So, I’m a senior, and here’s what I see when I look behind me:
The Bro. He is like a snake slithering around our arms and biting between our knuckles before we can look him in the eyes and ask him what for. A Bro is also this: a disdainful, morally inept athletic or once-athletic college male who not only lacks sincere human empathy, but uses this lack to his advantage. He is an anarchist-capitalist. He is close to being a sociopath: “a person…whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.”
But sociopathy is congenital; Bros have been failed by a society or a family that has systematically disregarded their moral development, and because Bros are born into riches, they are released into a world which will gladly take their money in spite of their socially parasitic ways.
However, not all athletes are Bros. But most Bros are athletes, and most if not all Bro athletes are on those two certain teams that need not be named. I want to emphasize that there are some really great people who play varsity sports and are sadly lumped together with this stereotype I’m reinforcing. These “good” guys have happily integrated into the vocation of the “Student” whereas the offenders have yet to peek out from their guises as “Student-Athletes,” or rather, “Athletes” who nominally participate in academia. When did these people start becoming a problem at Conn?
The floodgates opened a few years ago when the newly crowned president decided, very shrewdly and with no abandon, to overhaul the college’s image in the face of the school’s relative decline in rankings. It is Higdon’s unilateral project, when one skips the rhetorical hogwash, to increase the endowment of this institution, this brand, this corporation. It is, some would say, a “necessary evil” that has created a strict paradigm upon which the school has begun to transform the college identity into a more market-friendly product. Market-friendly in liberal arts now connotes a “do it all” school like Williams College.
Suddenly and unrealistically, Conn changed from a toned-down Wesleyan to a baby Duke. We are nearing a state at which our school doesn’t have students with varying interests, but rather, puzzle pieces. Admissions needs specific proportions of each “type” of student (athlete, activist, creative, intellectual) in order for the new paradigm to work.
It is a quick-response strategy for downsizing that works in corporate offices where tradition and values matter less than worker efficiency. At a college where alumni presumably care more about their alma mater’s reputation than they do about their old workplace’s, rapid-change business practices do not always result in happy alumni.
To keep investors happy, businesses either reinvent themselves or they expand. Reflecting on the two most publicized reforms, the new camel mascot and the new athletic facility, there is no doubt that reinvention is Higdon’s M.O. Values are sacrificed for image, and the judicial system and student governance which once depended on the democratic model of the self-policing citizen to enforce community values are no longer sufficient. The deterioration of the Honor Code, the lost and whining child prodigy of Conn, is an effect of the school’s shifted focus to grab quick capital to mend our ranking woes and insecurities as a school falling off the mini-Ivy bandwagon.
Though it’s hard to believe, the Honor Code was once a truly significant part of student life. But after seeing the college jump on academic violations and shy away from social ones, I’m not sure I trust the Honor Code to still be a relevant tool in student self-governance.
However corrupt it gets, though, as long as we throw in a truckload of benefit shows (there are way too many of these), a Take Back the Night, and a dozen other under attended lectures and workshops on women’s rights, men’s rights, babies’ rights and earth’s rights, trustees and other donors should be satisfied by the annual list of important educational gatherings.
Let the world-burdened kids play with their idealism, but don’t let it infect the minds of our mercenary athletes or else they might miss a game-winning shot while pondering the horrors of rape. After all, selfish people are model capitalist citizens; they are undistracted, they are stubborn and they often see the world as a video game with a reset button.
At a bigger school, Bros can get away with hubris, but here, where walls are thin and stories disseminate, the transgressions of an individual do not often go unseen. We’ve all done stupid crap that we’ve paid for, and then we learn to smarten up. When values are shared, this system of mutual evaluation and judgment works. But Bros create a rupture in the value system of this small community by bringing in a wave of destructive thoughtlessness and making it look so appropriate and fun.
They need to be corralled and taught values, but that responsibility belongs to God-knows-who. Usually I don’t call for cultural assimilation, but these Bros aren’t exactly a marginalized group, and they’re really annoying in the library – especially the night before an Econ exam.
Okay, Bro, this last Bud’s for you: I’m not asking you to give $10 to a Haiti fund, or attend a seminar on sexual violence, or talk to someone who doesn’t belong to the superior race. I’m not even asking you to stop using women, or using discriminatory language against people who look or live differently from you, because I know you’ll never listen to that preachy crap. Besides, you’re top of the food chain here. But as long as you refuse your role as a Student and disregard or senselessly offend those who refuse to kowtow to your serial egomania, you will be pigeonholed as brutish and moronic and you will be a nameless stereotype.
I’m asking you to accept your marginalization as long as you continue to isolate yourself in your bubble of undeserved privilege and ignorance. If you just sat down and asked, “Why am I the way I am?” you might actually be able to turn your privilege into something useful and be a good person. Hope for Bros Benefit Show today.
I’ll end by citing a quote in last week’s Voice concerning the new mascot: “Our new mascot is much sportier – it’s more like a big, Division I University.” My response to this Freudian slip is, why didn’t you go to UCONN if you wanted that Division I feel?
Can we not be proud that we have no football team (yet), no pep rallies and no official frats? It’s what makes us Camels. I came here to avoid that type of proximity to the freaky cult of college sports, and suddenly it’s all up in my grill on my Facebook News Feed, telling me the Lacrosse team is 8-0, then 9-0. School pride is one thing, but artificially forcing our college to conform to the ideal “do it all” school where sports are as integral as academics leaves a lot of us asking, “Why did I go to a school that just wants to fit in with the athletic rich kids?”
