To remedy this situation I examined columns from The Daily Tar Heel from years past and found that I was missing one key element -- hatred for some campus group. It's the mark of every great columnist to have one group that you unabashedly declare how much sucks to the world. Thus, in keeping with my lifelong quest for acceptable mediocrity in all things, I decided to jump on the bandwagon.
My method for finding the object of my disgust was complex, innovative and most of all, foolproof: trial and error. My path now chosen, I began my search.
The first candidate I considered for the dubious distinction of "most hated group by the unkempt, scary-looking Friday columnist" is an obvious and usual choice -- fraternities and sororities. These elitists pay thousands of dollars a year to purchase friendship that apparently would have been tough for them to come by otherwise.
In contrast to the Greeks, I earn my friendships. Right? Not exactly. I don't pay three dollars for a Bud Light uptown because it actually tastes that much better than beer from the grocery store. Money spent to meet people isn't symptomatic of social ineptitude. Likewise, wearing a North Face jacket or dying your hair blue might or might not allude to your personal or social group, but it in no way says that you think your group is somehow better.
My personal experience with the UNC's Greek system has been that of down-to-earth people and open doors, even after rush. I'm not trying to say that elitism or prejudice never occurs within fraternities and sororities, but these gripes are best directed at the specific people, not the system as a whole.
So, how about our extremist Christian groups on campus? Hey, I'm glad they agree with Marty (last year, new students), but I don't go scribbling messages with chalk all over campus every time I have a successful bowel movement. Most of us would appreciate a less invasive approach to sharing ideas.
While I understand some people's distaste for such an aggressive campaign, I appreciate the Christian groups' efforts. If you genuinely believe you have the key to life that many people are missing, it would seem lazy not to passionately share this message. Our pluralistic society should possess a certain level of respect for sharing ideas, and I don't feel that a little chalk and a few shirts cross this line.
This same argument holds for environmentalists protesting with bullhorn in hand, students marching for human rights or even our beloved Pit Preacher. Sometimes you have to shout to be heard, but without the unrelenting voices of screaming political activists, dedicated followers of religion or Jared from Subway, our great nation wouldn't have hope for a better tomorrow.
Perhaps I could resent the African-American population at UNC. They seem to get preferential treatment. After all, I don't exactly see my student fees spent on a White Cultural Center. But after some honest reflection, I think another columnist had a point when he said he already attends a White Cultural Center. I don't think that "separate but equal" works in any capacity, but my hope is that the Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center won't be another mark of separation. One hopes this will provide our campus with a chance to recognize the many types of people that one may be hard-pressed to see represented on a walking tour of an old Southern campus.
