Rooting for the "Enemy"
Tomorrow, Indiana University will head to its first football championship in quite some time. They are undefeated and, by any objective measure, having an incredible season. This creates a problem for me. I am a Purdue graduate. My wife is a Purdue graduate. One of our daughters is a Purdue graduate. The rivalry between Purdue and IU is not subtle. Walk around Purdue’s campus and you will see “IU sucks” signs. It is a chant shouted after every kickoff, regardless of who Purdue is actually playing. Rivalries like this are baked into identity. So of course, we have given our other daughter and anyone else who graduated from IU a hard time. The same goes for friends and family who attend or are considering attending. That is part of the culture. Playful banter. Ribbing. A shared understanding that allegiance comes with jokes at someone else’s expense. And that is where it should end. Healthy rivalry creates space for competition without contempt. It pushes each side to sharpen its ed...