[kmullini]

Originally posted by EPOmega:
I found this article on the Internet and responded to the person who posted it…

The Dartmouth Arts and Sciences unanimously approved a resolution, voting 81-0 to urge the administration and Trustees to withdraw College recognition from all Coed Fraternity and Sorority organizations once additional living space is made available…
…Faculty members argued that the system is a discriminatory one>Raising concerns that the CFS system is highly exclusive…
…professors argued that it does not conform but interferes, with the academic mission of the College. The Greek system "stands so antithetical to our academic message of openness," Ackerman said…
…students tend to be mostly white and more affluent than
other students, Ackerman called the system one of "power and privilege…"
…Faculty members also said the Greek system promotes
excessive alcohol use which interferes with students' academic work...
I found the first argument particularly puzzling because you never hear of administration or faculty complaining that the college soccer team was being "discriminatory" when they wouldn't let the fat kid play because he wasn't fast enough. I'm sure he probably really wanted to play and felt really bad when he got cut from the team. He just didn't have what the team was looking for. The situation is really quite the same when you take into consideration the process of rush and getting a bid. Anyone can rush (try out) but there isn't always a place for everyone (get cut).
I go to SUNY Potsdam and anyone is welcome to rush any house they want. Whether they choose to rush or not is their prerogative. Yes, whether they get a bid or not is the choice of the Greek organization. But here a person’s chance of getting a bid is based on many more things that utilize a much more well rounded method of selection than many groups search for physical ability, talents, or achievements. If people feel excluded it's just a fact of life. People are always changing jobs, applying for different things, and meeting new people while constantly risking the feeling of being 'left out.' You cannot however simply write off an entire community because they function through the day to day existence of selection.
If there are issues of concentration in one particular group, it may not be a problem of exclusion but rather one of cultural disinterest on the parts of the groups who seem to be "excluded." I think that as a whole, Greek systems are more culturally, socially, educationally, and economically diverse than any other clubs, interest groups, or sports teams on college campuses. If different socioeconomic groups feel excluded, the Greek system is a perfect way to find a specifically tailored place for different interests. There are many Greek organizations that cater to a specific religion, race, background, creed, and obviously gender oriented groups. They allow people to utilize their most valuable talents and resources for issues very specific to themselves. My sorority was specifically founded on the basis that the Greek organizations that existed at the time did not meet the needs of the people interested in various aspects of SUNY Potsdam's Greek community. They started their own new group 40 years ago. Omega Delta Phi Sorority. We are different from all the other sororities and all the other groups are different from each other and us. Trends are always changing. Interest in Greek life waxes and wanes all the time but you can't discard it because of selection processes.
Greeks consistently go unrecognized in their constant efforts to do good and promote community service. The combined efforts of Greeks on any campus SURELY out weigh the man-hours of service that any other group or club can offer on campus. Greeks combine the benefits of all different groups into one: Friendship, leadership, community service, diversity, special programming (pertaining to academics, social life, athletics, current events and issues) I can't think of any one club on my campus that does all of that. Can you?
People complain that Greek life promotes substance abuse. Well I guarantee that people would be doing the same stuff on college campuses outside of Greek life. It would just be at Independents’ housing, with sports teams and other clubs, local bars, etc. People keep forgetting that it's not a GREEK epidemic, it's a COLLEGE epidemic. Greek life changes with the times. The 60's and 70's social changes found Greek life. Not us them. I think that Greeks actually help regulate some of the substance abuse problems in college life and encourage students to take personal responsibility. They promote working within groups (probably one of the most important components of being successful after graduation) that support the individual members as well as have an underlying theme of working towards common goals: teamwork at its best. It’s true that many Greek organizations need reform on different levels but all groups have their ups and downs. I am a firm believer through my own personal experiences that Greek life helps prepare people for the real world.

WELL SAID!

Kevin Mullinix
Beta Theta Pi alum
Epsilon Mu Chapter
George Mason University