the depauw | opinion
Page 8
Tuesday, may 7, 2013
The DePauw | Editorial Board
emily brelage
Cheers, Tears and Jeers Cheers to the women’s basketball team and another National Championship banner. Tears to sexual assault and other violent crimes on campus. Jeers to excise — missed ya this semester.
Cheers to the completion of the Anderson Street entrance. Tears to the men’s lacrosse team’s first season. Jeers to academic buildings not up to ADA standards.
dave jorgenson / the depauw
Making the most of this corner of the world
Cheers to the new dining service. Tears to Steve Santo’s departure from DePauw. Jeers to campus’s eternally slow wi-fi connection. Cheers to the Ubbens and all they do for the university. Tears to Marvin Long’s passing. Jeers to Lucy “Roland.” Cheers to the exciting changes taking place on campus. Tears to all of the resulting construction. Jeers to vandalism of public art and political statements. Cheers to Walker Cup winner Mark Fadel. Tears to the Class of 2013 graduating, and losing the ten seniors we have on staff at The DePauw. Jeers to honors societies’s exorbitant fees. Cheers to The DePauw winning awards. email us at edboard@thedepauw.com
EDITORIAL POLICY The DePauw is an independently managed and financed student newspaper. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of DePauw University or the Student Publications Board. Editorials are the responsibility of The DePauw editorial board (names above). The opinions expressed by cartoonists, columnists and in letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial staff of The DePauw.
The DePauw welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and accompanied by the author’s name and phone number. Letters have a 350-word limit and are subject to editing for style and length. The DePauw reserves the right to reject letters that are libelous or sent for promotional or advertising purposes. Deliver letters to the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media, email the editor-in-chief, Danal Ferguson, at editor@thedepauw.com or write The DePauw at 609 S. Locust St., Greencastle, Ind. 46135.
isabelle chapman
L
Cheers to a successful and safe Little 5. Tears to credit card fraud. Jeers to the waste of the Hoover Gates.
Cheers to lectures from the likes of Jane Goodall and Carl Bernstein. Tears to laptop thefts. Jeers to the Norovirus. Vom.
page 9
DePauw and sexual assault: What information are we owed?
Dana Ferguson | Editor-in-Chief Izzy Chapman | Managing Editor Joseph Fanelli | Managing Editor Becca Stanek | Chief Copy Editor Anastasia Way | Chief Copy Editor
Cheers to the donations of tons of money from dedicated alums. Tears to the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. Jeers to the Blue Door: “Closing forever?”
the depauw | opinion
Tuesday, may 7, 2013
shelby bremer
A
s I sit down to write the final column of my college career, I find that for once in my rather opinionated life, I don’t quite know what to say. Do I go with a thoughtful reflection on how much DePauw means to me, a cliché senior wisdom piece full of advice or simply pen my thoughts on a topic of the day? In searching for “real world” opportunities, I recently filled out an application for a fellowship that asked, among other things, that I write a cover letter on how I’ve “changed the world.” I balked upon reading that, not knowing how to respond without presumption. I’m not inclined to say I’ve changed the world at all, or ever will, given my limited abilities and just 22 short years. I pondered the topic, and consulted my most trusted advisors—what can I say that I’ve done? I can’t even cure my own seasonal cold, let alone find a cure for cancer. I will never understand calculus, and I leave my tab open far too often to be considered influential in any way, shape, or form. I’m graduating college much more aware of the world’s problems, but hardly equipped to single-handedly eradicate poverty, hunger or any of the myriad of issues we face. But over time, I thought about what matters to me and I realized what I could say. I definitely haven’t made the world a better place, but I try every day to make my little corner of Indiana better by doing what I can while I’m here. And what
that means to me is being the best version of myself, and trying to be as kind as I can to everyone I encounter. Call me idealistic, even naïve or silly if you will, but I’m leaving DePauw for an indeterminate stay in my parents’ basement with zero job prospects, and more optimism than ever. I have to believe that I can find my way, because DePauw has taught me that everything we do has an impact, and if you can bloom where you’re planted, that’s more than enough. Because of my time here, I’ve learned how to truly be where I am, and take everything in day-by-day. If we all stopped worrying about our next meeting, next assignment, next presentation, and remembered that everyone is stumbling their way through this campus and this life in just the same ways we are, I think we can all make the world a better place. Doing what you can, where you are, with what you have, is in itself, revolutionary. I’ve always held myself to high standards, and expected the same of my friends. But what I’ve learned is that you have to make concessions for others. Allow them mistakes, and in the process, you’ll find that you’re imperfect and entirely forgiven too. Someone once told me that all conflicts we have with others are just internal battles that we project outward, and if you look at the problems you have, I think you’ll find that there’s a lot of truth to that. So no, fellowship committee and devoted readership (hi Mom!), I haven’t changed the world. I haven’t even changed this campus. But I’ve done my best, and have had four fantastic years in the process. I’m so grateful and unbelievably lucky to have been here, and I know now that it’s time to make other little corners of the world better too. — Bremer is a senior from Clarendon Hills, Ill. majoring in communication. opinion@thedepauw.com
