My article from last week received lots of attention, mostly from the Wabash community, but also from members of Morehouse College. I attempted to make a joke about their institution not truly being all male because they have a women’s college nearby. My joke did not go over as such, so I would like to apologize to Morehouse College for my statement last week.
I never meant to discredit the quality of your education. The Wabash community, myself included, has immense respect for other Liberal Arts institutions across the country. The education received by the men of Morehouse College is by no means less valuable because of the proximity of a female college nor was implying such my intent. I meant to touch more on the social aspects that come from being surrounded by a bunch of dudes in the middle of Indiana.
There are not a ton of social options for Wabash men during the week. We can’t just drop by another campus for a few hours on a weekday without it affecting our grades. For better or worse, Wabash men are more or less stuck with each other for most of our time here. Due to this, we develop a closeness that probably would not occur at any other school. Rather than perpetuating the modern ideas of masculinity, our environment forces us to challenge them.
Most men have grown up equating masculinity to emotional callousness. Men aren’t supposed to have feelings—we just punch stuff. At least, so we've been told. Most men grow up looking to women for emotional guidance and enlightenment. That stops being an option once we come to Wabash. We quickly learn to rely on each other emotionally and to be nurturing in a way that most men would never have the opportunity to do.
In my time at Wabash, I have grown beyond my instinct to treat all emotional ailments with beer. There have been many nights when I’ve talked openly about my feelings with my brothers and I have become just as good at listening to them. I have learned that there are multiple types of masculinity first hand during my here.
Men are not just hunters and warriors. We are fathers, healers, and mentors. We have as many weaknesses as we have strengths.
