Page 32 - TheGoldBug1967-68

PAGE 2 THE GOLD BUG DECEMBER 8, 1967 Out Of the Cobwebs: Letters Belated Report The issue of apathy wasp rob ably the dominant theme of the recent freshman class election. Most of the candidates gave particular em- Next Wednesday, the communications aasemblywlll deal with a subject phasistotheproblem,althoughfe\\ which is of concern to everyone on this campus. At that ttme , the Pre- concrete proposals were offered. sident's Committee on Fraternities will report its findings alter almost What issignificant,however,is not two years of meetings held behind closed doors. To tnose freshmen and the lack of definite proposals but sophomores who weren't on the Hill when the fraternity controversy the fact that tile otamen-Icattvop- arose, and to those juniors and seniors who have pushed said controv- ersy to the backs of their minds and have forgotten the facts, perhaps a bit of explanation is due. During the 1966 semester break, agroupofconcerned faculty and stu- dents met and drew up a petition calling for the abolition of the fraternity system at\VesternMarYlandCollege.(Thisp!!tition,lnpart, may be found at the bottom of this cotumn.) These people were concerned about the growth, future, and direction of this institution. These people were stu- dent leaders, respected members of the faculty, and more importantly, termine whether apathy will be de- keen individuals who were sickened and appalled by the grip that the feated. However. there nave been' Greek system held on the College. Their concernwas genuine, so genuine quite a few promising thus that they sacrificed social acceptance and activity for clear consciences. far, One of the most for the freshman Their cause was, and most importantly is, a just one. was the turnout of officers. Eighty class election Need for "Fifth Choice" .Significant Plea: per cent participation is very com- for the male student who Abolition Paper By calling for the atoutton of fraternities, they were realistically mendable in any election. voted Thefact eshman de m- mat so manyIr hoping for an honest study of the Greek system by the administration. onstrates uiar the campatgn ap- They were hoping to create a "fifth choice" par ent ly gener aied euoughlntere sr . doesn't wish to get caught in the vicious Greek ctrcte, In other words, that th.e freshmen were motivated I' they were attempting to put the Greek system on the level it should be -- Fonowing isthepetitioncalJingfortheabolitionof fraternities which was to vote. and that the overwhelming a social organization providing group acceptance to those who would submitted to srestoant Ensor two years ago. majOrlty of freshmen realized that rather remain self-sufficient. Sadly enough, the fraternity system re- I, The fraternity system creates barriers which inhibit personal tlleyhadaresponslbllitytoparti- mains the same today as it did two years ago. It has not improved, nor and social interactionand,thus,fragmentsthecollegecommunlt y. cipate in the selection of their has it tried to do so. A. Fraternity sectioning intensifies the Ir-agrnentatton ofthe male class officers. The high percent- population into five rnsunct racttons-vma four fraterniUes and age is a point against apathy, - The fraternity men of two years ago misconstrued the abolition peti- the freshman class. This can be seenin the clustering at the tion. Instead of considering it as an effort to improve their system, they grill, at assemblies, in the dininghall,atathletic events, and The two class meetings smco viewed it as an out and out threat to their very existence. In reaction, in the dating pattern and classroom participation. the election have also shown that they labeled the abolitionists as "fags, Idealists, and misfits." The B. The fraternity system creates barriers which inhibit intellec- an interest in the class has notvet fraternities, at the time of the petition, didn't group together and take tual interaction. The fraternity system fosters negative at- subsided. Auendanc e at both meet- a stand against the paper. They remained in a state of lethargy and in- titudes toward intellectual activities among its members and Ings showed that the majoruv of action, claiming that they had no reason to defend tnetr postnon on the works at cross purposes with the interests of the academic rresrunen are still concerned. It grounds that the fraternity system was pure and ba yonrt fault or re- community. would be the committee proach. Some meetings were held byconcernedfraternitymen, but when C. The fraternity system demands primary loyalty to itself rather system was adopted at the the abolitionists' heat wore off, these meetings and concerns drifted into than to the entire college community. it creates a negative first meeting will continue to sti- relative obscurity. Two weeks after the petition was issued to President attitude toward organizations and activities which are poten- mulate interest, This proposal. Ensor for consideration, the fraternities were back inlo the same old tially cenenctar to the campus community andtheworld.lt which was supplemented by the groove. 'I'..h.at grove hasn't changed in direction in two years. ' tends to dehumanfze the Individual by ste reotyping and by per- creation of a committee of repra- petrating interfraternity hostility and cynicism toward non- semettves ur the second meeting. Fraternity Committee Formed fralernityactlvities,theeducationalobjectivesandgoalsofthe appear-s to be an ideal solution to college, and the assumption of responsibiJityforissuesof the the problem. Firsl of all. anyone President Ensor, in compliance with the paper, established the Pre- world. in the class can joluthe commlttee sident's Committee on Fraternities to study the fraternity system. That II. The fraternity activities and goals are irrelevant to modern or Ius choice. 