Before I came to Syracuse University last fall, I would turn on the TV and see other universities’ Greek life under fire. Whether it was a sexual assault case or acts of bigotry, it always seemed like another fraternity or sorority was getting national coverage.

I never thought I’d end up going to a university that would see that problem. I never imagined seeing my friends so upset about the campus they live on or how alone and out of place they felt in their community.

As a campus, we know what was said in the Theta Tau video and we know who said it. We know Theta Tau members knew the meaning of their words, and we know they didn’t care. We can and should move the fraternity off campus and expel every single person in that video.

But this problem doesn’t leave campus the moment these students do. It’s been brewing both on and off campus for a long while.

So, we need to talk about where we go next. We must make SU’s campus a safe place for all students. And we need to shed the hate and ignorance that’s plaguing the country and this university.

The first thing we need to realize is that these aren’t “I,” “me” or “you” issues. They are “we” issues. We can all play our individual parts in making everyone feel welcome, but none of that matters if every single person on this campus isn’t committed to making that change.

The university administration has to implement policy changes. Student Association has to advocate for students to those higher-ups. The Department of Public Safety has to change policy and actually protect those who need it most: marginalized communities at SU.

But we as students are going to make the most difference.

If you see intolerance on SU’s campus, confront it. This university can’t take any more racists, but it most certainly can’t afford any more bystanders. We can’t just expect the administration to create change. We have to create the inclusive campus we want to see.

As an SA member, I’m going to continue to work toward new solutions that we as an association can implement. As a writer, I’m going to continue to discuss the issues that affect everyone on this campus, and give the microphone to those who need it most.

In the end, this campus must come together as a family. We can shout it at basketball games, write it on our merchandise and caption our photos with it. But until we realize that everyone “bleeds orange,” we’ll never have the campus we deserve and need.

Ryan Golden is a freshman policy studies and religion dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at rjgolden@syr.edu.

Published on April 20, 2018 at 6:29 pm