First of all, please back up your opinions with some research please.
Secondly, isn’t having a successful athletic program an attractive aspect of an institution?
Thirdly, if bros are the male jock athlete, what is the female form of this? The closest things are probably cheerleaders and dancers. Since Connecticut College has a long history of success with dancing and it is part of the colleges image. I would argue you might have chosen the wrong school for yourself in the first place. I am not sure if you noticed, but not everyone tries to fit in with the bros, they are their own community. And if you can’t create/join your own community at any college you will always ask yourself why can’t i fit in. Is this article more a reflection of your own moral degradation and sense of loneliness than the actual state of Connecticut College?
-Alumni who did not play any sports at CC
I take issue with the “dancers as bros” idea. It just doesn’t hold water because, while dancers do have many of the same social cohesion paradigms at play with bros, they are different in three major respects. The first is the size of the cultural subset: there are simply fewer dancers. The second is the role of the occupation: dancing is both an academic department (as lacrosse is not) and an art — our respected dance program is crucially a modern dance department, and thus involves heavy creative investments which, again, are absent in athletics. The third is that “dancer culture” does not contain any of the elements of bigotry or isolationist mindset that are endemic to bro culture, let alone extend beyond the ranks of the actual dance department. Even the dance club is mostly dance department members. Bros, meanwhile, are not necessarily even athletes. It’s just a different thing, and it’s a quintessentially male phenomenon. I’m not necessarily getting behind Jake Schnaidt but I’m pretty sure his distinct idea of what a bro is has nothing at all to do with dancers, and moreover doesn’t require a female counterpart to remain a valid component of his impression of the College community at large.
very well said
This is a disgusting article. Do some research. Is it bad for a school to have a successful sports program? God forbid we are proud to be Camels. Good job keeping the stereotypes alive man. Good stuff. Why don’t you try and get to know these “bros” before you write about how “A Bro is also this: a disdainful, morally inept athletic or once-athletic college male who not only lacks sincere human empathy, but uses this lack to his advantage. He is an anarchist-capitalist. He is close to being a sociopath: “a person…whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.” This is all bullshit.
Thanks for wasting my time. The picture of the 1984 lacrosse team is pretty cool too. Hairstyles and the fact that they are playing lacrosse has not changed…weird.
Do some research? Exactly how many scholarly articles are written about the social culture of Connecticut College? Maybe as alumni you’re too far removed from the current social situations that those of us who bought into the fake image of this school now have to live through. I realize that you probably receive glossy magazines bimonthly that make you yearn for those “glory days,” but you are defending socially irresponsible, destructive individuals. On a daily basis we observe their utter lack of respect for those around them, and for that this article is justified. Why don’t you do some research and actually present a counter argument instead of weighing in on an issue you clearly don’t understand in the first place?
Jake said it best, “why didn’t you go to UCONN if you wanted that Division I feel?”
First you do know that back when the school was very successful and found in the upper crest of liberal arts schools these two “bro” teams were both winning programs. Sports teams bring a social pride to a school and that is why they exist. This school not only embraces athletics, but wants to compete at the highest level of athletics hence why we joined the NESCAC conference. I am sorry you feel threatened by more masculine students who have been recruited to this school by faculty and staff. This is a college, not a country club where you a shunned away from people found in the real world. Hopefully you get a job as an entry level dweeb in a huge firm where NESCAC athletes run the company. You will realize wow this is just like college because they will still shit on you for being the pathetic whinny momma’s boy you truly are. You may be able to hide behind a newspaper and the liberal rules governing this campus, but this is far from the real world and soon enough you will be thrown into it.
“You will realize wow this is just like college because they will still shit on you for being the pathetic whinny momma’s boy you truly are. You may be able to hide behind a newspaper and the liberal rules governing this campus, but this is far from the real world and soon enough you will be thrown into it.”
This is exactly what this opinion piece is addressing. The fact(s) that this comment has all the language and tone of a threat and that I believe you were attempting to spell the word “whiny” speak to the mentality of “we own the world” that Bros, not athletes, embody. To be an athlete is one thing, and a perfectly legitimate, important way of participating in the extracurricular life of Conn, and to be proud of the school’s athletic teams is healthy to the community feel of Conn. What is not healthy is the mentality that it’s okay to break publicly shared property like windows, bulletin boards, and water fountains, and to disrespect non-athletes or less-“masculine” (as you define the term) students in any manner.
Your response is all too telling of who you are and what you believe about this campus and your place within Conn’s community. I hope some day, maybe once you’re in the real world, shitting on dweebs, you realize what it means to be a Bro.
To address the last comment, a lot of people came here rather than UCONN because they are completely different schools. A bro could easily respond to this by asking you and your cohorts why you didn’t attend a more let’s say liberal school such as Bard or Hampshire. If green hairdos, protesting corporate America and looking down on athletic lifestyles is what you seek maybe a NESCAC isn’t for you. For someone like you to criticize what President Higdon has done is a shame, he has gone to great lengths to improve the endowment(even the smelliest hippy can’t argue with that), improve athletics and in turn the reputation of the school and so on. He has even raised tuition to accept more financial aid students, and diversify the college campus! Raising tuition takes money away from bros to buy Natty Ice and shorts with lobsters on them, you can’t say that doesn’t make you smile! Anyways, journalist man, on your high horse with urban outfitters garb and “Vote for Change”-sticker covered macbook, I ask you to give one of these bros a shot, maybe they are intimidating as a group but I am sure saying “hello” rather than snarling would in fact get a “Hey, how you doin” back rather than a beer shower that you might be imagining in your own sheltered world.
