Louisiana State University - Gumbo Yearbook (Baton Rouge, LA)

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r Greek representatives disassemble after taking their group shot in the Greek Theatre Sometimes it ' s hard to tell who is having more fun, participants or spectators, at Delta Gamma ' s Anchor Splash. ' .-wSfc , 14 Qceeks introduction

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A jet lands in North Baton Rouge from parts unknown; a smoke-grey BMW sails east on Interstate 10. coming from the Lone Star State; a customized pickup rolls up La. Highway I from Race land, or maybe Cut Off; a candy-apple red Camera tears in from Clinton; a gold Porsche 930 travels west from New Orleans, as does a tan Toyota Tercell from Hammond. As diversified as their travel arrangements and homelands, the weary travelers begin the task of making their home away from home. Many, freshmen and others alike, decide (or have decided for them) that living where one stu- dies is the way to go. Dorms of all shapes and sizes, air conditioned and not, hall baths and suites, men ' s and women ' s but no co- eds ' . etc. are to he found scat- tered about the campus, from the gleaming tower of Kirby Smith to the gray bunkers of Stadium. Others, those who follow the ideals put forth several thousand years ago, not only go Greek, but choose (if so chosen) to live in the house of their Chapter. Alpha to Zeta and all those funny letters in between, the Greek system offers a lifestyle to its residents not to be enjoyed by any other students. Ah. the proverbial apartment. The first is always something spe- cial, and the LSI! landscape is dotted with them, including for those richer folks, the condomi- nium. A survey of apartment life could fill volumes, and perhaps will be taught to students of the 22nd century: Apartment Life Appreciation 1001. After settlin g in. students often choose an extra-curricular activ- ity to take up the slack in their self-controlled lives. The number one activity at LSU is partying. No doubt about it. Freds. Sports, Murphy ' s, the Bengal, the Bayou. Xanthus and more all give those weary of books and notes a place to mingle with others and drown their sorrows in a glass of beer or booze. Don ' t get the wrong idea, though. There are more noble and uplifting ways of passing one ' s time. The Tiger Band, sports, art, cheerleading, jour- nalism, theatre; the list goes on and on. Perhaps one could turn to page 16 — just a mere flip of the wrist — to learn more of these other activities. Vi w 1 19 ■ B if James Clement There was a minor turnout of protestors from the Progressive Student Network for the CIA recruiting on campus, but major repercussions Some of the students were arrested for their part in the protest. Tracy Morris and Eugene Gregg of the LSU ROTC unit lie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree in the Memorial Oak Grove on Veterans day as a salute to American Veterans. Organizations Jnttoduction 15

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Students often come to LSU with or without preconceived no- tions about just what Greek life is. Often those ideas are wrong, largely because of movies such as Animal House. Greek vs. Non-Greek is a bat- Emotions burst forth al the Tn-Delt hous on Bid Day. tie waged yearly at LSU. with winners, and no losers. V Greeks complain of the air of periority Greeks exude, while Greeks ' rebuttal defends their system . The truth is the proverbial nee- dle in the haystack. Arguments pro and con are readily avail- able, but in the end. the choice to Man Dobb Soronty members stay up all night on the see-saw participating in the MD Marathon to raise money for chanty. ' ' Go Greek ' ' or stay independent is purely a personal one. On the pro side, the Greek sys- tem forms new bonds, often stronger than any friendships ever before. The system provides a sense of belonging, of home and of discipline. Despite the apparent wildness of Greek life. there are often rules applied that many independents would rather not be subjected to. The Greeks are also well known for their philanthropic en- deavors, earning much needed money for muscular dystrophy research, the School for the Visually Impaired, and others. Sometimes though, the Greek system appears to be two faced. One socially conscious event sponsored by Greeks is Alcohol Awareness Week. A worthy cause, but is this a case of do as we sav and not as we do? For evidence that Greeks don ' t take their own advice, one needs but to turn to page 316, where the Greek section starts. The ' ' party- pics ' ' featured are selected by the organizations themselves, so. ..see for your self. On the con side, there are many documented tales of rather anti -social behavior performed by Greeks. Whether these people are predisposed to violence — such as striking Chimes- Streeters ' ' with a car. or shoot- ing fellow Greeks with a pellet gun — or whether the violence is brought out by the same superior attitude non-Greeks claim, is im- possible to tell. Whatever the case, the future is sure to hold more Greek Non- Greek tension, but at the same time. Greeks will goon with their benefitial activities and parties alike. Qreeks Introduction 15