The year that is drawing to a close has been a difficult one for fraternities and sororities at Tufts, with a series of high-profile Greek disciplinary problems leading many on the Hill (and in Dowling and Ballou) to question the value of Greeks on campus. While troubles on Professors Row and beyond are certainly not to be excused, this campus would do well to remember the value that fraternities and sororities add to Tufts. Many students, faculty, and administrators should not be so quick to point at Greeks for problems that are endemic to campus as a whole, not simply the fraternity and sorority houses.
First and foremost, however, should be the realization that Greeks do bear some responsibility for the tribulations that now rest on their doorsteps. They are the ones who choose to have parties where liquor laws are wantonly disregarded, leading to walk-home injuries, fights, and noise disturbances. Fraternity brothers who use their membership as a carte blanche to start fights and show a lack of respect towards women are just now reaping the seeds they have sown over years of brotherhood. Perhaps most significantly, some fraternities and sororities on campus perpetuate an "us versus them" attitude of elitism that makes it especially difficult for the remainder of campus to come to their defense in times of crisis.
Nevertheless, in the furor to implicate fraternities for everything from underage drinking to understudying, Jumbos have lost sight of what fraternities contribute to this campus. On Halloween, Greeks opened up their houses to local children for "Halloween on the Hill," giving community members the opportunity to have some fun on campus. This past semester saw efforts by Greeks to raise money for women's heart disease, throw a bash to raise awareness for Crohn's Disease, and walk for breast cancer. The Greek system is not, contrary to popular belief, about constant partying; we would do well to remember the community service to which most Greeks are committed. Greeks don't just give beer; they give back.
Many also forget that the problems on Professor's Row this semester are not exclusive to the fraternity and sorority system: underage drinking, hazing, sexual improprieties and racial tensions exist all over campus. While this is not an excuse for these things to be practiced anywhere on the Hill, it should serve to put the current woes in proper perspective. Many who are quick to point the finger at fraternities and sororities for alleged hazing, for instance, seem to forget that many of the same activities occur with regular frequency within sports teams, clubs, and other groups. Dealing with the fraternities and sororities without looking at the larger nature of the problem will be both ineffective and unfair.
One of the main assets that Tufts offers to potential and current students is a campus community; although Tufts is very close to Boston, the University offers students plenty of things to do without hopping on the red line. Fraternities are an integral part of this campus and its social life, a fact that administrators and students would do well to bear in mind when contemplating their future. Keeping Greeks on campus and in good shape may not be an easy task, but the dividends paid by a robust fraternity and sorority system are well worth the effort.