et’s just say that (hypothetically, of course) The DePauw wanted to report on a case of sexual assault this semester that resulted in the departure of a student. Under this potential scenario, the incident in question would be dealt with under the sexual misconduct policy via DePauw’s Sexual Misconduct Board. In all likelihood, our investigative team would find it exceedingly difficult to access information regarding this case, given the hushed nature of these proceedings. Administrators, presented with questions on this type of case, would cite FERPA—the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which seeks to protect the privacy of students’ educational records without receiving prior consent. But under FERPA’s section 99.31, the university is not prohibited from disclosing the results of a disciplinary proceeding if “the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense” and when “the student has committed a violation of the institution’s rules or policies.” FERPA, then, clearly states that while a univer-
dana ferguson
sity is not necessarily obligated to protect student privacy, it is not obligated to reveal any information, either. We understand that in this (hypothetical) case, DePauw would utilize the policies that are in place in order to protect the privacy of students undergoing difficult and delicate situations. But as journalists, we have the challenging responsibility of pursuing the truth and making that truth accessible to our student body. We also feel a certain duty, as student journalists, to hold our administration accountable. The question we would like to pose is this— what is the obligation of the university to provide meaningful, accurate information when it comes to cases of dismissed or departed students because of sexual assault? What information does DePauw owe us, its current stakeholders? As a private institution, the answer we’ve been met with is not much. According to Mark Goodman, a former executive director of the Student Press Law Center and current Professor and Knight Chair in Scholastic
PHOTOPINION Seniors: What have you learned during your time at The DePauw?
“I never thought I could laugh, cry and put out in the same room twice a week.”
ellen kobe “beef”
“I’m just happy to be here.”
Alex “RU” paul
“People say dumb things a lot.”
nicky “not cock” chokran “When did everyone get so goddamn sensitive?”
joe “tron” fanelli
Journalism at Kent State University, “There’s no legal reasoning for why the administration can restrict this information, but there is also no affirmative obligation that they release the information.” So if the university is not legally liable, what about morally? In cases of sexual assault, depriving students of information about convicted perpetrators within the Sexual Misconduct Board’s disciplinary system can not only perpetuate a cycle of violence and sexual assault, but can condone it. Not to mention that falsely accusing a peer of sexual assault becomes much easier without the consequences of a court case or a public record. But even though the university does not have to provide us with adequate answers, should it? According to Christopher Wells DePauw’s vice president of communication and strategic development, there is no one way to this question. “I think it’s complicated. There is no simple declaration that I can make. It’s very difficult to make a blanket statement about those kinds of cases,” Wells said. Our concern lies in the fact that the absence of information creates rumors, innuendos and falsehoods. The absence of information can be just as harmful to those involved in cases of sexual misconduct as it can be protective. It can also leave students in the dark about arguably the most important issue on this campus—or any college campus, for that matter. We, as uninformed students, are either left with our questions or we jump to conclusions that may
“I perfected the art of bossing people around.”
“J” isabelle chapman
or may not be justifiable. “There is a great risk of sacrificing the larger community by standing by this notion that ‘we can’t give you details of specific incidents,’ even when we’ve found someone responsible of this very serious misbehavior,” Goodman said. While we have the utmost respect for the university’s intent to protect the vulnerability of both parties involved in sexual assault cases, it also must consider the harm its silence could impose on the other 2,388 students on campus. Let’s just say this (hypothetical) perpetrator left DePauw, and its student body was left with gossip rather than facts. How do we find a better way to be informed of sexual assault at DePauw? How can we begin to look at such a complex issue more meaningfully? We argue that this begins with more information, not less. — Brelage is a senior from Indianapolis, Ind. majoring in English writing. Chapman is a senior from Lake Bluff, Ill. majoring in English writing. Ferguson is a junior from Minneapolis, Minn. majoring in communication and Spanish. opinion@thedepauw.com
“People only read the photo opinion.”
emily brelage-“rant” “I still don’t know how to make an em dash.”
margaret “greta” distler emily brelage / the depauw