“Feel threatened by more masculine students…”The despicable attitude of certain individuals on the Connecticut College campus is a truism of a very distinguishable, while stereotypical, group. Such negative characterizations would not be spouted in casual conversation, as well as in the esteemed College Voice, if not for a significant, unique quality that has been attributed to said “bros” (little “b” purposeful to hopefully diminish the hypermasculine image so direly held onto by the culture in question). Sociological studies are based on observance and deeply situated opinions in a substantial population, such as the parasitic nature of this culture. The school, of course, has done little to address the perpetuation of a masculinized trope in athletic discourse, concentrated in the “two certain teams that need not be named.” The reason there is no female comparison is quite obviously because (according to the significant, though not of absolute, accuracy of the above sterotypes) “bro” culture is rather analogous of historically grounded feelings of entitlement and privilege, particularly towards women. Heteronormativity and hypermasculinity are two of the nation’s biggest issues in modernity, and unfortunately are comfortably supported by the above mentioned athletic culture we see today on CC’s campus.
For the record, I have a problem with Conn being referred to as a baby Duke. I went to a couple of lacrosse parties while I attended Conn and from what Ive read, the Duke parties seem like a hell of a lot more fun.
Also, just sayin’, isn’t this the last article of the year? That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for response, now does it?
Interesting timing on that one. If you’re going to come out and absolutely rip apart a whole segment of the campus, you should at least leave open the opportunity for them to brofend themselves.
I’m not gonna sit here and defend or attack the content of the article, because to be honest I think the whole argument is ridiculous. If the “Broish” teams on campus have a particular stigma attached to them, so be it. But simply carrying a lacrosse stick does not an asshole one make. Regardless of how you feel, however, it just isn’t fair at all to leave them no recourse to disagree, outside of an infrequently viewed website.
…also, if I’m wrong on this being the final issue of the semester, let me know. But since my editor told me that it was, I feel pretty confident in that assessment.
Very Important Person:
I will address your post point by point in order best simplify it for you and your cohort (namely “Alumni who played sports at Conn” and “Bro4sho.”)
-My first issue is your line, “for someone like you.” Someone like whom? Someone who is critical of the hyper-masculine, athletic attitude that has taken over, not only our college’s reputation, but also our alleged “honorable” community at Connecticut College?
-What President Higdon has done is a shame, what this administration has done, as of late is a shame. The administration has been intent on hiding a shocking, disturbing violation of the honor code, which itself is dishonest, and instead parades its new mascot and athletic center. I am ashamed to graduate with a degree from a college that espouses honor, but instead, condones the despicable actions of the least honorable, most privileged white males.
-“Raising tuition takes money away from bros to buy Natty Ice and shorts with lobsters on them, you can’t say that doesn’t make you smile!” In a perfect world, sure, why not. In reality, raising tuition doesn’t even begin to make a dent in the pockets of these bro’s fathers. They will continue to flaunt their Vineyard Vines shorts and drink their beers and in effect, continue to demand respect through their privilege. They do not deserve this respect.
-“Journalist man, on your high horse with urban outfitters garb and “Vote for Change”-sticker covered macbook.” High horse? The writer of this article is, to me, entitled to be on a high horse. He, unlike many of the other men on this campus, is respectful to women, to our campus, and to our environment. So sure, Jake Schnaidt, wear your urban garb and vote for change and insult bros – these are not bad things.
-And finally, giving bros a shot. Here is where I will get more personal. I lived in Johnson last year and I gave them a shot. I gave them a few shots, in fact. If you are not an athlete, wealthy, a male, and white, they will not respond with “Hey, how you doin.” The “sheltered world” you describe is a reality, and the beer showers are actually sexual harassment, vandalism, and disrespect.
So, “Very Important Person,” I am not sure who you are or why you think you are so important. Clearly it is not because you have a real or merited opinion on the subject of Bros. Based on your title, I can safely say that you probably are one.
Just want to reemphasize that there are really great people playing sports – which most definitely includes lacrosse, and who I’m describing is a pretty small but disproportionately visible group of students at the school.
And it is the last issue, but that leaves me, this site, and any other forum you deem appropriate for discussion open until graduation. If you want me to respond to more of your posts let me know.
So essentially this piece on the degradation of Connecticut College is targeted at a small group of individuals? Your rant was initially transparent, but your follow-up really blew your cover. Assholes come in all shapes and sizes man. There are probably a few assholes smoking pot and tossing a frisbee around on the green right now, but without something significant to attach to their existence they fly under the radar. I find it hard to believe that half a dozen guys can ruin Connecticut College.
You talk about corralling these kids and teaching them values, but what you don’t understand as someone that chose not to participate in varsity athletics at the college level is that athletics do just that. No one can guarantee a 100% penetration rate. So a small pack of guys did something to irritate you last weekend – have some dignity and tell them they’re being assholes to their face, or just ignore it. There’s no honor in crafting a personal attack disguised as a thoughtful article.
