With all of the pressing issues facing our world today, it’s often easy to look the other way on the minor injustices that take place on a smaller scale.
I guess that’s why we have columnists, though — to bring to light issues that affect only a few, and are largely ignored by those unaffected. To not address these issues, however, would be a great disservice to everyone.
I am aware many of our readers do not care about party cups, formals, bid days or initiations, but to more than 3,000 LSU students, these things are a way of life.
Or, in my case, it was a part of my everyday life. I don’t want to sound like a whiny emo-rocker complaining about his inconsequential losses, but I really feel as though a part of me was taken away last week when Sigma Nu, the fraternity that I have devoted countless hours to since my freshman year, was kicked off campus. This is simply the latest issue of turmoil in the LSU Greek system. Despite all of the reputed “improvements,” I believe that the system is in crisis.
In the last couple of years, the two oldest fraternities on this campus were unceremoniously dismissed, and the other four largest fraternities were placed on some form of probation. Nearly 120 years of tradition and more than 3,500 current or past LSU students were stripped of a large aspect of their college experience. To those of you unfamiliar with which organizations I am referring to, they are Delta Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Nu fraternities. Former governors, senators, judges, doctors, lawyers and soldiers, some who died for their country, called these houses home during their years at LSU. And now they have nothing to show for it.
These organizations deserved more than to be removed from campus because of a few minor violations of University code. I am sure the Office of Greek Affairs and Dean of Students Kevin Price will disagree with my opinion, but history was written by those who rule with an iron hand.
I am no doubt sure that when the full allegations against Sigma Nu come to light, the administration will make our fraternity sound like a cross between “Animal House” and a concentration camp, but they will not mention that current members have served in several student government positions, been selected to Homecoming Court and been chosen for the prestigious Leadership LSU program.
Furthermore, I believe that both organizations did as much as possible to reform their images before the ax fell, but it was too little, too late. These fraternities are now paying for sins of the past and reputations that preceded their current members. I am not saying both organizations didn’t deserve to be punished for breaking the rules, but the repercussions did not necessarily fit the crime.
There is no uniform punishment for infractions under the current system. At certain low points in LSU’s history, different fraternities who committed the same violations have been punished in differing ways by the powers that be.
And who is responsible for the final verdict of these tribunals held by the administration? Not Victor Felts, associate dean and director of Greek affairs, but the Office of the Dean of Students.
Dean Price may not have been aware both fraternities had both leaders and scholars amongst their membership when these fraternities were removed. He probably only saw the overshadowing stereotype, a bunch of booze-loving, party-hearty “frat dudes.”
Am I saying that Dean Price is trying to take control of students’ lives? No. Am I insinuating that Dean Price’s scrutiny of the system will inevitably lead to more control over all student organizations and student behavior? Possibly.
Will there be more aggression against Greek organizations in pursuit of the Master Plan? You can book it.