Rochester Institute of Technology - Techmila / Ramikin Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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'You have girls over to have a good time, but if they lived here, it would destroy the whole atmosphere, the Greeks explain. Because sexism' has become another catch phrase in our vocabulary, the frats are bound to seem suspect when insisting on a single-sex environment. Because the Greeks still believe in commitment to the group, and a single-sex environment, they are often accused of living in the fifties. They are seen as living Greaser Madness three hundred and sixty-five days a year, But one Greek defended the frats saying. Some people on the outside think we still go around eating goldfish and seeing how many people we can stuff in a Volkswagen, Well, it's just not true; we have changed with the times like everybody else, But how have the Greeks changed? Does smoking a little marijuana be- tween sips of beer constitute a real change? The Greeks insist that there have been many basic, structural changes. Mainly, physical pledging has been done away with, and dis- criminatory practices have been out- lawed, the Greeks maintain Are the Greeks really so very dif- ferent from other organizations on campus? They insist they are not, and quickly point out that many people on campus Have formed exclusive clubhouses.' These ’clubhouses' are usually formed by people living near each other in the dorms, and have many of the earmarks of a fraternity. Secret initiation rites and the like are typical of these groups. But a brother of Theta Xi, who lived in a clubhouse for a year pointed out that It’s hard to develop any real sense of unity in a clubhouse because you know that it will all be over at the end of the year and everybody will go their own way. But we Greeks have our own house and sponsor our own events, so we are easy targets for other people's frustra- tion. As an example of this targeting, several Greeks mentioned an article in Reporter Magazine which accused them of making a power play' to take over the student senate. Ironically, many pointed out, as recently as two years ago, they were being accused of apathy because they took no part in campus affairs. No doubt, part of the reason the Greeks are so controversial is jealousy. One thing is for sure, those Greeks 30 H0L2EMER

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IN LIKE A GREEK The Greeks are controversial. I've heard them compared to every kind of group imaginable — from the best to the worst. Some people compare the Greeks to Nazis who use mind control and brainwashing to recruit their members. Other people tell me the Frats are comparable to utopian societies in which everyone lives peacefully and no one feels lonely and blue. Still others tell me the Greeks are only interested in good times, while the campus magazine tells me they are mad for power, and are planning to take over the student senate. So, what's the story? Can anything honest and objective be said about the Greeks? Recently I was talking with Tom Roche, president of Greek council, and he was giving me his objective view of the Greeks. The Greeks are ex- cellent citizens; we support charitable events, we work hard with the student senate, we provide a large part of the social life on this campus . . If you have talked with Greeks about the Greek life, you know that once they start talking in this vein, it's almost impossible to shut them up. So, 1 in- terrupted him and asked, Tom, what do you think is the one worst feature of the Greeks? He thought for a few seconds and then answered, Well, the only thing that comes to mind is that when we are having a party, we tend to have a good time together and ignore everybody else. This explains why the Greeks are so controversial. You're either in or you're out. You know the Greek secrets or you don't. You're a brother or sister or you're not. You can't strad- dle the fence. Wherever there are secrets and secret societies, imaginations will run wild. Even though the Greek secrets are mainly harmless initiation rites, secret hand shakes, and the like, the element of secrecy makes all Greek ac- tions and motives suspect to outsiders. These suspicions are reinforced by horror stories which appear in the news occasionally; the stabbing death of a pledge during initiation rites earlier this year is a good example. Also, there is suspicion that some of the discriminatory Practices that were common to the Greeks during the fif- ties have remained secretly in force. But a few secret rites hardly explains why the Greeks remain, perhaps, the most controversial group on campus. The heart of the explanation lies in the fervent commitment that the Greeks have made to their way of life. Ask any Greek if he considers his frat or RIT more important to him, and he will invariably answer, RIT has just given me a lot of hassles, but my brothers have really made me improve myself. They will also point out, RIT is a place to go for four years and then its over, but the commitment to your brothers is a lifelong thing. In this day and age when 'in- dividualism' and sexism are fashionable, the concept of a lifelong commitment to your brothers is heresy. Subordinating yourself to the needs of a group is not in vogue. This partly explains why the Greeks remain controversial — they have made a for- mal commitment to each other. Not only that, but most Greeks prefer to live in a single-sex environment to develop the feeling of brotherhood . 29

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sure do know how to party, is often heard on campus. Besides their superior ability to organize a party, the Greeks know how to enjoy one, too. Although just as much planning may go into an independent event, somehow, they just don't match the style of most Greek events. The relaxed, homey' atmosphere of each 'house' and the knowledge that each brother truly looks on all the others as family' creates a relaxed atmosphere where everyone has the confidence to enjoy himself. The Greeks feel that they improve campus life by sharing these parties with the other students, But in criticism of the Greek parties, some independents claim this relaxed atmosphere exists only because the brothers are so much alike, and that little cultural and social diversity can be tolerated in a frat. Unfortunately, the Greeks are also accused of dropp- ing their sense of responsibility off on the way out the door of the 'house.’ While Greeks always police their own parties effectively, some Greeks are suspected of exceptional rowdiness at independent events. Take care of our own' is the suspected attitude, justified or not. In spite of all this controversy, what would happen if fraternities and sororities were banned from the RIT campus? The experience of the state university system of New York is a fair indication of what might happen. Recently, the trustees of the New York University system ended a twenty- three year ban on national fraternities and sororities because of student pressure. According to one student at the University of Stony Brook, 'There were not enough organizations on campus to get people together to socialize. A lot of people just stayed in their rooms and kept to themselves. ' Certainly, SA and RHA would have to do a lot more than they do now to take up the slack in social and cultural programming. Besides, the lack of loyalty to either of these two student organizations would make it very dif- ficult to match the efficiency and ex- cellent planning of Greek-sponsored events. Although the Greeks may have a few secrets of their own, it is no secret that the RIT community would be the loser if the Greeks were ever banned from the campus — besides, who would everybody complain about? -RUSS HARRIS 31 HOL2EMER