Last Thursday, the Wisconsin State Journal published a letter by Chancellor Becky Blank and Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez expressing their concern about a certain foul chant used in the UW student section at Badger home football games. Despite the fact that the student section has behaved like this for years and years, the chant has become a renewed controversy recently. I assume that's because someone who had been in a coma for decades woke up and immediately decided to stop by Camp Randall.
Sure, the chant is a little embarrassing. But given everything else going on at the university, I have to wonder, who cares?
The chant itself isn't even that bad. There's nothing about the implied oral consumption of fecal matter that's racist, sexist or homophobic. A student using a little premium cable language at a Badgers game isn't nearly as irksome as a Washington Redskins jersey.
Parents bringing their kids to Camp Randall don't want their young children exposed to foul language, which is understandable. But I'm far more concerned about the binge drinking those kids see on the walk to the stadium. When getting ready to take their kids to the game, parents should sit down and talk to them about all the unhealthy behaviors they are going to witness. During that talk, mention they are going to hear some "special college words" that the kids shouldn't repeat.
Binge drinking is just one of a whole load of issues that are more crucial at UW-Madison than a chant. At a time when some UW students deny the existence of rape culture, I'd much rather have Becky Blank and Barry Alvarez use their status to write a letter about sexual assault.
Let's find a way to deal with the real problems facing UW-Madison -- then come back with your proposal to make 19-year-olds swear less.
