COLUMN: Rush To Judgement

From Craig Rutenberg's "The Spiral Light of Venus," Fall '94 From Craig Rutenberg's "The Spiral Light of Venus," Fall '94For the past two weeks this campus has been alive with debate over the findings of the Commission on Strengthening the Community. The Preliminary Report issued two weeks ago by chairperson Gloria Chisum and her politically correct accomplices is a comprehensive document reflecting the work of many University employees and a single "undergraduate representative." Some ideas are confusing. A call for "the development of courses that would address the variety of cultures, races, religions and ethnic groups, the history of cooperation and conflict among these groups, and the social practices of stereotyping" is downright perplexing at an institution that just disbanded its American Civilization department and is on the verge of doing the same to Religious Studies. Some of their conclusions are just silly. A Locust Walk coffee shop is no solution to any real problems on campus, especially when three stores on 38th Street between Spruce and Walnut sat vacant for an entire semester. One store remains, and if you walk by, you can hear it scream, "Starbucks." Besides, if diversification of Locust Walk is a goal, then available buildings shouldn't be wasted. As president of a Locust Walk fraternity I would be happy to see a more diverse group of people live on the Walk. It would have been great if the black community didn't threaten to ostracize the two pledges who took bids at my house last year, and later were forced to de-pledge. These were the same reasons why no black students accepted any bids to my fraternity this year. It would have been nice to see the University build new housing in the heart of the campus instead of the Wharton Quadrangle. Likewise, when The Book Store is torn down, and the proposed new Psychology office building is constructed, it will be another example of the University's lip service to the diversity issue. However, one unacceptable solution to this problem is to unilaterally remove fraternities from Locust Walk. I am proud to be a brother of Phi Kappa Sigma, an organization founded on this campus in 1850. Our present house was built, and first inhabited by fraternity members, in 1910. For eighty-four years members have contributed to the campus from our present location. Nobody asked the University to build its campus around us. Nobody asked the University to brick over Locust Street. Nevertheless, these things were done, and I make no apologies that it has brought about certain benefits. For instance, nowhere else would I be labeled a "white, elitist, hatemonger, frat boy," despite the diverse brotherhood of my fraternity. It is certainly out of this kind of misunderstanding that the Commission on Strengthening the Community made its lethal suggestion to delay rush until first semester of sophomore year. The Commission ignored the very important fact that under the current system sophomores are allowed to rush. This allows for undecided freshmen to wait a year, for whatever reasons they see fit, before committing to a house. At the same time it allows for responsible men and women to make this decision their first year if they feel comfortable with Greek life. During the InterFraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and Bicultural InterGreek Council President's Retreat last weekend, Greek leaders stood united against the latest attack on our lifestyle. While so much is made of the differences amongst students here, all of us are dedicated to the benefits of fraternity and sorority life. Simply put, this is the easiest way for the University to all but destroy an integral part of the lives of 3,000 students on this campus. The reasons given by the Commission for this belief are faulty. While the University prides itself in selectivity, and its ability to bring the best, brightest, and most capable students to this campus, it is hypocritical to say that these students are incapable of exploring "the variety of living and social options on campus." They reason that rush, and imply that pledging, is a time consuming event which is inherently detrimental to academic performance. At the same time the Ivy League abandoned its freshman football program for the first time this year. All freshman players contributed to the Ivy Champion varsity football team. Like all first-year Penn athletes they handled this "time-consuming" activity, had a social life, and managed to meet their academic requirements. Finally, the Commission states that first-year students "need more time to meet ... people and to discover the many extra-curricular activities at Penn." I know of no case where a rush, pledge, or fraternity or sorority member was ever denied the opportunity to meet new people or participate in other activities. Most people who come here already know the activities and types of people they like. It is not particularly difficult to become involved, and to say otherwise is to greatly misjudge the abilities of students. Greek organizations are very proud of the contributions their members make to this community. Athletics, Kite and Key, STAAR, DART, The Daily Pennsylvanian, performing arts, and countless other groups and organizations benefit from participation by Greek members The dangers to Greek life which would be caused by an acceptance of this proposal go unstated. Fraternities and sororities would face a 25% decline in membership. Many houses would be forced to close because of an inability to raise sufficient funds for philanthropy, social events, and rent. The Commission knows the effects of their decisions. They view each fraternity and sorority house, especially those on Locust Walk, as "a College House waiting to happen." They do not realize that a zero-sum situation does not need to exist between Greek organizations and other campus groups. Each campus organization deserves recognition and proper facilities, but the creation and empowerment of new groups should not affect those that are already in existence. In their preamble the Commission on Strengthening the University Community states, "no commission can strengthen the community." This is certainly true if those in power continue to make rash decisions without proper representative deliberation. The University is polarized and paralyzed by a conflict between two sets of goals which are seemingly in conflict with each other -- business and education. Until the University of Pennsylvania, and universities nationwide, decide which is truly the most important aspect of their institution, then every other battle will remain secondary. Craig Rutenberg is a sophomore English and Political Science major from Highland Park, Illinois. The Spiral Light of Venus appears alternate Fridays.