An article published two years ago by The Emory Wheel urges the Emory Student Programming Council (SPC) to do better and claims that the student-run organization prevents the student body from becoming more unified. It also blames other student groups, such as Greek Life and athletic teams, for contributing to a disengaged campus environment. While Emory may lack school spirit, it is unjustified to solely blame organizations such as SPC, Greek Life and athletic teams. Creating a sense of community and school spirit requires effort from both sides, and it appears that the majority of the effort is lacking from the student body rather than Emory’s organizations.
Emory is known for its academics — not its party scene or school spirit — so why are we making the lack of spirit an issue? It is also important to address the elephant in the room: Emory’s lack of a football team. This fact is well-known to students before they enroll, and with it comes certain expectations regarding the social scene at Emory. Students should not be surprised by the lack of spirit compared to larger state schools, where spirit is built into the school’s culture. For example, we don’t have the typical tailgate events before football games, and the absence of a large campus gathering in support of an athletic team is felt. Instead of relying on external resources or complaining about the lack of spirit, students should take the initiative to organize on their own if they feel they are lacking a sense of engagement on campus. Or, if a student feels that the lack of pep interferes with their daily life, they can transfer to a university that fulfills that desire.
Simply because SPC does not hold small-scale events or have activities on weekends does not preclude students from taking the initiative to socialize. As college students, we should have the life skills necessary to initiate a conversation with classmates and invite them to hang out outside academic settings. While SPC can serve as a starting point for community building or friendships, it should not be relied upon as the foundation.
Furthermore, it is unfair to blame the lack of unification solely on academic departments, athletic teams or social organizations. The issue regarding social cliques is a universal problem and is not unique to Emory. While it is essential to acknowledge these problems, the editorial exaggerates the issue and presents it as a pressing concern exclusive to Emory, saying it “is a major problem that needs to be solved.” Social cliques are in every environment, but it's how we react to them that is the more pressing issue. And, blaming the cliques without holding the entire population accountable is problematic in itself. Without acknowledging our own contribution to the issue, we as a student body will continue to be trapped in the vicious cycle of blaming organizations that are not entirely responsible for the disconnection.
The editorial also falsely represents the social scene at Emory, suggesting that those who do not join Greek life or participate in athletics “risk painful isolation.” This is a painful exaggeration. Additionally, not only does this assertion paint athletic teams in a negative light despite athletic teams having the most school spirit on campus, it presents athletes as being contentious for wanting to spend more time with people who share similar lifestyles. If the argument is to create more school spirit and interconnectedness, then why are we blaming the one area of Emory that has it?
If we want to create a more unified campus and generate more school spirit, then part of the responsibility falls upon individual students. It is worth considering why we perceive this as problematic, given that it is precisely what we committed to by enrolling at Emory.
Elyn Lee (24C) is from Woodinville, Washington.
