‘Spokie’ is derogatory

We all have them. What am I alluding to you wonder? Hangovers? Too much homework? Secret campus crushes? Wrong, wrong, and wrong (in the sense that I am referring to, at least).

I am referring to the quintessential and unquestionably amusing "Spokie" story. Whether you're stumbling home after a late night run of the Logan Neighborhood house party scene, or simply buying groceries at Winco, chances are you've encountered these individuals in some way that caused you to react. Maybe you told all your friends about your harrowing experience, posted it as your Facebook status (coupled by a sarcastic statement of your "love" for the Logan Neighborhood), or maybe you didn't tell anyone, but still thought about it. I know this to be true, because I've also done it.

Let's step back for a moment. Who and what exactly defines an individual as a Spokie? Are the St. Al's kids who walk past my house every morning carrying science projects and musical instruments, Spokies? What about our professors, who are individuals with illustrious careers, varying experiences, and a wealth of knowledge — do we call them out simply because they reside in Spokane?

The answer I'm assuming, for most of the student population, is "no." A more definitive and likely definition for what jogs the mind of the typical Gonzaga student when referring to the term Spokie can be succinctly summed up by Urban Dictionary, which defines a Spokie as "a native of Spokane, WA that typically exhibits a lack of sophistication and characteristics commonly associated with those who reside in a trailer park." Nice.

That bearded man walking out of the Tesoro Gas Station rocking a circa 1983 L.A. Raiders hat while bumpin' tunes on his CD player, he's a Spokie.  And that woman on Nora who yells after her kids to come inside for dinner, she's a Spokie, too. In fact, most of the people we work with through our service programs and service learning partnerships would be considered Spokies as well. Seems a little ironic, doesn't it? We pride ourselves on our commitment to service of others and respect for all people, yet we denigrate them by use of the term Spokie.

We also contradict the "Gonzaga University Creed" (featured on the back of the red T-shirts we all proudly wore upon initiation to Gonzaga at our freshman orientation). To quote a part of the creed, "We demonstrate honesty and integrity through respect for ourselves, others, and our community. We celebrate all people and cultures in pursuit of the greater good." Despite this, there's an utter lack of integrity, respect, and celebration of our surrounding community when we use terms like Spokie. Quite frankly, that makes us look ignorant and intolerant.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a community that loves Gonzaga more. I believe that the people of Spokane appreciate our presence in the community due to our service and positive engagement, the money we generate, and let's be honest, our basketball team. You can't go anywhere in Spokane without seeing some form of Gonzaga paraphernalia. That's something to be proud of. But it also places a responsibility on us to live up to our expectations of treating others with the respect they deserve.  (Side note: You think our neighborhood is bad? Go to UW where a 22-year-old student was assaulted and beaten with a hammer in 2008 while trying to move her car, or try attending USC, which suffered the loss of a student due to a hit-and-run last March. I don't recall ever getting any security alert e-mails about student deaths in my almost three-and-a-half years at Gonzaga.)

I challenge you to think the next time you feel the need to belittle someone by referring to him or her as a Spokie. Maybe that individual truly is crazy or a meth addict, or maybe they're suffering from schizophrenia or another mental illness, and lack the resources or ability to receive help and care. Regardless, I believe that every individual is endowed with an inherent sense of dignity and right to life. People are valuable, and no one deserves to be thrown out or disrespected because of where they live, what their backstory is, etc. And if at the end of your four years (or five if you're taking the long route) at Gonzaga, you can't comprehend this idea, then perhaps it's time to do some re-evaluating.