That being said, it’s a well written piece and its transparency gave the brommunity a laugh. Thanks Jake – and best of luck weaving through the assholes in the real world.
agreed
Jake, I see your point. However, I think you voice it in a really harsh, crude way that detracts from the legitimacy of your argument. This probably provokes a sort of knee jerk defensive response from anyone who identifies as a bro, as evidenced from some of the comments on this thread.
I think your most compelling point is that our school’s demographic seems to be shifting towards a more bro-ish, less “dweeb”-ish student body due to the college’s changing marketing style. I agree with that. I don’t think the college should try to attract bros, because they offer little in terms of intellectual involvement, and at their worst are destructive to the campus (just two weekends ago I know of two separate incidents involving drunk lacrosse players picking fights with other students who were just minding their own business…by the way one Lax bro got put into a submission hold by a kid half his size, ha!).
My experience with bros in the classroom is that they do not participate in discussion and seem to have an aversion to intellectual conversations. My only memorable experiences with true, varsity Lax bros have been negative, but I cannot say that all bros are therefore evil. I don’t think it’s constructive to develop this binary good/evil thing at Conn. But aside from a good record in D3 sports, I don’t see the value in accepting these kids into our school.
Jake don’t even try, you’ve done enough bro
Yay for being open minded!
This is honestly hilarious that so many riled responses are coming up.
Jake, well done. You covered your bases and I actually tip my hat to you – a very well-written article. I happen to be an athlete and hate the bro image at my NESCAC school.
To everyone else: The criticism isn’t that people keep track of the sports teams records. School pride is a good thing. I think Jake was pointing out that this sometimes can be a reinforcement of the undeniable inappropriate behavior of SOME athletes. That is, it only helps the douche-bag-elite justify their already douchy behavior by catching time in the spotlight making them feel like higher-ranking citizens.
And NO – D3 recruiting clearly sends the wrong message to some commenters: at D3 schools we are supposed to lead BALANCED lives. That is, school first, and then extra-curriculars are “extra”. This includes sports. If you self identify as ONLY and athlete vs a student-athlete and hope to get by in the world off this image (as well as your parents’ money/connections) to “shit on dweebs”, then you are a failure to the ideals of an D3 school and should have gone D1 (but, let’s face it, you weren’t good enough to play D1, were you?) We should be molding renaissance men and women, not unilateral beings.
AND, just to reiterate, this ISN’T all athletes, by any means. And note that Jake was sure to point that out. The “bros” addressed are always the same small crowd of dudes, and it’s unfortunate that their reputation gets spread out over all athletes.
NESCAC love
PS It’s hard to “get to know someone” or “give them a chance” when they are constantly inebriated and destructive towards themselves, others and the environment they live in.
PPS If “Bros” can get away with “shitting on dweebs” all the time, they should be able to bite the bullet and accept reciprocation ONE time. Deep breaths everyone. Deep deep breaths.
While this article was, for the most part, very well written, you really didn’t go into the specifics necessary to sell your argument to me. What did a bro ever do to you or someone else that you found offensive? I take exception to people who a) think that just because people have money they feel entitled and are therefore morally underdeveloped, and b) try to hide their jealousy by putting on their proverbial white wigs and judging people who have different personalities.
You need to realise that some people are jerks, and there will always be jerks wherever you go. So next time that a bro doesn’t invite you to his party or steals your girlfriend, just be thankful because he is preparing you for dealing with jerks in the real world that you will meet after you graduate.
Really, you should blame girls. In terms of womanising, bros tend to be some of the most successful people. Maybe if girls were more attracted to, say, school newspaper writers than they are to bros, then you wouldn’t be writing this article. As long as bros get constantly rewarded for their behaviour, they will continue to act in ways which you find offensive. If good looking girls found intellectual guys with perfect manners more interesting, than there would be fewer bros.
In light of what I just said, if you can’t beat them, join them.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Jake, I believe you should be directing your hate filled article towards the real culprit. Alcohol. That’s right alcohol is the burden beneath the beast. Alcohol contributes to violence, drug-doing, loitering, sexing, poverty, and other quite sinful acts.
In my eyes, when it comes down to it, the topic of this article is not what matters the most. Instead, what is most striking to me about this article is how blatantly and apologetically mean it is. I feel truly disappointed that such a vicious attack on ANY single group on this campus would be printed. Yes, it is an opinion, so I suppose Jake is entitled to that. But we must also ask ourselves, would any other similarly hateful article about a group on campus other than macho, male athletes go without 12 emails from the Deans of the campus and four campus wide forums? A similarly unkind article attacking the all-powerful and emotionless athletes on this campus was printed in the final edition of the Voice last year. In this instance, the words written about this group were so mean that the online version was actually edited to tone down the sentiment that had been expressed in the print version. And still nothing. No uproar on campus, no outrage about discrimination or hatefulness. No one says anything because, of course, we’re talking about male athletes here. They’re so advantaged that throwing a few horrible comments their way means nothing. Maybe the editor of the Voice and Jake feel this way. I, however, think that no matter how powerful a group is on this campus (and I would seriously question the Bros power, as they have been ostracized and demonized by a massive majority of the student body) we should never condone such a public and brutal attack on their core as humans. If anything, Jake, THAT is the type of college I do not want to attend.
Get over yourself. It’s an op-ed piece in a newspaper. I think it’s great to see this kind of dialog extending from an article in the campus paper, regardless of how anyone feels about the issue :)
Here is to hoping that the lacrosse team does not make more of an issue out of this than need be. Lacrosse players should be holding themselves to a higher standard and focusing on what is truly important – finishing out an outstanding season and nailing those finals. It would disappointing to hear about a increasingly polarized environment on campus.
