Greek leaders respond to columnists’ ‘insulting’ opinion
November 5, 2008 by Opinions
The Greek community believes there were multiple misconceptions addressed in Wednesday’s column. However, we are not naïve. We do recognize there are certain individuals within our respective organizations whose actions do not appropriately reflect the ideals set forth in our mission and values. It is shameful that the inappropriate actions of a few will misrepresent our organizations to an entire university community, and their behaviors are not supported by our organizations.
As leaders of the Greek community, we are offended in the ignorance displayed in the column written Wednesday. It is unfortunate that the time was not taken to get the facts about what the Greek life at UK encompasses. To our misfortune, the stereotypical behavior has become the soapbox of a column. To say our organizations do not provide a single benefit for UK is simply insulting. Our core values that unify all members of the Greek community incorporate multiple assets of leadership at UK: scholarship, leadership, community service, brotherhood and sisterhood, philanthropic and charitable contributions.
In the 2007 calendar year, the Greek community alone raised over $250,000 for charitable organizations locally and nationally. Additionally, we contributed 39,000 hours of community service. The members of our organizations significantly give back to the university in many student organizations on campus, as well as serving as leaders in many of these respective organizations.
Our members understand that they belong to a community greater than UK. We have worked hard to develop a relationship with the Lexington community to enable our members to feel a sense of pride and allow the community residents to see the positive contributions and our willingness to serve.
However, the Greek community not only performs service initiatives within Lexington and its surrounding areas, but we also raise funds multiple times per year to donate to charitable entities nationwide. These funds allow various charities to offer assistance to those that are in need.
Members of our organizations are also dedicated to ensuring academic excellence during their time at UK. The average GPA for all UK students in the Spring 2008 semester was 2.99. while the Greek community’s GPA was 3.07. Academics are the main reason we are at UK — and the Greek community enables our members to receive the maximum amount of available resources and support.
Members of the Greek community are the leaders of our campus. Leadership development is one of the most beneficial rewards of joining a fraternity or sorority. Our members are spread throughout many organizations on campus where they learn valuable leadership skills as well as develop relationships with peers in order to collaborate to improve campus life for all students.
While the Greek community strives to improve our efforts with diversity by embracing the various cultures represented at the university, the Greek community’s understanding of diversity goes beyond skin color. Our members represent various religions, socio-economic backgrounds and regions of the world. Our councils collaborate with one another in various inter-Greek events and work to lead the way on addressing actual diversity issues facing our campus.
The Greek community is a positive asset to UK and we are proud to represent our respective organizations. We encourage all members of the campus and local community to research our organizations and see exactly how we are contributing to the Lexington community. We invite feedback, both positive and negative, and would be happy to collaborate with other organizations and individuals to continue to improve our organization so that it may better serve the community.
Patrick Keal, Interfraternity Council president
communications senior
Julia Meador, Panhellenic Council president
integrated strategic communication senior
Krista Hayes, National Pan-Hellenic Council president
journalism senior
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Zach recognized your service in his column yesterday. That point was never contested. The rest of your letter is an amalgamation of conclusory statements regarding the virtues of your organizations. Some drug gangs donate heavily in their respective communities as well, but they still have a negative net effect on the community. Stop allowing underage members of your organizations to have access to alcohol in your houses. Stop walking around campus with an unearned sense of self-accomplishment.
Until Greek organizations do something to stem underage binge drinking and similar reckless behavior, their effect on the university and the community as a whole will be negative.
Underage binge drinking is not only a problem of the greek organization, but the university as a whole. Lyman should not characterize the entire greek community as underage binge drinkers. I was a member of FarmHouse from 2000 - 2004 and although underage drinking did occur, we took many steps to keep it from happening. There are laws everywhere you go, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t going to break them.
Evan,
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/trends-pressRelease/
According to this Harvard study, students living in fraternity or sorority houses are over 2 times as likely to binge drink as students living in dorms. I know that students are going to drink in excess and some are going to die, but there is something about the Greek experience that encourages binge drinking. This needs to be addressed.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-10-07-binge-usat_x.htm
I’m sure that frat life is nice for those who yearn for acceptance from the group and are willing to pay for it. It’s a shame that so many young people graduate with a budding case of alcoholism and vague memories of shameful conduct.
To all three of you—WELL SAID!!! As a past president of two Greek organizations (one social at UK and one professional at Auburn), I still think back on the possitive influence my Greek experience had on me. I am now 57 years old and still involved in the Greek system!
Sorry about the typo!
Sorry about the typo!
Evan,
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/trends-pressRelease/
According to this Harvard study, students living in fraternity or sorority houses are over 2 times as likely to binge drink as students living in dorms. I know that students are going to drink in excess and some are going to die, but there is something about the Greek experience that encourages binge drinking. This needs to be addressed.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-10-07-binge-usat_x.htm
I’m sure that frat life is nice for those who yearn for acceptance from the group and are willing to pay for it. It’s a shame that so many young people graduate with a budding case of alcoholism and vague memories of shameful conduct.
“I’m sure that frat life is nice for those who yearn for acceptance from the group and are willing to pay for it. It’s a shame that so many young people graduate with a budding case of alcoholism and vague memories of shameful conduct.”
In response to the above comment you should probably check your own superiority when you suggest that those that joing a Greek organization are yearning for acceptance, when in reality its another STUDENT ORGANIZATION to join. I know plenty of friends and peers who have benefited from their invovlement in the Greek community and it had nothing to do with their need to “pay” for a group’s acceptance. You should stop walking around with YOUR sense of unearned self-accomplishment from beating the system and not being Greek.
GDI (anonymity is great, right?),
Nice work in ignoring the substantive part of my post.
Lyman
I am an architecture grad student and am not involved in a frat and never was but I think that Lyman you are an IDIOT! I’m sure you are one of the typical students who are against anything which seems popular and for some reason you have your largest problem with the fraternity system. Being an architecture graduate student I see this me against the world attitude a lot and it really bothers me. The fraternity and sorority system do a lot of good and yes there are some bad aspects too. Your comment that that fraternity members walk around with a false since of self accomplishment is one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever heard. Maybe you unknowingly apply this stigma without knowing it. This is coming from someone who has no affiliation on either side.
What was the point of twice mentioning that you’re an architecture grad student? I’m in law school; do I get a cookie too?
“Some bad aspects” of living in a frat house = more than the doubling the chance that a given student will be a binge drinker.
“Maybe you unknowingly apply this stigma without knowing it” - What? You just blew my mind.
Also, you either are affiliated with a Greek organization or you aren’t. It’s impossible to have “no affiliation on either side”. You are either in a fraternity or you aren’t. There are two mutually exclusive groups.
Consider this:
“Maybe you unknowingly apply this stigma without knowing it”
*sigh*
GDI and Middle Man,
You both should consider working on your syntax a bit. It’s alright if you want you want your comments to sound clever, but if that’s your heart’s desire, you should try editing your comments before you post. If I am wrong, and you actually have been editing your comments before posting, I would advise you to avoid attempting to sound clever, since it just undermines your credibility and makes you sound like an idiot… especially when you are accusing someone else of being an idiot. (That goes for you Middle Man.)
Lyman, thank you for the only objective data present in this discussion. It deserves a repost.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/trends-pressRelease/
Look at the numbers people. Respond to them.
Thank you for proving my point, I knew you very intelligent people wouldn’t have missed the syntax issues. And as for the data maybe the people who join fraternities would tend to drink anyway regardless of where they live. Why don’t you worry about yourselves and not about fraternities and how they are “ruining” the lives of the students.