Duke’s current social climate prioritizes having a large amount of friends, though it is impossible to be close to all of them.
“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” —Exodus 22:20
Duke seems intent on restricting the liberty and individual autonomy of its students by basing its decision on gross exaggerations that living with someone who you are similar with is not beneficial for the college experience of exploring identity and embrace diversity.
On Thursday, Blue Devils United decided to retract its endorsement for the position of executive vice president of Duke Student Government.
I guess we Duke students are supposed to always get what we want, no matter what’s in front of us. Even if it’s other Duke students.
We use this interpretation, so clearly void of actual moral authority, as an excuse to do nothing.
But perhaps the most enduring aspect of the Olympics is that all American athletes compete to bring glory back to the United States, regardless of their race.
I realized that Blue Devils aren’t a mascot that embodies fervor and action, so instead I wanted to be represented by the worldwide symbol of enthusiasm, athleticism and pride. A sheep.
I had heard of the A word, the S word, and even the F word before, but this W word, before even I even knew what it was, seemed to be on a whole other level. After all, W is a much more exotic letter than A or S or F.
All of these problems create two distinct Dukes; one with individuals who can afford the vast luxuries that Duke and the Durham community have to offer, and another, forced to work harder in a crowd of opulent peers.
A local professor expressed concern over unknown activities occurring inside. “You see a kid go in there, and they seem completely normal,” he told officials, “but then they come out the next day, and they’re changed.” Upon these complaints, the Durham police gathered on Duke’s campus late Sunday night to investigate. But after entering through those dreadful Gothicc doors with expectations of a rescue mission, what they found was much, much worse.
Rather than submitting to fear—accepting the nervous sweat that creeps down ducked heads as students in every state frequently huddle under desks and practice hiding from shooters—we must enact change.
In order for all students to flourish, we need to support each other first and foremost. After we all finish studying for their next midterm, that is.
My greatest fear is to discover that I’m nothing more than a hypocrite, just a fraud with lofty values who in fact stands for nothing at all.
So we may all be dying faster. But damn, we look great doing it...
I am white, I stand on four legs, but that which I stand for, I shall never attain. What am I?
Being a Duke student involves much more than passively observing Duke’s institutional power at work—we have a responsibility to question, challenge, and criticize.