You were being watched last weekend. Duke was offering a full 28 events in honor of Martin Luther King, and they were checking attendance at each one. We'd been warned: if we did not show proper "reflection on King's life," Duke was going to take away the holiday for good.
There's no word yet on what would have constituted proper reflection.
But I can still see where Duke was coming from. It seems that none of those 28 events were exactly standing-room-only, and no one wants to be taken advantage of. "The question has been raised," said Vice Provost Judith Ruderman, "about why we have this as a holiday when a lot of students are using it as an opportunity to take a long weekend off campus or a lot more partying or sleeping in." What's the point of a holiday no one celebrates?
We're also being watched as we prepare to pledge fraternities. Two weeks ago, Duke sent a letter to the families of freshmen, gently warning parents to keep their sons away from the two off-campus fraternities, Eta Prime and Delta Phi Alpha. "I do not encourage any student to join an organization not recognized by the University," said Vice President Larry Moneta.
Again, Duke's got a point. The subtext of the letter was clear: the former Kappa Sig and SAE were kicked off campus for a reason. It's much fairer for rush and pledging to be regulated by responsible adults, and it's much healthier for us to do our drinking on campus, surrounded by Party Monitors and within walking distance of our beds. And no one gets sued.
Duke must have our best interests at heart.
And yet I wish they didn't so much. Our administrators have two uncontroversial goals: (1) ensure proper respect for MLK and (2) keep us safe on the weekends. It's their method that's questionable, because they've taken a shortcut powerful people seem to love: restrict options. Guarantee right thought by punishing wrong thought; guarantee safety by keeping danger out of sight.
In other words, Duke's first priority is stamping out what it considers bad. But I'm worried that restricting options also stamps out the possibility of good.
Think about MLK Day; think about the few dozen students who went out at 11 a.m. for community service in Durham, the ones who really consider Jan. 19 one of the most important days on the calendar. It bothers me that Duke would sell out their devotion to punish the rest of us for staying in bed.
And it seems to me that a holiday with enforced reflection is worse than no holiday at all. As for the ones who sleep in--if we really think the holiday is so important, isn't it their loss? Their apathy is the price we pay for a meaningful commemoration.
The same goes for the off-campus fraternities. Eta Prime and DPA aren't my kind of people. My kind of people vomit once a month at most. But more than I take issue with them, I want a real social life at Duke, one run on student initiative and one with way more options than we have now. And allowing groups we dislike opens the door for groups we love. Eta Prime and DPA are the price we pay for a real social life. But Larry Moneta doesn't encourage any student to join an organization not recognized by the University. Really? Do we really have to be held by the hand like that?
Consider what God the Father says about the fallen angels in Paradise Lost:
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. Not free, what proof could they have given sincere Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love, Where only what they needs must do appeared, Not what they would? What praise could they receive?
And yeah, I'm a big dork to be quoting John Milton in defense of long weekends and off-campus vomiting. But it's an old argument: no right without the freedom to do wrong.
You'd think it'd be a no-brainer to a Ph.D.--but that's not how Duke thinks. Duke cares about results. As long as we go to the right parties, think the right thoughts, and avoid killing ourselves for four years, our motives aren't all that important. It's a wonderful approach when it comes to squeezing an extra million dollars out of a Nicholas or building a new dorm.
But it's a miserable approach when it comes to building men and women, which is after all a university's first business. If we're graduating as moral and social cripples, is it any surprise?
We have a responsibility to Duke: to work hard, to be honorable and to get our tuition paid. And Duke has a responsibility to us: to make us into adults. If Duke doesn't think we're holding up our end of the bargain--well, it's a two-way street.
Let go. Just let go.
Rob Goodman is a Trinity junior. His column appears every other Wednesday.
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