Either DePaul University spent their Christmas break growing a sense of humor, or somebody made a big mistake. On February 2, DePaul Men’s basketball played their rival, Notre Dame at the All State Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. On that day, DePaul celebrated their inaugural Blue Demon Day to honor all of the students, alumni, faculty, and staff of DePaul, according to the university’s website. As part of the promotions for this event, students attending the game were given a free T-shirt with the phrase, “Fear The D” written across the chest, with the “D” as the DePaul logo.
For those of you who might not be aware, the phrase, “Fear The D” has a second meaning. “The D,” according to the foremost expert on the subject UrbanDictionary.com, refers to a penis as a slang term for the already slang term “dick.” Using “The D” as a slang term for penis first appeared in the lexicon in rap and hip hop music.
So let us recap. At a basketball game, a sport widely associated with rap and hip hop music, to celebrate the entire DePaul community, the student in attendance received a t-shirt that can be read as either, “Fear The D,” or “Fear The Penis.” Like I said, either this Catholic university grew a sense of humor, or somebody made a big mistake. DePaul is an institution of higher learning and there is a lesson here. When the 21 year old intern giggles at a suggestion for a slogan, take a minute to ask the intern why he or she is laughing before you print it on a t-shirt and hand it to a stadium full of students.
