rerecognition of greek life underway...

[ilovetheviolets]

Background...16 yrs. ago Franklin and Marshall College de-recognized ALL greek organizations. 16 yrs. later, the Greek community (2 panhellenic sororities, 1 national sorority, and 7 fraternities) are still strong...with a recent change in President, things might be changing...


MEETING OF GREEK NATIONAL REPS AND ADIMINISTRATION RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY
(copied from "The College Reporter", written by Russell Dinnage
The previously scheduled Sept. 20 meeting of the national representatives of fraternities ans sororities at F&M, their alumni representatives and student members, and members of the College administaration was postponed last week due to the inclement effects of Hurricane Isabel.
According to Eula Kozma '04, a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and president of the Panhellenic Council, and Edward Frackelton '04, president of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, the meeting of all parties has now been rescheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 4 to discuss the issues in question.
As was the case with the original meeting, the issue on the agenda will be the future direction of the relationship between the greek organizations and the College, including the issue of re-recognition.
"we expect the majority of the administration to be there this Saturday," said Timothy Cahill '04, president of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. "All of the greek organizations will be following the basic model of bringing to the meeting the president of their alumni association, their advisor, their president, and a younger brother or sister."
According to Colette Shaw, assistant dean of students and director of residential programs, the College is taking the right steps in keeping with the need to examine a greek system that could function more effectively.
"I feel very positive about where the College is going with [the greek issue]," Shaw said. "Clearly it needed to be looked at because it could be working better at a community level."
Cahill, however, indicated that many student members of the greek system had been left in the dark thus far regarding the meeting with the national representatives.
"It's been going through the rumor mill that a set of guidelines for re-recognition was reviewed at a faculty meeting last Tuesday and that they were approved," he said. "No one I know has seen the guidelines, but we realize that the College is trying to work with us on this issue and that they want to have a meeting where all parties involved are in place and are given a chance to speak their minds."
When asked as president of his fraternitiy whether or not Phi kappa Psi would theoretically accept guidelines for re-reconition at this saturday's meeting, Cahill indicated that they would.
"depending on what the guidelines are, we will take them back to the rest of the fraternity and have a meeting to discuss them. However, my fraternity would be inclined to go along with them since we don't want to be the odd man out. I'm very excited about this process. I think it will be good for the sysem as a whole," Cahill said.

[33girl]

What groups are at F & M?

I've never understood the point of this whole thing.

[ilovetheviolets]

Derecognition came about (from what i understand) because greeks used a "selection process" to get members, that was supposadly too elitist for the school....very false...they did not want to deal w/ hazing incidences (it came about when that was a HUGE topic in the news), and also alcohol...i could be VERY wrong, but that is my guess. What derecognition meant that we can not use the campus for ANY greek related activities (only philanthropic events), we can not advertise on campus or do any kind of greek promoting on campus, we do not have access to school funds, or anything that a school typically provides for Greek organizations, we do not even have faculty supervisors sitting on our different councils.
the organizations that we have here are....

Sigma Sigma Sigma
Chi Omega
Kappa Beta Gamma
Alpha Phi USED to be here, but had to be graduated out for various reasons.

Delta Sigma Phi
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Zeta Beta Tau (soon to be Delta Chi)
Sigma Pi

[33girl]

Thanks for clearing that up. But how is ZBT going to soon be Delta Chi?

[ilovetheviolets]

ZBT (i've heard) has had a lot of problems with membership the past few years, as well as with their national HQ. So i think delta chi is going to come in and sort of "adopt them" as a delta chi fraternity...keeping the ZBT members, but also recruiting in new members from the community, it is very confusing, and i am not well informed about the whole thing...so that's prob. the best answer i can give u.

[squashfly3]

hi! being a greek at F&M as well it was interesting to stumble over this topic after the past weekend. (it was the weekend that the college met with the sororities and fraternities and the nationals) has anyone here been through re-recognition? and if you have do you have any suggestions?...what exactly happens and does it hurt or help the greek system?

