Everyone's favorite punching bag these days are the Greeks and anyone whose last name ironically rhymes with "luck." From one silly sexual escapade and a few ill-advised comments that became the media's obsession, a host of unsubstantiated and quite dramatic claims have arisen.
Apparently, according to Progressive Alliance member Jeanine Divis, members of the Greek community cannot adequately represent the diverse student body. That seems like a case of stereotyping, much like the ones so frequently and vehemently despised by liberals and Alliance members. In fact, I guess Jeanine would additionally find the 75 percent of leaders in her Democratic Party who are Greek unable to represent her any longer as well.
Or maybe she only means the Greeks at ASU. As if we would be so much better off when liberal, progressive (read: socialist) candidates smoke out those awful Greeks with some good old sexual McCarthyism and sanctimonious grandstanding and sweep the next ASASU elections.
That student government will definitely be more representative of the diverse ASU student body: they'll represent the liberals and minorities, instead of the Greeks. Even worse, they'll represent only the far left political agenda instead of the broad range of political and social beliefs represented by Greeks.
All this might not matter, though, with some people advocating the abolition of student government. These people would prefer no representation to imperfect representation. This would make perfect sense if one thinks that it's absolutely reasonable to expect young, professionally inexperienced, bright and eager college students to never make mistakes.
If ASASU is abolished, Brian Buck will be vindicated when he stated that ASU isn't Harvard; Harvard has not one, but three student governments. Even more startling, appearing in the Harvard student government bylaws is a prohibition on any action that "abridges freedom of speech."
That doesn't sound like a student government that would ask one of its members to leave for making true, if unflattering, statements about their University. Better yet, I'd be willing to wager that Harvard students would not panic at the irrational fear that their school was being irreparably damaged by the comments of a single student.
The fact that so many are outraged at the implications "Shane's World" has for ASU's reputation exposes unwarranted and deep-seeded insecurities about our school. ASU has seen its share of scandals, some of which have received mass media attention like the point-shaving scandal, but no one called for the dismantling of athletic programs. ASU survived then as it will survive now, because its students, faculty, and colleges are some of the best in higher education.
Let's remember that digging into the private lives of students that participate in any school activity is an affair better left to the closed-minded and ignorant. If we're going to start prohibiting students with past mistakes from contributing to the campus community, we won't have anyone left. After all, if Buck can't exercise his constitutionally protected freedoms, those who have ever engaged in illegal activities better withdraw from school now.
They should take a cue from Dan Moody, former ASASU government relations director, who resigned from ASASU in the midst of actual claims of illegal behavior while in office (such as racial harassment and threatened violence). Illegal actions, not having unpopular views, truly justify resignation. The idea that students must have never made poor choices in order to have the right to attend and fully participate in the college experience is reminiscent of the types of oppressive policies we supposedly left behind generations ago.
Amanda Norris is a political science senior. Reach her at Amanda.Norris@asu.edu.
