In recent years, under the leadership of Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Patrick Romero-Aldaz, Tufts' Greek community looked to clean up its image and renew its focus on the values on which campus Greek societies were built: community, leadership and philanthropy. Romero-Aldaz's aim was to make this campus' fraternities and sororities more than simply social organizations.
But this past August, Romero-Aldaz stepped down from his position, leaving Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman to act as interim Greek life director. Reitman has told the Daily he is focusing on rebuilding each chapter and "reestablishing a unique persona for each of the chapters … which makes them something unique and rewarding, something much greater than hedonism." Reitman is on the right track, and the Tufts community should support his cause.
A typical Saturday night at Tufts sees hundreds of students flocking to fraternity houses for parties. But aside from the provision of music, dance floors and beer, little is known about what fraternities and sororities do to help the community — despite the fact that these Greek organizations were founded on philanthropic ideals and that Tufts' fraternity chapters actively publicize their occasional charity work.
In order to confront the problem, Tufts ought to look at who joins fraternities and sororities, and why. The search for camaraderie and a cohesive, selective social group often leads students to "go Greek." Is an interest in volunteering and community service a determining factor for the average freshman deciding whether to pledge a fraternity or sorority? Not often.
If Tufts wants to recast its Greek system in the mold of old-style philanthropic organizations, the university should institute requirements for service work during rush and pledging activities. Rush is the period in which fraternity and sorority houses recruit new members for their ranks, and it is usually characterized by dinners, football-watching parties and group expeditions to bowling alleys. Pledging, or the period when those who have decided to join a particular fraternity or sorority go through a process of initiation, is the period marked by clandestine and often questionable practices, sometimes including group binge drinking.
Why not require that university Greek organizations set aside a certain portion of rush and pledging activities for volunteering activities? Tufts' Leonard Carmichael Society, the community service group, is the school's most populous student organization. Clearly, there is an interest in reaching out to the community. If Tufts wants its fraternities and sororities to unify around philanthropic goals, it must take steps to ensure that the members who comprise them are there for the right reasons. At the very least, pledging activities should include volunteering components.