'rnus.meretsnoex- committee operated behind closed doors; Its findings are not yet pub- society. They oppress ms significant concerns and issues of the cuse for juslifying apathy on the licly known, and will not be until Wednesday. The findings will more than individual student, the college campus, andlheworldcommunily. gronnds mar rue ave r age srudamrs likely be inconclusive and will beg the purpose of forming such a Com- A. The fraternity system fails to meet the needs of the indivi- n01 permitted to be directly rnvot- mtttae. The Committee has not met since tast sprtng and is long overdue dual fraternity rnember c-hts acceptance and understanding ved tn classactirities. Secondly, on Its report. Perhaps the centennial celebrations have necessarlly in- as an Individual, his academic progress, hisemotionaJ and theexistenceofacommitteeofre_ terfered wIth the conclusive report. It is an extremely sad note that the social maturity, his training for meaningful leadership. Fur- oresentauves 10 act as a coordina- celebration ofaone-hundredyearheritageshould interfere with a subject ther, it discriminates against the very students wno wourc ung ageucv will eliminate the con- which is so vital to the future. The Committee's report comes at a very most benefit from the human concern which fraternities pur- fusion which plagues any large strategic time! the "rabble rousers" are gone,flnalexamswill soon port to foster, but in fact generally fails to provide. meeting. Thirdly. the committee demand alJ of the students' time, and rushing is on its way. I do not ex- The fraternity system fails to become involved in respons- system will allow everv seuoem 10 pect the Committee to come out with any ultimatums; Very few people B. ible activities for the campus, and it blocks efforls bylhe' participatedirectlj'.ashas been expected this two years ago. But the fact remains that the fraternities academic community toward contemporary college concerns. noted. and therefore will boperultv shouldn't have to be pushed, shouldn't need an ultimatum, to see their prevent the forma!ionofaCliqu~ inadequecies. They Shouldn't have to depend upon a fatherly guideline Social discrimination, the basis of fraternity membership, which will determine and control runs counter to the values of the academic community, to shove them into improvement. They should be doing this of their own class acti,'itieswhile most of the free will. But they aren't and they haven't and they won't. C. The fraternity system h!nders awareness, concern, or in- class l1lembershave no role in lhe volvement in the significant issues of the local and world decision making process. !fmost Administration Must Take Steps community. The fraternity system purports to offer a ser- studentsaredisinterested,it Is vice functiOll,yet these services are given negligible place So, Improvements must be imposed by the administration. The first in the ovcr -att fraternity program. The social discrimina- almost inevitable that a clique will step along this line has been taken, and it is more than likely an out- tion practiced by fraternities is at variance with the current form. The class as a whole will growth of the fraternity controarsy. By stating that only freshmen, in~ attempts to alJevlate discrimination in the world community. be ultimately responsible if this dependents, and FAC members may Jive in the lavish new dormitory, does occur. the administration has COnfined fraternity mentothe old dorms. Cul- 1Il. The fraternity system stifles tIle Individual development of every The question that naturally tural and social activities, according to Dean Robinson, will be open to male at Western MarYlandColJegewhetherheaccepts,rejects, or arises is; how long will this in- the men in the new dorm without the fraternalhang-up of demanding is rejected by the system. It does not provide for a respected al_ terest be maintained? Aconsider_ unity and allegiance to a group.-Thus, fraternities, in the face of such ternative to membership, it dominates the soclai Jife of the entlre able amOlUlt of spirit during the opportunities being offered to the independent man, wil! have to sink or community, and it creates an insecurity in the individual that can first few monthsofa class's his- swim. They w!ll have to offer something more than a jacket and beer be satisfied only by membership in the system. tory does not mean Ihat this spirit blasts in order to Claim ninety percent of the male enrollment. Ob- A. If he wishes to be accepted by the system, the individual must will be maintained. Will the spirit viously, more and more men will, in the future, stay independent. They either radicallylimithimselftoaparticularfraternltystereo_ dissipate complelely with the pas- will have the "fifth choice' to make. Hopefully, this will strengthen the sage of time; Willietharg).' re- fraternity system -- not In numbers, but in unity through the fight for type, or present hlmseU asbeingnOn-commiUaJenoughto be place involvement; What will survival. acceptable to more than one group. Once an individual is ac~ happenwhenmembersoftheclass cepted by a fraternity he experiences a restricting orienta~ of '71 andsoror,. Obviously, the campus would be better off without a Greek system. Uon toward and within the fraternitY,totheexclusion 0f other ities? However, there is a Greek system here and there probably will be for groups. some time. Therefore, it is essentiaJtothesanity of the College that the B. Even the individual who rejects membership in the system groups occur? administration continue to take steps such as the apportionment in the new cannot avoid the effects of a system which undermines the OnlY!hefuturecanrevealthefale male dorm in an effort to de-emphacl.::etherole of the Greeks, The stu- development of creativity, responsibility, and individuality of the intensive campaign to pro- dent strength of Western MarylandCollege,inthenext twenty years, will inthe total environment. Thus his personaldevelopmentsuf_ mote class spirit. Forthepresent, falJ into the hands of the independents. fers. Because membership is a prerequisite to campus ac- it can besaidthatmostofthemem~ ceptance, the independent suffers also from inequalities, bers of the class arenotapathehc, subllesanctions, anddiscrlmlnationsprOVOkedbythesyslem. that they are interested. For the WAI:.TER M]CHAEL C. If he is rejected bythe syslem, the individual is subjected not future, an awareness Ofthe danger Editor-in~chief only to the pressures on one who rejects the system but also of apathy would help. to feelings of insecurity. Jerry Hopple