Evaluating our ethics

By Tatiana Sanchez

Does receiving a Jesuit education from a reputable university help form ethical individuals who are more morally conscious than other university students?

For many years, Santa Clara has been known for its superior education and strong reputation. But perhaps more than anything, Santa Clara is best known for its degree of Jesuit education. We are the cream of the crop, so to speak, and our Jesuit principals constantly present us with a high demand to reach our fullest potential.

Though it seems that Santa Clara has set a high standard in terms of student life and quality of education, its students still struggle with the same issues that many college students across the country deal with today. But what's more is that attending Santa Clara does not mean students will make smarter or more ethical decisions.

One would think that being in a Jesuit institution would make students more morally conscious of their actions. However, in my time here at Santa Clara, I have seen plenty of students committing what many would consider highly immoral acts. After being here for three years, I can honestly say that I too have made my fair share of immoral choices.

College students are notorious for their wild lifestyles, which commonly consist of sex, drugs and alcohol. And despite our Jesuit foundation, Santa Clara has a significant alcohol and drug abuse problem. In the last 3 years, there have been 12 on-campus arrests for liquor law violations, and 1,878 disciplinary referrals for such violations, according to Campus Safety and Santa Clara Police Department's crime report.

Similarly, there have been 2 on-campus arrests for drug-related violations, and 226 disciplinary referrals for such violations. And perhaps not visible to the naked eye is our underground cocaine use. With a large number of alcohol poisonings and EMT calls occurring every year, it seems that students are taking binge drinking and alcohol abuse to an entirely new level.

Although Santa Clara is not as big of a party school as larger campuses in cities such as Boulder, Colo., the fact that we have seen such significant amounts of alcohol and drug violations on our campus signifies that we are failing to meet the high standards set by a well-respected university. Santa Clara's sudden obsession with anonymous gossip sites have also led me to question our ethical standards. After all the hurtful gossip and teasing we fell victim to in high school and after witnessing countless numbers of our friends breaking down as a cause of someone's hurtful words, we've finally advanced to the World Wide Web. I'm glad that as intelligent, caring and mature students, we spend our free time concerning ourselves with who is fat and unattractive, who is the school's biggest slut and who humiliated themselves at last week's party.

I'm glad to see how transparent we are in our attempts to break people down because they aren't pretty or cool enough. Most of all, I'm glad that time and again we fail to judge people based on their character, their values and their personality.

Santa Clara has had its fair share of theme parties, but it is the "South of the Border" theme party that took place two years ago that struck our campus the hardest, and the one that left the biggest impression on me as a Hispanic student. After seeing pictures of students dressed up as janitors, pregnant teens and stereotypical Mexicans, it hurt me to think that this is the image that some of my peers have of me. I continue to struggle with this thought today.

In a school that emphasizes social justice and equality for all, it is extremely disheartening to find that many students do not think of one another as equals. We have a responsibility to teach and spread tolerance and awareness in our community, but how can we do that if we do not practice what we preach?

Many of the immoral issues I have witnessed here at Santa Clara have left me frustrated and disappointed. Our Jesuit founders aims to create well-rounded individuals who value education, social justice and civic responsibility, but we have yet to fulfill this vision. We may be privileged enough to receive this Jesuit education, but if we fail to act in an ethical manner, then it is in vain.

Every day, despite feeling sadness toward the moral issues we struggle with as a university, I am reminded that we go to an excellent school. Every day is a day to make better, more beneficial and ethical decisions if we so desire.

Tatiana Sanchez is a junior English major.