Hate Mongering

If anyone out there actually reads this blog and is affiliated with DePauw, I want you to know that our community is being violated by purveyors of vicious hate speech. The Westboro Baptist Church, famous for protesting military funerals becaus "God hates fags," is apparently planning on showing up at DePauw on Saturday night. From what I understand, it seems as if some students are putting on a production of "The Laramie Project," and these Christianists aren't happy about it. I ask that if any of you are willing and able that you make the trek out to Greencastle to support the students and show these interlopers how you feel about them.

On a more personal level, I feel so very violated by this. I never would have thought this would be so personal. But DePauw is such a very special place to me, the place that mad me feel comfortable enough to come out, I fee like I want to scream. I know it's not the most productive thing to do, but It's all I've got available out here in Muncie. SO MUCH RAGE.

Surveilance

According to The DePauw, DPU's public safety was using cameras in cop cars to record certain activities on fraternity bid night.

Angie Nally, director of Public Safety, confirmed that as fraternities honored their newest members, cameras installed into Public Safety officers' vehicles were recording behaviors of men which were deemed to violate the law.

She said that most footage captured involved students who were publicly intoxicated and multiple incidents of indecent exposure amongst male students. The nudity appeared to be involved with "boulder runs," a campus tradition where students run naked from living units to the boulder next to East College.

My first thought is that this is super creepy. Like...super creepy. But I don't necessarily think the university was doing anything improper. There's a lot of risky behavior that goes on on bid night, and they need to be aware of what's happening so they can keep the students safe. Though I will say that I hope this doesn't cause boulder runs to go by the wayside; it's a campus tradition that I really don't think is that big of a deal from a law enforcement perspective.

As far as implications go, the fraternities are going to have to be very much on their toes about risk management from here on out. Ideally, they'll keep better track of their guests and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed on their property. Unfortunately, what will probably happen is just covering up windows and trying to push these behaviors further underground.

It's Been a While

I know I know...I'm a terrible blogger. But whatever. I wasn't able to get out to Greencastle last week due to the inclement weather, so there really wasn't anything to talk about.

To be honest, there's not much to say this week, either. I mostly just did research on learning communities, and discovered that Greek chapters on DePauw's campus might actually fit some of the definitions that are used. However, they don't meet the most comprehensive definition I found because there is no academic component of Greek life to speak of. I think we'll be able to get there, and the work I'm doing on the faculty advisor position will (hopefully) be a part of that. There are also some skill development areas that the literature addresses that we'll need to look at, and getting alumni to recommit to the idea of self-governance for their chapters.

On the horizon, I'm going to start working with the coordinator of LGBT services to put in place a safe zone project, and I'm also going to start looking at some of the assessment data from this year's rush. Oh joy.

I'll close with a question that a Black Foot asked me at lunch yesterday: what is Sigma Nu's purpose on campus? I think this question is fundamental, and every organization should be able to answer it. So...what purpose does YOUR organization serve?

Practicum Possibilities

Well, I'm 40 hours into my 150 hour practicum now, and I'm really looking forward to the opportunities my supervisor is providing to me, some of which are in areas I never really thought I'd end up doing anything with.

The biggest area I'm going to concentrate on is obviously Greek life, as that's where I'd like to start my career in the fall. So far, I've observed a few fraternity and sorority rush rounds, which is a new experience for me since I joined through a continuous open bid my freshman year and I have no experience with sorority rush other than being annoyed by their chanting from across the street when I lived in a freshman dorm. Other projects I'll be working on are a Greek "fact book" for people unfamiliar with DePauw's Greek community, a little bit of assessment, and the development of a new job description for the faculty advisor position.

As far as other areas go, it looks like I'll be spending some time in the Multicultural Life Office, especially working with LGBT issues. I had a meeting with the coordinator of LGBT services the other day, and she thinks I could be really helpful in developing a Safe Zone program at DePauw, which sounds like a really awesome opportunity to me. The Assistant Dean was also really supportive of the idea of working on some sort of multicultural programming for Greek students, especially in relation to LGBT students.

If you'd asked me even a month ago, I never would have thought I'd be pursuing so much work in the area of LGBT life. I think this position is actually going to be quite helpful in pushing me through some of Cass's development stages, even though I'm still dubious about that particular developmental model.

And the best part of all this? I GET TO MEET DAN SAVAGE WHEN HE COMES TO DEPAUW!!!

First Post! Woo hoo!

Greetings to the none of you who will read this. How's it hanging?

Anyway, I'm starting this blog to keep track of my experience as a practicum student in the Office of Campus Life at DePauw University, my alma mater. I'm doing the practicum there as part of my degree in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education at Ball State University. I'll also try to throw in a little bit about the other classes I'm taking, my thoughts on student affairs, and the more general things that are affecting me as a grad student.

Look for a new post in a few minutes talking about my practicum experience so far.

Tschuess!