UB Vice President of Student Affairs on "Fraternity & Sorority Life"

[BSUPhiSig'92]

This statement from the UB Vice-President of Student Affairs was on the student newspaper's website today.

The Mail
To the Editor:

As you may know, MTV filmed the latest installment of its
reality television show, "Sorority Life," and its first edition
of "Fraternity Life" in Buffalo last fall, featuring two UB
student groups. The shows are being aired at 10 p.m. on
Wednesdays for 13 weeks, starting last night. The show
follows several members of Delta Xi Omega sorority and
the Sigma Chi Omega fraternity during new-member
education period. Because the show undoubtedly will
depict some positive content and may include some
negative images, we thought it was worth revisiting how
MTV "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life" came to be filmed
at UB, and what might happen after it airs.

First and foremost, these students, who are in good
standing at UB, exercised their legal right to participate in
off-campus activities. Whether their choice to star on MTV
benefits or hinders them, we will protect their privacy and
welfare as we would with any students.

It should be noted that MTV contracted directly with the
student organizations and the individual students. All
content is controlled entirely by MTV. UB did not endorse
or participate in the production. The university did permit
on-campus filming in an effort to provide a more
balanced look at student life. During filming, UB did
everything within its rights to eliminate disruption and
protect student interests on campus. The shows were
filmed primarily off campus, in pledge houses that were
not UB residences. The houses were rented, furnished
and maintained by MTV.

These students were aware that as community and
university citizens, they would be accountable for their
behavior. They were reminded that their behavior would
reflect on them, as well as on UB, their sorority or
fraternity and Western New York. We believe they took
this to heart. Although MTV has not given us access to all
13 episodes, we sense there is more positive than
negative content. On the positive front, we will see our
students participating in community-service activities,
building school pride, studying hard and modeling many
healthy behaviors. We remain concerned, however, that
some behaviors exhibited by some featured students
may not truly represent UB as we know it—as a
world-class academic institution and a responsible
community citizen.

As appropriate, UB will enforce our student judicial
processes and student organization conduct standards.
Additionally, we cannot predict how authorities outside UB
will react if the program depicts unlawful conduct, such as
underage drinking. Obviously, we hope future episodes
will not require campus and off-campus responses.

At the end of the season, we hope that MTV will show the
world what we already know—that UB is among the world's
best places to learn and grow.

Sincerely,
Dennis Black
Vice President for Student Affairs

[sigtau305]

Well, He's honest about it. that's a good thing.

[KillarneyRose]

And this, kids, is called preemptive spin control

[James]

He's also saying that kids might be punished for what they do on TV . . .

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by BSUPhiSig'92
The university did permit on-campus filming in an effort to provide a more balanced look at student life.

This implies that UC-Davis didn't allow MTV to film on campus . . . does anybody know if that's true? Now that I think about it, I don't remember any shots that were obviously filmed on the UC-Davis campus, but maybe I'm missing some. Maybe that's part of why we didn't get to see the girls EVER going to class.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by James
He's also saying that kids might be punished for what they do on TV . . .

Yup. And they knew the cameras were there. If they were dumb enough to break laws and/or rules on videotape, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy.

Originally posted by KilarneyRose
And this, kids, is called preemptive spin control

They're taking no chances, and later will probably take no prisoners. If we keep seeing pushups and intimidation, Bye, Bye charter.

[33girl]

Bye bye charter? Well they don't really HAVE a charter - plus apparently the campus is full of underground groups. In a situation like that the worst thing to do is derecognize a group - it just gives them the opportunity to run free.

[bruinaphi]

I don't think UC Davis could have prevented them from filming on campus but it is my understanding that all UC campuses have the right to be paid for any filming done on campus that is used for a commercial purpose. Maybe MTV didn't want to get into the legal debate b/c showing the women go to class wasn't the point of the show.

For Sorority Life 3, USC has made it VERY CLEAR that MTV is forbidden from filming on campus. The House Corporation Boards of all of the Sororities and Fraternities are writing letters to MTV reminding them that the sorority and fraternity houses are private property and that they do not have permission to film on our properties either.

[amycat412]

Laurs--

Sorority Life 3 is at USC?????

W who? One of the MCGLOs?????????


Amy

[LeslieAGD]

Originally posted by BSUPhiSig'92
This statement from the UB Vice-President of Student Affairs was on the student newspaper's website today.

...Although MTV has not given us access to all 13 episodes, we sense there is more positive than negative content...

Sincerely,
Dennis Black
Vice President for Student Affairs

Yeah, dream on, this is MTV you're dealing with.