Athletes, and especially those who are a part of a successful programs, will be subjected to increased scrutiny. At a small school like Conn, this is magnified by the proportion of athletes to the general student body. There will always be people looking for any excuse to go after these student athletes – this is true at any level or stage of life.
As I am sure they will do, the members of the lacrosse team should use this opportunity to turn a negative into a positive and show the college community who they really are in their roles as leaders on campus. By focusing on what is truly important, the members of the lacrosse team have a chance to enjoy unprecedented success with the support of nearly the entire student body behind them. That is something that, when exams are done (or even as a welcome reprieve from all that studying), all of CC can and should be proud of.
http://www.brobible.com/brommunity/conncoll-bros-running-shit
I think the comments at the above link say all that needs to be said about “bros.” Great article, Jake!
I think this article encompasses more people then are the real problem. I know lots of people who are bro-like or play lax and are perfectly nice, studious, and involved in the college community, and i congratulate them on their stellar performance this year on the field. However i do think that the article does expose a small demographic on campus that has a seriously negative effect on our campus. I think a handful of bad apples that are very visible for their conduct and general debauchery are giving all bro-ey athletes a bad wrap. this does not excuse the despicable conduct of that group of bros who are devoid of morals. I am so sick of hearing them bandy around the word faggot and retard. When I came to conn i thought it was a school that possessed a lot of empathy for others and seeing these few bad apples cause thousands in dorm damages like breaking windows and elevators and also calling everyone who doesn’t have a backwards hat, a 6 pack of natty ice and a can of axe body spray a faggot really gets on my nerves. I think that jake owes an apology to a huge group of student athletes who may consider themselves bros but are genuinely nice people. On the other hand where is the culpability for those who cause property damage, emotional harm, and sexual assault on campus? I offer no advice, or solution but i hope that people will realize that this behavior by a couple individuals should not be acceptable anywhere, no matter what they may be involved in on campus.
I think what this article shows us is that the Voice staff is not indicative WHATSOEVER of the Conn student body.
The members of the staff are all part of the same group of friends: the “alternative” types who feel that listening to terrible music, wearing clothing that is too tight, and doing acid means you are “cool.” The fact that our newspaper is solely a forum for hating on everything one can think of without coming up with ANY meaningful ideas to change our school is embarrassing. It is comforting to be graduating, because I won’t be subjected to the incessant rant of a small group of friends who use this newspaper to bitch and moan.
Why did Jake have to attack (perhaps in more ways than one) a group of harmless men on campus? If you are jealous of the success of the Lacrosse team because your Mob-Roc band is a group of untalented morons, tough. Also, the notion that every male athlete is wealthy is insulting. Jake, how do you know the socio-economic background of every member of the Lacrosse or Hockey teams?
This article is offensive, and I am not even an athlete. The fact that people are angry at the administration because they are responding to rumors on a daily basis is laughable. We are all eighteen years old or older, and we should start acting like it. I am ashamed to receive a diploma from a college that people think should hold the hands of the students. Grow up.
It is important to have a dialogue about campus culture, but insulting people is immature. Jake, you should feel pretty awful about this opinion piece. If you had some legitimate observations or examples, perhaps people would react in a more constructive way.
I have a suggestion: BRING BACK CLAIRE GOULD AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. At least when she was in charge, the newspaper had some semblance of decency…oh, and actual NEWS.
“Insulting people is immature”? This is very, very sad. I am surprised that a senior in college still contains the capacity to contradict himself in a very short, probably 250 words or less, posting.
-“The members of the staff are all part of the same group of friends: the ‘alternative’ types who feel that listening to terrible music, wearing clothing that is too tight, and doing acid means you are ‘cool.'”
-“a small group of friends who use this newspaper to bitch and moan.”
-“a group of untalented morons”
-“you should feel pretty awful about this opinion piece.”
After saying all the above in one short post, a senior at a semi-elite private college has the unfortunate indecency to say insulting another person is “immature.” I struggle to find more to say, except it is a sad expression of opinion that can never possibly hold credibility when so blatantly contradictory and insulting. This is the issue with many of these posts, and not surprisingly, the intellectual ineptitude comes in large part from the comments opposing the article. I disagree with some things said in it, but the rather flaccid arguments against it do not help the case.
I am saddened by the slanderous nature of both the article and some of the responses it has elicited. We all need to take a good look at ourselves before we choose to attack others.
That being said, “Senior Male ’10,” your comment pigeonholed me and my peers, and I/we do not appreciate it. I, for one, enjoy playing and watching sports, listening to several different kinds of music, and I don’t do illegal drugs. The people at the College Voice are more diverse than you would have the student body believe. I don’t hate you for it, but could you possibly stop and think next time before you post such a hideous comment?
Nick, you’re too kind.
The College Voice encourages contributions (i.e., opinion pieces) from any member of the student body, and it aims to be not THE voice of the community, but an amplifier of many voices. We encourage submissions from students with names, who are willing to put a face to what they argue.
It takes courage, but opening dialogues between actual students, not IP addresses, is what will make our school what we want it to be.
“haha you shittin me pal?
My good looks, successful father, and ability to throw a spiral are what GOT me on the right side of harris with my bros. you can only dream my friend.”
