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Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
Editor’s Note: The following column was originally submitted to The Maine Campus as a letter to the editor and is a response to recent content in this publication.
The Interfraternity Council at the University of Maine has concerns with the nature of representation given to the Greek system, particularly the fraternities. Our primary concerns lie not just with the proliferation of negative content associated with social fraternities but also with the lack of better coverage on positive Greek events. It is quite typical for the “bad news” of the Greek system to make the front page, while the “good news” is located in a much more obscure location.
Please understand that the Interfraternity Council is not interested in suppressing our country’s constitutional rights for freedom of speech. We are merely expressing our opinion that The Maine Campus should try harder to consider the positive benefits of the Greek system. We believe that the Greek system has an important role to play at the University and in the community. Participation does not just stay in the chapter house; fraternity men are involved with many of the different organizations on campus and in the community. The philanthropy and charitable giving in which Greeks participate far exceeds that of the average non-Greek college student. By expressing our concerns we also assert our freedom of speech.
The Greek system across the country has been plagued with negative publicity and reaffirmations of the stereotypes that have haunted fraternities for the past five decades. While this publicity in many cases is well-founded, it does little to improve the system as a whole. By creating these stereotypes the media actually helps to perpetuate the moral decline of the fraternal ideals. Newcomers to the Greek system have been constantly subjected to negative publicity concerning fraternities. When deciding to join, the new member has only the media to relate what the fraternity experience actually entails. Instead of joining the organization for the values, beliefs and societal benefit reasons as our founders intended, the new member may be attracted to the pre-existing stereotypes of fraternity life. We ask ourselves if these are the type of men we want to be Greek?
Every organization or group has members who do the wrong things. By singling out any member in particular, or any fraternity on campus, the entire Greek system is negatively associated. It wouldn’t make sense for an entire residence hall to be condemned as drug dealers because of one resident who sold drugs. Does the same make sense for our Greek system?
The Interfraternity Council represents the 14 fraternities at the University of Maine, and is composed of the president of each fraternity. Michael Benson, the president of IFC, drafted this letter.
