System should be watched
Greeks should continue to live up to standards
COMMENTARY
By Josh Deitz

An honest look at the role of Greek organizations on campus means going beyond the general stereotypes about fraternities and sororities. From “Animal House” to “Sorority Life,” the media has generally presented an extremely skewed look at Greeks and their place in the university. For Greek organizations to truly have a place on campus, they must move entirely beyond these stereotypes. The scale must shift toward models like Pi Kappa Phi and away from situations such as those that led to the banning of Kappa Sigma at TCU.

An assessment of whether Greek organizations have a place in universities must begin with their impact on the academic life of their members. The obligations of fraternities and sororities can have a definite impact on academic well being. Study groups are a good place to start, but truly presenting an environment that complements academic life means eliminating test banks and any other barriers to ethical learning. Freshmen should be made well aware of the commitments that Greek life entails and should seriously consider whether they can meet the demands of both their academic and Greek lives. While this should not be a problem for most students, it can create serious conflicts for others.

The next most pressing issue is the question of hazing and initiation. Most fraternities and sororities seem to have moved beyond the types of hazing that used to mark the pledge process, but TCU must still keep a watchful eye on Greek organizations. As the Kappa Sigma incident demonstrates, hazing has not disappeared from the Greek world. The privacy and secrecy of fraternities and sororities must be somewhat compromised in order to keep their pledges safe.

There is also the question of the level of separation between the Greek and non-Greek groups on campus. There is a thin line between these organizations and the “cool tables” in the lunchroom in middle and high school. The exclusiveness of fraternities and sororities goes hand in hand with their very existence. The entire recruitment process is about choosing certain people and rejecting others. To maintain a healthy and cooperative student body, Greek organizations have an obligation to reach out to regular students and create an atmosphere of inclusion rather than separation.

The university must also ask whether fraternities and sororities are living up to their service commitments. For Greeks to have a place on campus, they must consistently live up to obligations that go above and beyond those of normal students. Making a commitment to service means having an ongoing relationship. Service projects should be a monthly, if not weekly, part of Greek life. I am sure that most fraternities and sororities do an exemplary job. However, these commitments should be scrutinized by TCU in order to fully evaluate the place of individual organizations.

During my freshman orientation at York University in Toronto, we were all warned about the “evil cults” that might try to trick us into joining. York had labeled all Greek organizations “cults” and had banned them as a pernicious influence on students. This is obviously a gross exaggeration, but in it there is an important message. Unchecked, exclusive social groups can be incredibly destructive. With university oversight and specific obligations, Greeks can have a place in the college community. However, that place is not guaranteed, it is earned.

Josh Deitz is a junior political science major from Atlanta.