Will Durant once said, "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."
Well folks, the Greek Column is finally here. Cue the disaster music. Before I get started, I first would like to thank Ari Allen and Kenneth Kitchin (like kitchen?) for their equally, well, I'll just say "interesting" Viewpoints in the Daily this past week. Their pieces frame my discussion quite well. Thanks, guys!
Fortunately, I am neither a member of AE Pi (do people actually go there?), nor am I an ardent anti-Greek, so I am able to offer a particularly interesting (as always) and objective point of view.
A few weeks ago I decided that I was going to write a column discussing hazing here at Tufts. I even went so far as contacting an academic at Ithaca who had previously published on the subject. I also spoke to a few members of the Greek system and questioned them about the salacious world of hazing. But alas, the aforementioned Viewpoints were printed, and I think it's appropriate that I not ignore them and their general implications. Ergo, my column has changed to integrate these recent events. So here it is...
Like most other people, I really enjoy attending the parties held at the various Greek houses on campus. Let's get serious; these parties certainly inject Tufts with some much-needed social adrenaline. Everyone needs to blow off a little steam (or a lot) every now and then.
That being said, there is one aspect of the Greek system that bothers me: the hazing that occurs annually at the various houses. I mean, it's not like the Greek system is concealing its actions, either. A few weeks ago, while eating dinner at Dewick, I picked up one of the various flyers on the table where I was sitting. The flyer read: "Pledge ***, the only non-hazing Fraternity on campus."
I wasn't even sure how to respond to seeing this. The only thing to which I can compare this sort of advertising would be if a presidential candidate started advertising on billboards with the following slogan: "Vote for me, I'm the only candidate who hasn't raped anybody."
Although this comparison may seem idiotic at first, it captures my point perfectly. In both cases, a person or organization is advocating itself by proclaiming it hasn't broken any major laws even though everyone else seems to be doing so. Suddenly, breaking the law isn't wrong, but obeying it is worthy of notation. Spare me.
This leads me to my main problem/question regarding the Greek system, and I challenge anyone to resolve it for me: Why do pledges wish to be friends with those people who take part in their degradation? Why would someone want to be friends with someone who humiliates him? More importantly, why continue to haze?
Some people might call it a mandatory continuation of "tradition." Well, it just so happens that this "tradition" is a crime. More importantly, the people who haze pledges are people who have lost their dignity, and it seems as though the only way for them to recover it is to publicly shame another person, carrying on the cycle. It's quite pathetic and cowardly. It is also a cycle that has led to the Greek system being in the dilapidated state in which it finds itself.
Speaking of cycles, I have come full circle. The Greek system at Tufts is certainly at a crossroads. With DTD shut down this year and pledge numbers declining, the outlook for the brothers and sisters at Tufts isn't exactly uplifting.
I must admit that I found Ari Allen's attempt to reconcile the continual clash between the administration and the Greeks in his Viewpoint sincere, but not productive or convincing: While many of our presidents and Supreme Court Justices may have in fact been Greek, none have come from Tufts.
Allen's other arguments were tenuous at best: The administration certainly can't be blamed for punishing the fraternities and sororities when they screw up. They shouldn't look the other way either; doing so sets a terrible precedent. The Greeks are to blame, and it is they who must change. With only about 10 percent of the students at Tufts involved in the Greek system, graduate students being housed in all the Greek houses is only a few incidents away.
That being said, I do think that the Greek system can survive on campus. Unlike Kenneth, I would mind if the Greek system were shut down. Like most, I like getting free alcohol.
Secondly, even though most of the people who are Greek think they are much cooler than they actually are, I do believe the Greek system has a rightful place as an obligatory element in the college culture, and I want it to be part of my college experience.
So, that being said, I have a few tips for the Greeks.
Number one: Stop whining. It's older than Cindy Sheehan protesting the war. You only have finite resources. Pick your battles wisely.
Number two: Stop hazing. It's illegal. If you want to survive at Tufts, this has to go. No exceptions. If you were getting away with it, that would be one thing, but obviously, you aren't (How many pledges stopped breathing last year and had to be sent to the ER?). Plus, like I said, hazing is odd and destructive.
Number three: This is directed to the Sororities. You guys don't even have parties. Why are you getting in trouble? Your conduct is unacceptable. At this point, you are even more expendable than the fraternities, so be on your best behavior.
Number four: Don't allow your house to moonlight as a drug den. This isn't good PR. Serving as the largest distributor of cocaine in Medford is humorous to me, but President Bacow probably won't agree with my assessment.
Do you think Ben is a terrible person/writer? Are you disgusted by his arrogance? Would you like to silence him? If so, he can be reached at benjamin. bell@tufts.edu
