OPINIONS

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The MarqueTTe Tribune OpiniOns

PAGE 10

Aimee Galaszewski, Executive Director Benjamin Wells, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Skyler Chun, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

ediTorial board

Alexandra Garner, Executive Opinions Editor Hope Moses, Assistant Opinions Editor

Megan Woolard, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Randi Haseman, A&E Executive Lelah Byron, Projects Editor Eleanor McCaughey, Copy Chief Grace Pionek, Design Chief Izzy Bonebrake, Executive Photo Editor Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive

STAFF EDITORIAL

Andrew Amouzou, Station Manager of MUTV Reese Seberg, Station Manager of MURadio Alex Rivera Grant, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

Hiring staff to send safety alerts necessary

Silence and delayed responsiveness can be detrimental to the Marquette community’s safety.

Marquette University President Michael Lovell shared an announcement Feb. 8 about changes to Marquette University Police Department in response to “higher than usual crime rates” on Marquette’s campus.

These changes include launching a task force to assess community safety and developing 30-day, 60-day and longer term plans. Four more MUPD officers will be added to areas of campus where “pass-through” crimes occur and more LIMO drivers will be hired to increase services.

Additionally, Lovell said that required MUID swipe access will be added to residence halls, as well as campus buildings after business hours. He shared that he intends to reach out to community partners and law enforcement to learn about ways Marquette can be involved with addressing the roots of crime. Lovell also said MUPD will continue to use the “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design” to assess different safety measures on campus, such as lighting, security cameras and “traffic calming measures.”

These changes to campus safety are definitely improvements that can help prevent more crime on campus, especially adding swipe access to campus buildings can add another layer of safety for students. In addition to these changes, the university should also consider hiring a designated MUPD staff member who deals with safety alerts. University spokesperson Lynn Griffith said that the shift supervisor on each shift is currently authorized to write and send out the safety alerts. There is currently no designated MUPD staff member who deals with safety alerts. Rather, the shift supervisor on each shift is authorized to write and send out the safety alerts.

There have been consistent and ongoing issues with the timeliness and level of detail of MUPD’s safety alerts. This can lead not only to the possibility of students spreading misinformation but also to the possibility of panic. An incident of student panic occurred Friday, Feb. 4 in the Alumni Memorial Union Ballrooms, and some students told the Marquette Wire differing stories of what actually happened. MUPD sent an alert at 5:55 p.m.: “Police presence at AMU due to emergency exit door alarm accidental activation. No threat to campus. No shelter in place order.”

Some students were texting their friends not to come near the AMU because of what they perceived to be a threatening situation. In a now deleted post, one Instagram account @marquette_ affirmations even posted a photo of the AMU with the words “The AMU is not on lockdown” at 5:50 p.m, which was an entire 5 minutes before MUPD sent out the safety alert.

Students shouldn’t have to rely on each other for information because MUPD’s safety alerts are not sent out fast enough.

MUPD usually sends a followup email about the incident after sending out a safety alert. However, there was no follow-up email about the Feb. 4 incident.

Griffith said that text messages are sent to students, faculty and staff whoopt into text alerts when there is either an active threat to campus or when there is an incident on campus that is not an active threat; this would include information about a police presence on campus or for people to stay away from an investigation area. Griffith also said that the text safety alerts are intended to inform students to avoid specific areas and/or be aware of people who match descriptions that MUPD sends out.

Another recent example of slow responsiveness was when MUPD was assisting the Milwaukee Police Department with an investigation regarding the shooting of an MPD officer Jan. 27. The MUPD alert said, “Situation stabilized. No threat to campus.” There was no information about what the situation was, where it was occurring on campus or who was involved.

Both the Feb. 4 safety alert and especially the Jan. 27 safety alert provide little detail about each incident. In the Jan. 27 safety alert, students who didn’t know what was happening were left to wonder what and where “situation”

was stabilized. MUPD did send subsequent messages after its initial message, but the separation of information likely led to panic and the spread of more misinformation. The information across the three alerts should have been combined into one message, considering that there were 16 minutes between the second and first, and over an hour between the third and the second message were sent.At the time the first alert was sent Jan. 27, MUPD was already assisting MPD and students; they should have informed students of that from the start. This could have dispelled misinformation and prevented unnecessary panic. Hiring an MUPD staff member who is responsible for sending out safety alerts could improve timeliness, decrease inconsistencies across messages and alleviate responsibilities from shift supervisors who can focus on maintaining campus safety. While the new changes to improve safety are a positive step, prompt and sufficient communication cannot be left out when considering student safety. Diversity efforts should be standard in political appointments

Grace

Cady

Diversity should be a standard when appointing people to positions of power.

Justice Stephen Breyer announced he will be retiring from the Supreme Court Oct. 3. With Breyer leaving, President Joe Biden will be left with the decision of who to replace him with, arguably one of the most influential powers of a president.

