The Actions of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma that came to light via a Youtube video first shared by OU Unheard were pretty despicable. I applaud President David Boren for severing “all ties and affiliations” with the fraternity and expelling two students associated with the event.

However, the inaction of UT’s Dean of Students in reprimanding our own Phi Gamma Delta fraternity for their border patrol party earlier this year perpetuates the good ol’ boy attitude of the South.

It is unfortunate that the term wetback and the offensive actions of dressing as construction workers (ironically, likely the same workers who just finished renovations on their own house) is not considered to hold the same level of vulgarity as those students over at OU’s SAE saying the “n-word” in a similar off-campus situation. 

The inaction of the UT administration and Dean of Students Sonica Reagins-Lilly in not punishing Fiji promotes the idea that you can get away from trouble if you are born into privilege and that Hispanics are still only second-class citizens.

At what point will UT instill some of the same accountability that Charlie Strong brought campus?

I thought UT stood for the core values of integrity, honesty, trust, fairness and respect toward peers in our community.

But apparently Dr. Boren is living up to those values more than the people who head the Dean of Students’ Office. Perhaps we need to change our campus before we change the world.

— Ruben Mendoza, chemical engineering and physics senior.