Dream of what? Nearly everyone at Conn is extremely privileged. I think the one thing I disagree with in Jake’s article is his claim that bros are ‘top of the food chain’ here at Conn. ‘Bros’ are just a marginalized group of boys still riding out the capitalistic dreams of their parents. I think the main irony lies in the fact that Conn, as a liberal arts college, claims to foster a critical consciousness in students. I share Jake’s frustration with the sect of the student population who, despite receiving some of the best education in the world, still possess an altogether fucked up value system. However, this still comprises a very small percentage of Conn’s actual population. Not to mention the ‘Bro’ identity should not become synonymous with members of the Lax or Hockey teams. There are assholes with a sense of entitlement in every facet of Conn’s community – that’s the reality of going to one of the world’s top 10 most expensive institutions. While you do encourage a dialog, the demonization and stereotyping just add to the polarization of Conn’s campus.
We’re all young and sometimes egocentricity is merited. However, empathy is required on both sides to start a real dialogue.
Jake Schnaidt just attacked the Hockey & Lacrosse teams en masse. Where are the captains of those teams–IDed, not anonymous–in the comments? Where’s Fran Shields, Athletic Director, the man who brought LAX to Conn thirty-plus years ago? Do you guys think it’s beneath you to get involved or something? The only people coming out against Jake are saying things like “Good luck working in the arboretum post graduation”. This dude just called your athletes sociopaths for chrissakes! What are you waiting for? The silence is disconcerting. Has even one Conn administrator ever left a comment on CV.org?
not only is this one of the more pointless articles i have ever read but maybe you shouldn’t use a picture of the lax team from the eighties when you’re trying to argue this is a new problem you moron
http://www.thecolbyecho.com/article.php?id=357
…the entirety of the $14,000 raised was immediately spent on Natty Ice and Lobster shorts.
My personal experience with bros:
As a freshman girl, I have been the target of a lot of attention from bros. At first it was flattering, but it quickly became clear that they only viewed me as a piece of ass–a piece of ass they believed was rightfully theirs. This was not a misconception on my part, or a matter of me having a big ego, but a blatant fact on numerous occasions. To them, I was a prop with no identity independent from their other pieces of ass.
Jake, this is a fantastic article and I want to thank you for writing it. Having given Conn bros a chance to redeem their infamous name, I fully support that bros “lacks sincere human empathy, but uses this lack to his advantage.”
To the people who said Jake would only be able to get a job in the arbo: If anything, this article will get him a great job.
And guess what: they hate ass holes in the real world too.
You obviously haven’t spent much time in the “real world,” have you? To the author: I believe you have a great career ahead of you as a whiny hipster marginalist. Bravo.
Here we have an identified individual attacking an anonymous group. It’s a flawed argument overloaded with vitriol, but at the end of the day, you know who made it and where they stand. Now, I’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again: People who attack specific individuals from behind anonymous comments are cowards. Voicing an opinion on a contentious issue should be doable from the refuge of anonymity, but leveling an attack on someone else, even if it’s supposedly in self-defense, ought be done out in the open. “Senior Male ’10”, “Bro4Sho”, et al.: You are worthless, mouth-breathing punks. I defy you to come up to me in person and tell me otherwise.
Jake, the shortcoming of this piece’s been reiterated several times in varyingly polite terms: Yours is just one man’s opinion, and offering it as definitively as you have without grounding it in empiricism invites exactly the shit deluge you now see here on this page.
You’ve done a fine job unpacking the _idea_ of The Bro on our campus, but unless you can provide some kind of verifiable and demographically-specific traits to define _who_ The Bro is, you’re just casting a wide, porous and ultimately tautological net.
If you could define Who the Bro is in terms other than the philosopho-spiritual, then you might be able to get into the project of proving your hypothesis about them all being sociopaths. As you may know, the College collects meticulous data about all of our judicial proceedings and the individuals subjected thereto. Conceivably, given access to this data, you could define your Bro Traits then look for trends in J-Board sanctions along those lines. If you think the Lacrosse Team breeds a culture of serial rapists, then you’d look for disproportionate sexual assault sanctions on that team. If you think no-need male athletes are destructive hatemongers, then you’d look for that demo amidst sanctions for bias crimes and vandalism.
Unfortunately, even though it offers a rich opportunity to address in concrete terms accusations like these, this is exactly the sort of data that’s usually off-limits to students. That being the case, it’s unlikely you’d ever get the chance to support your opinions and deal a meaningful blow to the happy misconceptions you’d prefer to undo. Since it’s clear from this piece you’re not ‘looking to foster a constructive dialogue’ or whatever, the validity and significance of your points gets lost amidst a lot of screed and conjecture.
you know what though, even the most rigorous investigation you could imagine would still risk having the same effect as you’re seeing: people would take sides and get mad. statistics or screed, it’s the same opportunity to harness your contempt for someone you don’t know. if you want to treat _any_ group like a pandemic, you’re headed to an unkind place. I just called a dude “a mouthing-breathing punk”. the pretext of a battle that’s not really there makes it too easy to get mean.
From facebook profile of KO’d Bro:
Summer Job: I do whatever my dad tells me to; and get to abuse immigrants… all while getting sunburned
^Stereotypes don’t come out of thin air…
I saw that today as well. There aren’t really words for my reaction.