Biden announced Jan. 28 that his selection for Supreme Court justice will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. This comes after the pledge he made during his campaign.

Still, many Americans struggle Grace Cady is a sophomore studying journalism. She can be with the concept of including be reached at grace.cady@marpeople of all races, gender quette.edu

identities and sexual orientations in positions of power. An ABC News and Ipsos poll was conducted in January and found that 76% of Americans believe that Biden should “consider all possible nominees” for the Supreme Court position. This opinion is understandable and one that I think many Americans can agree with: However, it isn’t a point that has been raised in the past.

The Supreme Court has consistently been made up of white men, lackingboth racial and gender diversity. Only about 4% of Supreme Court justices have historically been women. This is a huge discrepancy. Along with that, although nearly four in 10 people in America are not white, only two of nine current Supreme Court justices belong to a racial minority group. The real issue is that major discussions about diversity have only just begun, and many of these conversations are negative.

The upsetting concept is that somehow a Black woman being a Supreme Court justice is questionable because she may not be the best fit or less qualified than other candidates. Yet, this was not something that people in America were outspoken about when time after time white people, mostly men, were chosen as justices.

Capitalizing on the prospect of diversity efforts in America is a separate issue, which can manifest into performative activism, in which people will act as allies or join in on a cause for personal gain. This is disingenuous and wrong because it makes a mockery of real issues in America. However, if Biden were to claim he wanted to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court in his campaign but not follow through, then we could discuss that issue. However, he is actually going to follow through with it and take measures to ensure this intentional practice continues.

On his Saturday podcast “Verdict,” Senator Ted Cruz said, “The fact that he’s willing to make a promise at the outset that it must be a Black woman — I gotta say, that’s offensive.” Cruz also said, “Black women are, what, 6% of the U.S. population? He’s saying to 94% of Americans: ‘I don’t give a damn about you. You are ineligible.’”

Rather than adopting this perspective, I would encourage everyone to consider this: a Black woman can simultaneously bring much-needed diversity to the Supreme Court and also be intelligent, qualified and right for the position. There is no reason to suggest that it must be one or the other. Making mindful decisions about diversity and inclusion in powerful positions is important. The Supreme Court should represent all of the people of America, and that should not be a controversial notion. People of different backgrounds, whether it be race, gender or sexuality, each have unique perspectives and experiences that their fellow justices may not; these differences are what make a court more powerful. A court that includes all types of people is a more representative, stronger Supreme Court.

Solidarity must exist beyond Black History Month

Hope Moses

Black History Month is not your 28-day subscription to allyship: Standing in solidarity with Black people should be a year-round priority.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of Black people and a time for recognizing their central role in United States History. Originally, Black History Month was “Negro History Week” and was created by Carter G. Woodson and other prominent Black people in 1915.

Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries including Canada and the United Kingdom devote a month to celebrating Black history, both in February as well.

So at the beginning of the month, corporations, organizations, brands and streaming services all decide that Black lives matter; that is until the month ends. Making Black art visible on websites and changing their logos are only a few examples of what occurs during Black History Month. But this kind of performative activism is concerning and counterintuitive to the practice of solidarity.

For example, directly after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Instagram created something called “Blackout Tuesday,” in which black squares were shared on the platform in an attempt to express support for the Black community. Soon after, major brands like the GAP, Urban Outfitters and Nasty Gal all shared black squares with some variation of “we stand with you.”

Meanwhile, Black activists who use social media to amplify the voices of Black people and bring awareness to systemic issues that harm our community were overlooked and we can partly thank performative activism for that. Besides the point that Black people are always overlooked, the activism being performed by millions of people on Instagram did not help.

Not only did the black squares not drive systemic change, but the same corporations, brands and streaming services that have posted these are the same ones exploiting people of color to make their clothes, discriminating against their models and everything in between.

Yet, they stand with us, right? I think not.

Fortunately, there are healthy and effective ways to stand with the Black community and selfeducation is a great start.

Simply saying you are an ally is not enough; a critical step in allyship is acquiring knowledge about racism and its effects on minoritized groups. It is not up to the Black people around you to educate you on Black history — we are not Google. However, Google is a great place to start.

There is a plethora of resources including scholarly articles and websites that will be useful in the pursuit of understanding systemic issues. Social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube are great places to listen to first-hand accounts of people who have experienced racism as well.

I am aware that educating yourself is difficult, so there needs to be a willingness to lean into the discomfort and check your privilege as you do so, leading me to my next point: this conversation is not about you.

Although you may feel pain toward the events minoritized groups have experienced, the pain does not belong to you. Understanding this is crucial so that you do not step on the toes of people in the community; Make sure you are amplifying the voices of those in the community instead of your own.

Also, be aware that you will be under scrutiny, especially by those close to you, and to that, I encourage you to be strong and stand with our community even when you are scared. Picking and choosing when and where to be an ally is not allyship: it’s performative activism.

