgusting racism, brothers and sisters in the Greek community need to realize by joining a fraternity or sorority they represent the entire Greek system. When committing erroneous racial and classist acts against fellow students, members of the Greek community and those who join in its activities are influencing the Greek reputation as a whole. If you are a part of a fraternity, you embody that fraternity’s image. Which is why this most recent episode of outrageous racism is nothing but typical.
But what does not have to be typical is the Greek Community and UW student response. Rather than point fingers at the Greek System and grind our teeth over the dwindling reputation of Delta Upsilon, we should expand the diversity conversation and support the two girls who had the courage to recognize that any form of racism is not okay.
That said, this Board gives our support and appreciation for the girls who had the strength to stand up against racial hate and contribute to a larger conversation. We expect UW-Madison to look beyond the reputation of the Greek Community and instead to the overall issue of diversity on our campus. Let this not be a conversation over Delta Upsilon, but rather a dialogue that focuses on ways to combat racial issues. We are all students at the UW and we all deserve equal respect. Whether you are in a fraternity or not, we expect everyone to live and act by this sentiment everyday.