Quite frankly I don’t like this “Jake” character. Classifying a group of people as “Bros” is too general. I personally may sometimes fit your description of a “Bro,” but I like to think of myself as more than just that. I have an 88 average at a prestigious New England prep school, I am actually quite social, and I would bet that more people in this world respect me than you, Jake. But sometimes, being a “Bro” gets the better of me, for that craving to enjoy life a little bit for what it is – instead of being an outcasted, bitter hermit – can get me into trouble. I have been suspended from my high school twice this year, I play lacrosse, and I love life. Sure, I learned a lot from my mistakes, and sure, I didn’t get into Conn College although my brother is on the lacrosse team there, but I will never be the person to have to complain about everyone else having fun while I don’t even get a chance to enjoy my last year in college. I also will never have to go to school with you, Jake. Congratulations by the way; your article made it to brobible! That’s big time, man! Keep your chin up.
-Chuck
This is all ridiculous. Come on, stop this
What would I do???
Listen Guys,
This is a really interesting article, but I think that the whole idea of people getting so upset about it is entirely fruitless, which is obviously a sentiment that has heretofore been commented upon. However, what I am gleaning from this article, which is an issue that some other people have indirectly brought up, is that “the bro phenomenon” is mostly problematic because of what it says about the image of the school. Let me be the first to say that Connecticut College is not an elite school. You are in fact delusional if you think that we can stand toe to toe with most if not any of the other NESCACs in terms of the reputation that we have in either academics or in sports. Obviously, there are some exceptional programs here that this statement does not apply to, but in general we are not top notch. We are not a great academic institution that can compete with the type of places that are able to attract well rounded intellectual athletes as well as artsy creative individuals. In fact we are the left over dregs from admission piles of the types of school that can attract these types of students. However, this is mostly due two things, which include the age of our institution, and the history of our institution as being a former woman’s college. As a result of these facts of our existence we do not have the endowments of other colleges, and are not able to attract the professors, the services, or the students of our other colleagues in the NESCAC and schools like the NESCAC. This I believe is reflected in the mostly all of the articles that the Voice publishes about the inefficiencies of everything at Conn. Therefore, I think it only natural that the social scene here would be equally disagreeable to most students who believe they deserve to be at a better school. This is not only true of the “intellectual crowd,” but also the “bro crowd” as well. Since we don’t exist in the type of Utopian college atmosphere of say a Williams, which Jake referenced, we will continue to encounter such problems. However, this is the process of becoming an elite college; these are the growing pains of our institution. Both parties, the bros and the nerds, bring something to campus that will ultimately benefit our school’s image and will increase the value of our diplomas. At the end of the day that’s what college is all about, because you can have fun anywhere with anyone, so we might as well up our fucking image, get some fucking money, slam some schools in sports, and make our diplomas worth more then the mistaken UConn certificates they ultimately exist as now.
Best brosponse on here. Cheers m8
Well said “concerned bro.” I do not go to conn anymore but it makes me upset to read this article and comments. Conn was a great experience for me. Forget the little things as such, as you will regret your complaints in the long run.
Well put. Conn is better than UConn!
I respect Jake’s article and while I do not agree with everything he says, I defend his right to express his views. I would hope that the same way a stranger would respect mind, and not try to create a smear campaign because they might think differently.
There are bigger fish in the world we need to fry.
Yes. Yes. Y E S.
While Jake has a very well articulated point, this is not as big a problem as he makes it out to be. I don’t feel like my way of life is threatened by bro’s; if anything, it’s justified. They provide me with an example of everything I never want to be.
The real bro problem is the south campus bro clan.
Everyone, lest we forget:
http://api.ning.com/files/TAQisU8LBDTC4tC2heaDQOeZS-Rrz2YNGCp-ALFZ1sJzULMurkS8G5BTohOglWuUPCEePfSXGLMBkHkrH2gmH7CuAYuO65-A/arguingontheinternet.jpg
As much as I agree with Jake’s primary thesis of his article (as I too have witnessed the true privilege and crass behavior of some people on this campus), the entire article is wasted breath. So many stereotypes are common knowledge on this campus, and whether it’s the bros, or the MOBROC dudes, or the a cappella cliques, not everybody fits the mold. Crude people exist everywhere and judgment will always be passed onto those people, it’s just human nature. Writing this article, while well intended, will do nothing to change what President Higdon’s main priorities are, nor this school’s ambition to improve itself athletically, possibly at the expense of other, more fruitful, projects. I would suggest an ultimatum, or some sort of path to reform if this issue is that important. The problem with this article is that as much as it attempts to spread awareness of the “bro culture” dominating this school, it’s attempt fails, because most people already know!
I hate to say it, because I dislike the bro as much as the next guy, and have been marginalized by them in the past, but this article is nothing but sophisticated complaining to me. I see a problem but no suggestion to a solution. As everybody knows, not one single “bro” will read this article, and resolve to change their ways because of it.
this article is laughable. the author somehow thinks the “bros” are tarnishing the value of his diploma? ruining the reputation of the school?
grow up. there will always be a segment of the human population you don’t agree with, and you do not have the right to change and control how others choose to be. the author’s desire for such power, however, is quite clear in his pathetic attack on libertarianism. lumping together two groups he doesn’t like in order to “prove” his assumed negativity of each is outrageous.
the hypocrisy of such articles never ceases to amaze me. if a piece like this were directed towards any other group, one of women, “colored” students (didn’t this term die out in the ’60s? why do colleges still use it?), etc, there would be OUTRAGE. but since such criticism is directed at white males, it will pass without a second thought?
as an alum, reading shit like this makes me embarrassed for what my alma mater is becoming.
