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Show Opinion SOUTHERN UTAH STATE COLLEGE, CEDAR CITY THE THUNDERBIRD MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1990 PAGE 4 GREEK LIFE FOSTERS COMMUNITY PRIDE There was a time when Greek life served as an pledges first experience with the seedier aspects of life. Fraternity members were much too involved with wine, women, and song to give academic pursuits much thought. The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth. Dispelling such myths is probably one of the greatest hurdles facing Greek societies today. As we see it, SUCCs three fraternities, Delta Sigma Chi, Omega Phi, and Sigma Nu, and two sororities, Chi Sigma Upsilon, and Phi Alpha Beta, are truly assets to both SUSC and the community, setting as their goal improving the Greek image through various service projects. One of the common njisconceptions surrounding fraternities is that theyre nothing more than glorified1 drinking clubs catering to the misfit student. As it stands, drinking is not promoted by SUSCs fraternities. The only fraternity having a house, Sigma Nu, specifically bans members from possessing alcohol while they are on the property, events. SUSCs or, for that matter during other fraternities and sororities are either dry or they conform to SUSCs campus guidelines for alcohol consumption. Another sterotype associated with Greek life is that they submit pledges to harsh, often brutal, initiation rites before being accepted as members. Needless to say, SUSC has never, nor will they ever tolerate hazing. Period. The issue of hazing has been thrust into the publics consciousness through a number of sensational court cases recently, such as Furek v. University of Delaware, in which the Delaware Supreme Court signalled that schools can take what steps are necessary to prohibit this oftentimes dangerous practice. What SUSCs Greek organizations are doing is sponsoring numerous group service projects ranging from food drives to blood drives. Sigma Nu, for example, hosts an annual Easter egg hunt in the city park and helped construct a playground at South Elementary School. Omega Phi is pooling its efforts to host a talent show to raise money for a local girl with cerebral palsy. Delta Sigma Chi has washed a number of grimy cars to raise money for the SUSC Library as well as help with the construction of Cedar Citys Catholic church. All five sororities and fraternities are busying themselves with such projects as Alcohol and Drug y Awareness Week and the program. Greek life also serves to better its members through socialization, and instilling leadership qualities. SUSC improving President Gerald R. Sherratt, for instance, is a lifelong member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. We applaud SUSCs local Greek organizations for setting such high standards and keeping them, and urge students wishing to help themselves and the community to investigate a Greek society appealing to them. fraternity-sponsore- d Adopt-A-Highwa- self-conce- IS! The Thunderbird VOLUME 84, NUMBER 49 Editor Kathleen Midgley Associate Editor Natalie Coombs Opinion Director James Spainhower Photo Editor Jeff Dower Arts &. Leisure Editor Jason North Sports and Outdoors Editor Brent Richey Production Manager Lynn Dennett Ad Representatives Brent Richey Earle Severance Faculty Adviser Larry Baker The Thunderbird is published each Monday and Thursday of the academic year by and for the student body of Southern Utah State College and is not affiliated in any way with the Colleges department of communication. The views and opinions expressed in The Thunderbird are the opinions of the publications individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institution, faculty, staff or student body in general. The unsigned editorial directly above is the opinion of The Thunderbird as a single entity. Letters to the editor must be typed and include the name and phone number. Only the name will be printed. Names will not be withheld under any circumstances and the editor reserves editing privileges. Letters must be submitted by noon Fridays for Monday editions; 5 p.m. Tuesdays for Thursday editions. The Thunderbird: editorial offices in SUSC Library 103; advertising in Library 102. Mail at 8 or 5 SUSC Box 9384, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone (801) Access Fraternity sets new age avoids hazing 'Access is a recurring column through which members of the campus community may address themselves to topics of concern andor interest. Todays column is by Lynn S. Dennett, production manager of The Thunderbird' and a member of Delta Sigma Chi. With the advent of a new fraternity comes new ideas and concepts, some of which may be contrary to, or modified versions of, old traditions. From the start, Delta Sigma Chi has wanted to step out front, be the trend setters so to speak, and become the example for others to follow. So it was decided that with the fraternitys Alpha pledge class, Delta Sigma Chi would start new traditions and set the New Age for Greek growth at SUSC. One of the biggest benefits of joining a fraternity is the feeling of brotherhood that comes about through fraternal experiences and activities. Spirit Week, a week full of activities carefully selected to promote fraternal values and instill loyalty and pride in the fraternitys pledges, was designed to promote the importance of brotherhood and emphasize teamwork in the fraternity. One of the activities selected for the pledges to perform was the task of lugging paddles everywhere they went. However, some of the administration and onlookers have expressed concern with the pledges carrying around this traditional symbol of hazing. Traditionally, fraternitys actives carried paddles in hopes of catching an pledge in violation of some rule set during Hell Week and administer sound beatings for these violations. Other, activities, such as drinking large quantities of alcohol, extreme physical abuse, i.e. dropping the pledges off at a neighboring town and making them walk back to campus, were also traditional hazing activities. Greek systems throughout the United States have undergone quite a bit of controversy concerning the oftentimes dangerous or embarrassing practice of hazing. At the Western Regional Greek Conference d hazing, date rape, and drug abuse were among the topics of concern to the Greeks present at the gathering. Apparently, some Greek systems have problems like this that plague them and create a reputation that unfortunately follows every Greek organization in the states. Some of the organizations from other states were surprised that SUSC doesnt have these problems and had actually found ways to keep these problems from ever starting. In creating the new age, Delta Sigma Chi wanted all of the activities held during Spirit Week to reflect the fraternitys ideals and increase the feelings of brotherhood among the actives as well as the pledges. That was the main goal for the week, and the activities were carefully planned to accommodate this goal. The The activities held during Spirit Week assumed a higher meaning, one more appropriate to the ideals of a Greek organization and one where such activities as hazing become passe. paddles were, of course, symbolic as well. Carrying a paddle is not an easy task, especially during work, play, sleep, or any other time. Through having to carry this paddle, the pledges learned discipline, learned endurance, and most important, learned to appreciate the paddle for the symbol it becomes. The pledges decorated their paddles and made them symbolic of the individual, as well as the fraternity. Delta Sigma Chi leaders absolutely forbid the use of the paddles to destroy or punish. The activities held during Spirit Week assumed a higher meaning, one more appropriate to the ideals of a Greek organization and one where such activities as hazing become passe. Delta Sigma Chi will continue progressing into the new age, a step ahead, with new traditions. |