What happened to us?

When I first came to Drake as a first-year student, I thought I had found a heaven on earth. Everywhere I went, I felt like I was part of a community. Sure we have our cliques and there have always been a few rifts between certain groups, but I never felt like an outsider, always a member of a community. This year, that all changed. This year, what I came to love was ripped away from me, and I’m not alone in this. Something happened to us as a community this year, and we need to act now to fix it.

Drake currently faces two major crises. The first is our problem with alcohol. The second is our problem with rape. It is shocking to me to even write that we have these problems, but the fact is, we do, and unless we address them head on, we’ll only continue to see them. The main question that we have to ask ourselves is, “Who’s to blame?” It’s easy for us as a society and as human beings to shift the blame to others. So long as your conscience is cleared, you have nothing to worry about. But herein lies our problem. By refusing to accept responsibility, we are unable to properly address our problems. Once we stop pointing fingers and start accepting the fact that we are at fault, we can begin the healing process.

And yes, I say “we.” No one person is at fault for what has happened, we all are. Who created an atmosphere of socializing that pressures people to drink, even if it means risking their own lives? Who allowed male students to view women as objects only to be used for sexual pleasure? Who let our fellow students leave campus bars when it was clear they were not capable of making conscious choices? Who permitted underaged drinking to escalate to such an unhealthy and dangerous level? Who said that burning signs protesting rape was acceptable? We all did. This is not the fault of one person, group or administration. This is the fault of a community. We are all to blame.

The most troubling thing about these tragedies is that, when talking to the first year class, they don’t seem to be concerned with what’s happening around them. I’ve heard remarks such as, “I’m sure it happened before this,” “Other schools are a lot worse,” “It’s not that big of a deal. Can’t we just move on?” Regardless of whether it has happened before, we have to deal with this now. Regardless of whether it’s happened at other schools, this does not excuse it happening at Drake. And no, we cannot just move on. We cannot sweep this under the rug. We have to confront this head on, as a community.

So, what can we do to solve this problem? It will take work. I challenge every member of the Drake community to change their thinking. Don’t pressure people to drink themselves to death. Don’t let your friends leave bars with strangers. And respect each other at all times. When you see those that are doing these things, don’t just stand by, say something! This is our home for four years, and I refuse to sit idly by and watch my home fall apart. Perhaps most importantly, though, we must reach out to each other. Talk about it with your friends. It is almost impossible to understand the horrors that have recently unfolded, but we can prevent them in the future.

Upperclassmen, get to know the first-years. Talk to them, and let them know that we are from Drake University, and we look out for one another. I refuse to let a Bulldog be threatened in these ways ever again. Put aside your differences and understand that we must confront this together. Together, we are united. Together, we can prevent these terrible events from happening again. Please, reach out and care. These are your peers, your colleagues and your friends. Do not let these horrendous acts define our college experience. Instead, let our unity as a community define it.