What has happened to the greek system at University of Oregon? Throughout my time at Oregon, all I have seen is a constant downfall and University discrimination to the time-honored greek organizations on this campus. How could a community with more than 100 years of pride and tradition be diminished and insulted so quickly and silently?
I used to believe that the dry endorsement policy was the main concern for the greek system, and many of us battled it as vigorously as possible. However, it is most apparent to me now that the dry policy is merely the tip of the iceberg.
When I attended a meeting with University President Dave Frohnmayer last spring to debate the problems and concerns with the new endorsement criteria, I was angered and shocked to see how hypocritical and unwilling to compromise the administration was. Each argument that I made was either met with subject change or completely unrealistic counterpoints.
Why was the school pushing this endorsement so thoroughly, and why did it happen so suddenly? The administration argued that the reason these endorsement requirements were passed was to help boost numbers for every chapter and provide safer environments for active members.
However, how are you supposed to boost membership by telling 21-year-old adults that they cannot have an alcoholic beverage in their own rooms? And how are already struggling non-profit organizations supposed to pay for a $150,000 sprinkler system installation, or the $30,000-plus-benefits expense of a full-time, live-in adviser who in fact cannot be an alumnus of the chapter? How is a fraternity or sorority supposed to hold social events at third-party vendors, when most of them cost thousands of dollars an evening with numerous other expenses? All of this without any aid from the University. If anything, that is the perfect recipe to extinguish the greek system.
With an estimated 25,000 students attending the University, perhaps there is an ulterior motive. The administration knows that the majority of greek chapters are not at their live-in capacity, meaning there are many rooms available for students. By providing substance-free living conditions, it seems as though the University is trying to turn chapters into dormitories, eliminating the cost of having to build and supply new areas of student housing on campus, in exchange delineating the traditions, privacy and pride of the greek system.
I fear the day I return to campus to see the greek system a mere shadow of what it used to be, if it still exists. One would believe that the University would cater to the majority of alumni, which is 66 percent greek; however, it seems that these extreme idealistic sanctions are to simply benefit Frohnmayer’s upcoming political run and to cover all liabilities of the school.
I believe it can be best explained like this: Communism looks good on paper, too; however, it clearly does not work.