I think what’s really “laughable” here is the incorrect use of rhetoric and grammar used by every supposed “alum” that has posted here. People should stop trying to make their meaningless opinions count more by calling themselves alum. If everyone that posted on this forum is truly an alum, then what’s is really of concern is the level of education that this institution provides (or maybe just the level of education that respondents have achieved… huh, maybe this article has a point?).
i’m sorry that my internet grammar is not up to your standards. do you really check and recheck your grammar/usage/spelling when chatting online?
as for claiming i’m not an alum, believe whatever you would like to believe. did you actually have a point you were trying to elucidate? is my opinion meaningless while yours is not? this is the problem i was highlighting: the severe and debilitating hypocrisy exhibited by people like you.
Seriously? The alumni are one of the reasons you and I have enjoyed so much great stuff on this campus, Conn Student ’10… Calling themselves alums only shows that they are (or once were) proud of their school, not that they are oh so better than the intelligent, grammar checking, college student that you are. What’s meaningless about their opinions? They have just as much meaning as Jake’s or yours. It’s so ridiculous how much you and Jake look down upon others because of what you believe to be superior intellect. I’m definitely not the smartest individual but I am smart enough to know that this article is an empty attack on a very, VERY small group of individuals on campus and if anything, it lacks even the smallest amount of intellectual quality… Jake, I don’t wish you misfortune like others here, but I do wish that you see the drastic errors in your ways.
Love,
Broseidon
Last semester I was walking out of Cro behind a group of bros. at 11:30 on a wednesday night (around the time of camelyimpics. One kicked over a full trashcan while another grabbed one of the wooden chairs from the tables next to the bulletin boards and dragged it outside. As I left, they were literally standing in a circle, taking turns smashing it on the pavement outside. To be sure, they were pretty drunk, but is that really an excuse? I’m hard pressed to think of any other social group on campus that feels the need to act like that even when they are intoxicated.
When I applied, I had a vary high opinion of this school. I even used to worry that I might not be as smart as most of my peers, but now I’m fairly convinced that even the bros at my old school had more intelligence in and social grace than some of the people here.
This article may be offensive to some people, but I’m glad that it finally brought an important (although extremely sensitive issue) to the table. It’s obviously a huge generalization, and it sucks that the student-athletes feel persecuted, but i think they can separate themselves from the stereotype by telling some of their more bro-like teammates when they’re out of line.
too bad the lax bros got their asses whupped by colby last week.
now our email boxes wont be flooded with “lax is 9-0!, lax is now 10-0!”
thanks colby college, for freeing up my inbox. cheers.
Goes to show that there will always be those who revel in the misfortunes of others who are successful. This is what coaches always warn about and why student-athletes need to hold themselves to a higher standard. The key is to not listen to these folks, avoid the temptation to respond in any way that can be viewed negatively by others, and just generally act as the bigger person. Misery certainly loves company and those targeted in this article would be wise to realize that winning and achieving success is the best response possible.
also goes to show that people will always try to make excuses for failures when they dont want to own up to the fact that they screwed up and got beat.
Hi Hater. Get in line with the others.
what??
who is making excuses for the latest lax lacrosse loss? are you implying the entire team is failing to own up to the loss?
your comment is nothing but an assumption. an assumption that sets up a straw man argument for you to tear down. your assumptions fit right in with all of Jake Schnaidt’s, including the massive sweeping generalizations that make up this article.
To the author,
Your comment:
“However, not all athletes are Bros. But most Bros are athletes, and most if not all Bro athletes are on those two certain teams that need not be named.”
It seems to me you are targeting a very specific subset of the college community, as evidenced by your observations shown above. If we take your observations at face value we are talking about 40 or so individuals. Now, as you stated yourself, some of these individuals are “good guys”. Let’s, for argument’s sake, say half are. You are now left with 20 (or 1% of the community) specific individuals that you are attacking in a very direct and damning way. One has to ask what the motivation behind this attack is, because the guise of uncovering an epidemic on campus seems weak when you speak about such a small group of people. The school is promoting these individuals because they revamped the AC and came up with a new mascot? Really? Perhaps the AC needed an update – I sure thought so when I was there. The old mascot looked stupid and, quite frankly, so does the new one. We are the Camels for Christ’s sake, does it really even matter?
This is not to say your commentary is absolute nonsense. It seems to me that stereotypes are usually derived from reality, although those that fit the stereotype in those particular groups being stereotyped often number in the very few. I have met the sort of person you are describing – they certainly exist and I join you in dislike of them. However, your attack on this very specific group of individuals who you have come to hate over your four years should not be used as a condemnation of the college as a whole. There are pricks everywhere. That will not change. We get it, you don’t like them. I hope writing the article proved cathartic for you.
While I have not kept up with most of what the new President has done, it is important to “increase the endowment of this institution, this brand, this corporation.” You will agree when you are at an interview and are asked, “Connecticut College? What is that?” Believe me. This is unfortunate, because the best parts of the school are not at the forefront of this push, but it is the reality of the situation. Sports sell. Conn needs to keep up with everyone else. Again, unfortunate, but as you say a “necessary evil” (and it is really not that much of an evil).
You are a captivating writer, but this article is more a personal attack rather than enlightened commentary. I would think someone from Conn would try and avoid that sort of writing.