One of the things that occurred before Dylan applied and went to Columbia is that the wrestling team in 2016 got caught up in a scandal and there was even a suspension because the players were exposed for being racist, misogynistic and homophobic from their texts. I think the university’s recruitment and acceptance of Dylan was very much based on them trying to repair their image by adding an openly Gay wrestler to the team. Immediately upon arrival he was benched for what at the time I think was said because of an injury. I don’t think he even once participated in a match, or whatever a wresting scrimmage is called. I think some of this situation probably really fucked with his head and complicated things with his teammates even before arriving. I wonder if it was maybe a hostile environment from the day he arrived.
Another complication is that for the most part universities require freshmen right out of high school to live on campus in dorms, which I’m pretty sure that Columbia does too. Jackson, his shiny new boyfriend of just a few months, moved from LA to NYC nearby Columbia and Dylan spent the majority of time with him at his place, never really bonding with other freshmen or his teammates. I think this really complicated the college experience for him and he never really bonded with the environment or being a college student.
He took a year off and returned again, but within days chose to withdraw, at which time he decided to go into the military. Dylan had had some behavior issues earlier in high school and had been sent to military school for awhile, which he said gave him discipline and structure, though he did return to his suburban high school for much of his time in high school. I think he saw the military as a means to recapture that ability to put his life on track, but found it stifling and repressive once he got there.
Thank you for joining my Dylan Talk, feel free to add your corrections or insights.
Columbia suspends wrestling team for homophobic, sexist, racist texts