Allyship requires courage and the constant re-evaluating of values and principles you, as well as others, hold. It is always, and always will be, up to you to be better.

The question is: Will you rise to the occasion or will your subscription to activism end when Black History Month does?

Hope Moses is a sophomore studying journalism and peace studies. She can be reached at hope.moses@marquette.edu

Laura Niezgoda

Sexism is not new and is painfully apparent on college campuses through Greek life, sometimes resulting in abuse.

In response to last semester’s allegations of sexual assault at the University of Southern California, the school shared Jan. 21 that they will now be posting security guards at bedroom doors and will restrict students to common areas in a fraternity chapter facility, essentially acting as babysitters for adult men who engage in Greek life.

As it is commonly known, Greek life is an undergraduate, philanthropic consortium of organizations comprised of different chapters across the nation. The Interfraternity Council is the representative of all-male fraternities whereas the National Panhellenic Conference serves as the coordinating body for all-women sororities. Fraternities and sororities strive to promote academic excellence, brotherhood and sisterhood, leadership opportunities and great networking opportunities.

While there are certainly opportunities to achieve those goals, some chapters have histories tied with incidents of sexism and horrifying hazing experiences, only some of which have come to light.

The overwhelming majority opinion that sorority girls suck, are annoying and fake is a result of sexism within our society.

Sexism against sororities manifests in policies as well, sometimes creating a double standard within Greek life. At a sorority house, members are typically not allowed to have men sleep over or have men as guests past a certain time. They are also not allowed to drink in the sorority house regardless of their age, as the National Panhellenic Conference states. However, they can co-host with fraternities and have alcohol there. They are expected to put on grandiose displays that are Instagramworthy through big-little reveals, formal and recruitment.

The pressure to be perfect prevails. The attitude we see toward sororities does not present itself when it comes to fraternities. Fraternities have very relaxed rules about the chapter house, as they are governed by the Interfraternity council. They often throw frat parties, usually with copious amounts of alcohol, that sorority girls will then attend. Frat parties are reported to feel like a hunting ground for women. Moreover, attending frat parties is the activity of choice for many students on the weekend.

Sorority girls experience sexism through the majority opinion. This is wrongly attributed because they do not have the legacy of rape culture that fraternities do.

Sexism in Greek life can also manifest into incidents of abuse. A fraternity member is three times more likely to rape a girl than any other classmate. Women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience rape. Fifty-five percent of gang rapes on college campuses between 1980 and 1990 were tied to fraternities.

In addition to sexist policies

and attitudes, much of Greek life is rooted in secrecy dating back to the establishment of the first first fraternity Phi Beta Kappa in 1776. Many initiation practices, traditions and constitutions were rooted in historic practices like Greek philosophy and literature and were kept secret by its members. These practices continued in secrecy, but serve as the transition into hazing, a practice that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers a person joining an organization, regardless of their willingness to participate.

Some examples of hazing incidents on college campuses include violent paddling that led girls to go to the hospital at Rutgers University in 2010, being expected to recite chants at the threat of being verbally abused at Penn State University in 2010 and being forced to consume large amounts of alcohol resulting in head trauma and death at Penn State University in 2017. Over 250 deaths have occurred since the 1800s due to hazing-related incidents.

Violence through hazing is still violence even if it is committed by someone’s “sisters.”

Hazing is illegal in 44 states, but it persists and thrives in university life. Ninety-five percent of hazing rituals are not reported. This could lead to the belief that a fraternity or sorority may be on the anti-hazing on the outside, but allow their members to endure abuse on the inside.

Despite Greek life being less prevalent to the Marquette college experience than at other colleges, incidents of abuse still prevail.

Marquette’s chapter of Alpha Xi Delta was found in violation of anti-hazing practices in 2017. Three out of seven Marquette fraternities, Triangle, Delta Chi and Sigma Phi Delta were investigated for sexual misconduct in 2014. At the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity was also investigated in 2014 for supposedly putting “date rape” drugs in several people’s drinks at a party.

Not all fraternities and sororities engage in hazing, abuse and sexual exploitation. The main purpose of Greek life is to provide undergraduate students with leadership opportunities, academic achievement, and a place to make friends and longlasting connections and some chapters stay true to this belief.

However, the chapters that do not follow this belief must be held accountable.

Greek life cannot continue like this. This culture is built on problematic history due to hazing and sexual assault. Brotherhood and sisterhood should not be cultivated due to humiliation and abuse.

Greek life must be reevaluated. To make change, fraternity and sorority members must be able to talk about these problems; they cannot be silenced by secrecy.

Sexism, abuse prevails in Greek life

The pressure to “ be perfect prevails.”

Laura Niezgoda is a sophomore studying communication studies and criminology and law studies. She can be reached at

laura.niezgoda@marquette.edu

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The opinions expressed on the Opinions page reflect the opinions of the Opinions staff. The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.

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