IT IS CERTAIN that the University reeks of a conformist, preppy culture. This culture will be reaffirmed this Saturday when patrons of the Foxfield Races finally will show off their new spring dress or add another liquor stain to their blue and orange tie.
Recent changes in the composition of the University call into question the traditions established by its all white male older alumni. Students joining in cultural traditions from the past should make room for new traditions established by a more diverse student body. However, the old traditions that represent the history of the University should continue to thrive in their own right.
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Students look forward to Foxfield weekend for the whole month of April. Foxfield is more than just a horse race. It is a celebration of the warm weather. It is a tradition that students can share with alumni who attended the event as students.
A sober look at many students' conduct by the end of the day highlights their immaturity. Regardless of this immaturity, the correct response from authorities is not stronger regulation. Instead, those who wish to tone down the event should work to change students' attitudes about drinking responsibly. Too strong a regulation of Foxfield this year only will cause attendees law enforcement headaches as well as hangover pains. Punishing more students would reduce attendance to future Foxfields, thus permanently harming the Foxfield Races as a student tradition.
Foxfield is not the only event that reeks of University tradition; end of the year fraternity parties and the graduation ceremony itself both show the Grounds in true form. These traditions are a source of controversy among non-Greek culture because they do not adequately represent the part of the University that they remember. But just as minorities stress cultural identity, these events allow students to identify with likeminded students, have a good time and fit a few more parties in before the summer.
All traditions at the University have come from a homogeneous group of people. The modern University is now more diverse, and the traditions formed by white males fail to reach out to new audiences. They tend to segregate their practitioners from the experiences of diverse people groups.
The fraternity and sorority friendly culture, including myself, should sample new cultural events at the University. When cramming more memories with friends, students leave out the new experiences that much of college is about. Studying late night on the first floor of Clemons is one of the few times they encounter students who believe in different traditions. They study and write papers next to people of different colors and traditions, students whose parents could not have contributed to University tradition. All students, regardless of the social bubble they have created, have met and formed relationships with people that are different from them. During these last few moments, why not honor the importance of those relationships and share in an event aimed at that culture.
Every student thinks of himself as a well-rounded person. Very few of them take the time to enjoy time with other cultures. If you are a music lover, go to the Black Voices Concert or the African Drum and Dance ensemble performance; if you enjoy politics, go to a talk on the Middle East Conflict. Or if you just like to party, go out to an international house party where they will drink you under the table.
All students should value the culture they have created at the University and enjoy their last days of the year or college career. Celebrate all that has made the University a subject of entertainment magazines. If the University is known for being a place that has fun, why should that tradition end now? All students constantly should evaluate their behavior in order to act appropriately, but should not shun the traditions that have put them on the map. Members of fraternities and sororities should be proud of their organization. Their pride should not ignore the fact that other cultures on Grounds call the University their own. Students should enjoy themselves in whatever they do, but no one group should seek to spoil the other's fun.
Some University traditions will only be saved by some reform. The fraternity and sorority systems have undergone major waves of reform over the last four years. Many of the things have changed transformed the nature of the University community, and some of them have been positive.
Moving formal rush to the spring has allowed first years to pursue a more diverse array of activities. They can form deeper relationships with the people in their halls and suites. Despite these changes, first-year drinking culture and that of upper-classmen has led many authorities to call for even stronger reforms including fraternity restrictions and underage drinking laws.
Students should be critical of their behavior, but they should not be forced to abandon traditions that have long been cherished. The diverse student body has changed the University experience, and thus should change student behavior. Critics of the substance of long-held traditions should condemn students who act irresponsibly, without discontinuing the social traditions that have made the University a worthwhile place.
(Matt West's column appeared Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at mwest@cavalierdaily.com.)
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