U of Chicago: Problems? (DU, ADPhi Fraternities)
 

U of Chicago

More tasteless and dumb times at one of the most prominent and academically rigorous universities in the USA, this time Chicago

Delta Upsilon has apologized for planning and announcing a “Conquistadors and Aztec Hoes” party.** The event will NOT be held (at least not with that theme).

At Alpha Delta Phi, reportedly, members / new members did yard work while wearing oversize sombreros, with Latino music playing.

See

http://www.equities.com/news/news-he...1&cat=headline

or
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...cal&id=8678458

University administrators and others were reportedly not pleased.


** Hasn't this theme been mentioned at various times in the past on GC? No points for originality, certainly no points for respect for women or precolumbian New World cultures.

The *really* bizarre thing here is U of Chicago has an Anthropology Department and the first course in the Anthropology sequence is entitled
"ANTH 20100. The Inka and Aztec States. 100 Units.
This course is an intensive examination of the origins, structure, and meaning of two native states of the ancient Americas: the Inka and the Aztec. "

I say that they get the Anthropology Prof that teaches this to judge on the Front Porch. Women correctly dressed get into the party, those whose dress is inappropriate, get treated the way that an Aztec women improperly dressed for her station in Aztec life gets treated."

As Elizabeth Wurtzel said (I'm paraphrasing), students at academically rigorous/prestigious universities are crazy walking hormones on legs like any other teenagers. They do dumb shit like other teenagers.

The fact that they used the word "Conquistadors" and spelled it correctly tells you that the university's academic standards are slightly higher than most.

Well, I guess my daughter's friend who is headed to U-Chicago this fall can cross "Aztec Hoe" costume off her packing list....

Seriously, though, are these kids not thinking at all?

If it had just been Conquistadors, though, would that still be offensive? I'm not sure it should be.

Probably not as offensive, but also not very much fun.

I personally find the second incident to be much more offensive...it combines hazing of new members/"pledges" AND discrimination, and both are issues of current concern.

The president of the Alpha Delta Phi chapter at Chicago has issued an apology. See

http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2468593&spid=

Well, at least they weren't new members, so hazing was not involved.

Not to comment on this particular situation, but in general, new members do NOT have to be involved for hazing to occur in a greek organization.

That's a good point. The original news story said that it involved "pledges", so it sounded like a hazing incident. The apology article makes it sound like it was a "voluntary in-poor-taste attempt at a joke".