Berkeley drops words to be inclusive, including 'fraternities' and 'sororities'

[navane]

Originally Posted by navane

I’m not sure how a city/municipality is allowed to tell a state agency (the university) what to do. Granted, it’s Berkley and the UC probably agrees with it, but it’s still a poor precedent to set.

It just occurred to me that the City of Berkeley would include "fraternity" and "sorority" on their list because they probably mention them in the local zoning laws and internal city documents. I originally interpreted the sentence from the news article to mean that the city was expecting the state university to change terms on campus as well.

[*winter*]

Men can have manholes lol. I don't think too many women are offended by this title.

I hated it so much at my last job when they would cal a female chairperson a chairman. It just bothered me, and we had several. Things like that matter, IMO, but manholes? Nah.

The fraternities and sororities ARE single sex. I hope they decide this isn't an issue in and of itself, a la Harvard...

[DGTess]

I, on the other hand, have always insisted my title was properly Madam Chairman.

Originally Posted by *winter*

Men can have manholes lol. I don't think too many women are offended by this title.

I hated it so much at my last job when they would cal a female chairperson a chairman. It just bothered me, and we had several. Things like that matter, IMO, but manholes? Nah.

The fraternities and sororities ARE single sex. I hope they decide this isn't an issue in and of itself, a la Harvard...

[unarose]

Originally Posted by navane

It just occurred to me that the City of Berkeley would include "fraternity" and "sorority" on their list because they probably mention them in the local zoning laws and internal city documents. I originally interpreted the sentence from the news article to mean that the city was expecting the state university to change terms on campus as well.

That part actually makes the most sense with what they're using as the alternative phrase. It sounds to me like this definitely has to do with city ordinances and governance rather than anything official as far as how the groups are referred to by the University.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by unarose

That part actually makes the most sense with what they're using as the alternative phrase. It sounds to me like this definitely has to do with city ordinances and governance rather than anything official as far as how the groups are referred to by the University.

Except it’s wrong and they’re too bullheaded and ignorant to realize why. You don’t join a building.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Not only that, calling it a “Greek system residence” is completely inaccurate - a chapter is not the same thing as the building the members reside in. (The same concept as the nails-on-chalkboard “what house did you join?”) What about the Greek chapters that don’t have houses or designated living spaces? Are they not even worthy of reference?

[unarose]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Except it’s wrong and they’re too bullheaded and ignorant to realize why. You don’t join a building.

Well, of course you don't join a building. To be honest, where they really went wrong is using "fraternities" and "sororities" in city documents that, as navane pointed out, likely have to do with zoning laws and other ordinances. In those cases, assuming she's correct, it would have been better for them to say "sorority/fraternity houses," and "Greek system residences" makes more sense as a replacement for that if it's going to be a replacement for anything. That's what I meant by saying that it makes sense—considering I don't see it replacing any of the currently used terminology on Berkeley's website—the entire Greek system is called "CalGreeks" anyway, and within that, the houses are just that—houses.