Quote:
Originally posted by bolingbaker
Not knowing what's been said previously, I could not tell fro your mesage at the top of this thread if you oppose or support the Harvard Studies. I downloaded the links you provided, and I must say that I'm shocked at what I read. The studies were and are being funded by the Rbt Wood Johnson Foundation, the very aggressive organization whose method is punishment above all else. It's obvious even to the casual reader that the Johnson Foundation started with a premise, then commissioned Harvard to do a study that proved their point of view. The text is dripping with venom toward greeks. Virtually all the outtakes refer derisively to 'frats'. This whole production has the feel of an 'advocate study', produced by extremists who want to use it as a hammer to beat down anyone opposed to them. reading the material is a real eye-opener! Thank you for providing the links. If my impression is not what you intended, please accept my apologies. You do a fine job moderating this important topic on GreekChat.
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James - I think anyone who wants to can tear any study apart. The FACT that the Harvard studies seem to be particularly virulent in their "attack" on the Greek system is important only if there is not other evidence supporting their conclusions.
The old addage, there's 3 kinds of lies:
"Lies, damn lies, and statistics," will probably remain true regardless of the study.
Is there evidence (outside the study) to suggest that someone in a fraternity is more likely to be involved in excessive drinking. I don't know whta any of us will ever accept that premise.
We are cetainly deal with higher risks than many student groups. Take a look at the insurance rates. We pay more because the insurers want to make money - and they charge us more because they experience higher losses with us. Simple.
I disagree that the conclusion of these studies is "don't drink." Funding is indeed a good critical element to look at, and I applaud you for that disclosure. But I would recommend we spend time dealing with our own issues.
Brad
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