In the past several months, Syracuse University has been rocked by the Theta Tau controversy. But missteps were not limited to the basement of the fraternity’s house where the now infamous videos were recorded. The university showed over the course of weeks and months that its priority was the image of SU.

The administration handled Theta Tau’s expulsion as a public relations issue. They did enact policy changes and launched initiatives, and some of the students involved in the videos were suspended for one or two years.

But that’s like only putting a bandage over a gunshot wound. The spring semester ended with a massive public forum at Hendricks Chapel where students raised concerns of what they said was campus-wide bias and discrimination.

Do you think that pain healed over the summer? No.

The public relations campaign won’t solve that, and ending the dialogue started after Theta Tau’s initial suspension won’t do anything productive.

Tayla Myree, a leader of the Recognize Us movement, a student social justice group formed after Theta Tau’s initial suspension from SU, said she feels many people involved in the videos have been “left off the hook.”

And the former vice regent of Theta Tau successfully appealed his suspension from SU.

SU has done the bare minimum, in cases. For that, it should not be applauded.

Ryan Golden is a sophomore policy studies and religion dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at rjgolden@syr.edu and on Twitter @RyanJGolden.

Published on August 29, 2018 at 10:38 pm