I am a member of a fraternity at the University and a student in the journalism school. The recent Top 10 list of reasons the Emerald shouldn’t print stories about the fraternity and sorority community had our members in an uproar. The men in my house are some of the smartest and most driven people at this University and are shocked by these ignorant claims. I’m surprised the Emerald blatantly disrespected 11 percent of the University student population.
We do community service because we genuinely care about the Eugene community. After three terms of coaching youth sports, I have received zero recognition, but it doesn’t bother me because I enjoy it. My house’s philanthropy raised over $20,000 for a foundation created by Dave Frohnmayer (a fraternity member). Your ex-fraternity members got their facts wrong. Our purpose is to cultivate and maintain our values and ideals while building life-long friendships, not community service.
Athletes get in trouble because they steal MacBooks. Next time, try ignorantly attacking the thieves instead of the victims.
We are the majority of voters in the ASUO elections, which shows how much we care about the future of the University. If the football team had the most voters in ASUO elections, would you refuse to write about football?
I’m guessing by the vague sentence, “Where you going, pledge?” you are referring to hazing. In my fraternity, hazing does not exist. I was skeptical when I joined, but throughout the pledge process, I was never hazed. The process was actually the most transformative part of my life. I learned to define my values and to strive to live by them.
Fraternity and sorority philanthropy T-shirts raise money for charity. We wear our individual fraternity and sorority shirts to draw the attention of potential members and to show our pride for our organization (like every other club at the University).
Your statement, “PBR isn’t a substitute for water,” shows your true ignorance of the purposes of fraternities and sororities. We don’t drink alcohol in our house and would be kicked out if we brought alcohol through the door. You make it seem as if fraternity and sorority members are the only people who drink alcohol. Don’t kid yourself. We drink a lot of water, though!
I have formed true friendships and deep connections with every member in my fraternity. Our friendships go beyond our surface connections and trivial hobbies. Our friendships are rooted in values that we hold in common and are strengthened by our commitment to better ourselves through our values.
“Shirtless is not a lifestyle,” says the mysterious author of the Top 10. Tell that to the surfers, the long-distance runners on the track and the hula-hooping hipsters with the dreadlocks at the Street Faire. Then talk to us.
Let me get your logic straight. You don’t write about the fraternity and sorority community because “They’re not that cool, brah.” That is the most unintelligent reason for anything, ever. I didn’t buy a pair of Adidas shoes in fifth grade because they were “not that cool.” You write for a legitimate publication and have a potential future in a journalistic career. Do me a favor and show us that the future of journalism won’t rest on facts like “they’re not that cool.”
Feel free to “delve into our inner workings.” Maybe this will help you form an educated opinion instead of showcasing your ignorance. Journalism students are taught to support their claims with reputable sources. Who were yours? Two former fraternity members? Try doing some actual journalistic research next time.
[email protected]