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Alfred U Lambda Chi Alpha
First off, I'm very happy to see so many people talking about Alfred. I am a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha at Alfred and have been in the fraternity since spring of 1999. I have seen this fraternity go through many struggles to regain our charter and to re-establish our reputation as a strong and positive force in Alfred. Like AKO and DZ (and others), we also have grades well above the all university averages. We are in great standing with both the school and our national. We contribute over $6,000 annually to local businesses. Multiply that by 12 other chapters and see the economic impact on a very small community. We participate in numerous community service organizations and are leaders in many many organizations around campus. Jason Pilarz, the editor in cheif of the newspaper (Fiat Lux) is the president of our chapter. For all we've been through, we find this to be the greatest insult to our organization. It is a gross insult to each and every Greek house on campus. LCA does not currently have a house. However we are a tight-knit, strong group. It's just one challenge that we have worked to our advantage.
In regards to only 4 percent of freshman showing interest....
That was from a survey sent to perspective high school students. How many of you, in your junior and senior years of high school even knew enough about college to really think you wanted to join a greek organization?? Furthermore, in a brotherhood of 20, we have only one man who attests to having any intent to join a fraternity when he first came to alfred. That statistic is meaningless. Brother and sisterhoods are not based on what people think in highschool! That's poppycock! They are based on what you FIND in college. How could those trustees have forgotten so much? Or perhaps the greeks in their day just weren't as strong.
Bob McComsey, the head of the trustees is a Lambda brother. He has shown no regard towards our chapter, even when we invited him personally to a simple barbeque. He brushed us off (I was one of the 3 who invited him) as if he was pushing away people who just wanted his money. We were only looking for brotherhood. He would have nothing to do with us. If he represents the trustees in general, then I fail to see how they came even close to understanding (or wanting to understand) who we are.
I am eagerly awaiting the release of the Greek Task Force's final report. They had little to no contact w/ the greeks during their "study". They offered an email that comments could be sent to with no response other than a form letter, "thank you for your email". They did not interview the chapters, or speak to the national headquarters of our 8 national organizations. They did not dig below the surface to see how greek houses help young people dealing with severe depression. Or how they can be places for fostering acceptance and tolerance of all people.
At risk of bordering on libel (perhaps i already have), it's been a long time rumor that Alfred has been seeking to become an Ivy League school. One requirement is that all greek organizations be on campus. The school does not have the money to buy all greek properties (undoubtedly many would refuse to sell) and so many of the houses are steeped in history that the greeks could not think of leaving their longtime homes for a new house on "greek row"... a street w/ now 2 (of 12) houses on it. Just the other day, the University announced a possible merger w/ Alfred State College. What will happen with their greek system? Is it another step towards Ivy? This is only speculation on my part, but it's too convenient to me to be coincidence. How disgusting if Alfred infact has used a friend of mine's death to further it's own prestige.
The school waited until the Monday after graduation to release it's decision, when they knew the decision the day before graduation. The trustees made their decision, waited til the students and parents were gone, and let the administration make the announcement and bare the brunt of the criticism, while the trustees return to their homes away from Alfred in peace. The administration of Alfred University took great strides to try to keep the greek system afloat. They would not have suspended two houses(Sigma Chi Nu sorority and Klan Alpine [not related to KKK in ANY way folks]), shut down ZBT, ordered house inspections, etc. if they were not interested in keeping the system going. They did those things to show that the university was taking the action it saw fit.
Perhaps the deepest hurt to all of us at Alfred came from the words of our trustees and former president. In new releases they acknowledged that they will likely lose money in donations from most recent alumni and current students (and parents) and that other universities had the same occurance. They went on to say that other universities still faired well, and they [Alfred U] was not concerned about the lost funds.
That speaks volumes as to what Alfred thinks about it's students!!! We're dollars they don't need. That's all we are. They simply don't care that they are cutting ties with people who love and care about Alfred Unversity. They don't care that the place we call home no longer feels welcoming. Several of my brothers have swore that each year during the annual fund we will send a letter to AU telling how much we would have donated, but instead donated to the Education Foundation of LCA instead. If I had more than just one more semester left, I would be transferring by now. Lambda Chi Alpha was my reason for staying in Alfred. They don't see that.
None of us [greeks] are going out w/out a proper fight. I'm in the process of contacting the ACLU to find out what we can do based upon legal rights of students.
Sorry to go on so long, but I had to say all this.
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