[efrackel]

I somehow stumbled across this thread on google...the undergrad chapters at Franklin and Marshall College are being rerecognized by the school...it's official.

check out this link

http://www.fandm.edu/greeklife/

Peace,
Ed Frackelton '04
Former President
Delta Sigma Phi

[ThetokenCanuck]

Congrats: What positive steps.

Everyone in America is so lucky to have such wonderuful school support (whether you think its 'good' or not) In Canada most univerrsities do not recognize Greek Organizations, let alone want to see or hear from them. My universities campus newspaper is always portraying us in a negative light and I was once told that I was "selling out" for joining a sorority. We are told that we will be banned from frosh week if we even admit to being greek and we are not allowed to post posters or signs. Its even a bi law i believe in Ottawa that you cannot even show your letters outside on your house.

So i just want to say that that is a positive step and maybe someday us Canucks primarly at Carleton University can hope and dream of such a step to even be made.

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by ThetokenCanuck
Congrats: What positive steps.

Everyone in America is so lucky to have such wonderuful school support (whether you think its 'good' or not) In Canada most univerrsities do not recognize Greek Organizations, let alone want to see or hear from them. My universities campus newspaper is always portraying us in a negative light and I was once told that I was "selling out" for joining a sorority. We are told that we will be banned from frosh week if we even admit to being greek and we are not allowed to post posters or signs. Its even a bi law i believe in Ottawa that you cannot even show your letters outside on your house.

So i just want to say that that is a positive step and maybe someday us Canucks primarly at Carleton University can hope and dream of such a step to even be made.

I think the first positive step is for our Canadian leaders to admit that they're Greek. If only Paul Martin and Jack Layton would openly say that they're fraternity alumni....isn't it sad that many Canadians have to be in the closet?

[Kevin]

I think it's a good thing when colleges discover that it's easier to keep watch over GLO's when they work with them than when they completely ignore them.

Also good for their budget I'm sure.

[ilovetheviolets]

Hey Efrackel...(and everyone else)...
I think that the school could have gone about this differenly...though I do have to say that my chapter is already seeing the benefits of having the school on our side. (frackel...i'll fill you in when i see you on monday). I think that greek life will change over the next few years, but we can not say if it's for the best or worse until we see the full effects.
-your future housemate
(p.s...poor matt, being the only indi. in house filled with greek enthusiasm)

[ThetokenCanuck]

what limitations were placed on greeks before recognition and what benefits are you seeing?

Taualumna: I think it is sad that many are in the 'closet'. We are discussing at Carleton of having an IFC to deal with admin but many are wary...

It would be nice for admin to give us recognition so we can have signs and greater support as in: positive PR?...

But I think it shows our strength to have survived so long with such oppression..we have one small loophole tho: we are all under a club called: Children Of Zeus which allows us ot rent space in our university centre for bake sales for fundraising..but thats about it!!

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by ThetokenCanuck
what limitations were placed on greeks before recognition and what benefits are you seeing?

Taualumna: I think it is sad that many are in the 'closet'. We are discussing at Carleton of having an IFC to deal with admin but many are wary...

It would be nice for admin to give us recognition so we can have signs and greater support as in: positive PR?...

But I think it shows our strength to have survived so long with such oppression..we have one small loophole tho: we are all under a club called: Children Of Zeus which allows us ot rent space in our university centre for bake sales for fundraising..but thats about it!!

Is "Children of Zeus" your "Panhel"? U of T's organization is called "Sororities at U of T", and we are allowed to use the university's space at no cost. The guys don't have their own org though. Perhaps Rob (RACooper) or Shala (NeonPi) can expand a little on U of T's situation. Sorority and Fraternity houses at U of T are allowed to display letters.

[Erik P Conard]

I know the Premier and the second-in-command in Winnipeg are
Tekes...and our chapter is now dead there at the U...why they
have not spoken or the chapter has not been revived I know not,
but mention this as a post to our Canadian greeks...we had a good chapter there for many years...

[33girl]

hahahahaha

I looked at that post too quickly and thought it said "Chicken of Zeus." That would be a cool name for a rock band.