Poge Six THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, August 27, 1969 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, August 27, 1969 006.= logo& Arlin M Arlin AW'M U vY MW nillel W elcuill e FRATERNITIES Living (down?) the stereotype Open House-Tues.-Fri. (Sept. 2-5) 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Come for coffee and a chat with our new Director, Rabbi Gerald Goldman Meet student officers Sign up for courses, committees, Kosher meals. See our display of hand made jewelry: Israeli artist, Rachel Levitan Welcome Back Mixer-Thurs. evening, Sept. 4th New Beautiful Faces-Cool drinks & delicacies featuring the OPUS SIX First Shabbat on Campus--Fri. everng, Sept. 5th Traditional services Shabbat dinner at Kosher Koop Creative Sabbath Services led by students-7:15 Oneg Shabbat Grad Mixer Saturday evening, Sept. 6th On Sunday, Sept. 7th 2-4 Israei o anc 4:30-8:00 pen House Pizza served at 6:00 followed by Hootenanny. Bring your guitars, chalits, etc. F ALL THIS AT HILLEL FOUNDATION-1429 HILL ST.-ANN ARBOR By TOBE LEN' The fraternity system at the University, much like those at other schools, is increasingly on the defensive. Lately the system has been forced to expend countless time and energy explaining away contentions that Greek life is a n t i - intellectual, reactionary, material, shallow, old-fashioned and childish. Intellectually regarded as an academic backwater, the system has tried to counter this stigma by sponsoring a lecture series of controversial political figures and by emphasizing that the academic average of its mem- bers is slightly higher than that of students at large. Politically regarded as the millstone . about the neck of campus reform, the system ini- tiated a new organization last year, Fraternity Representa- tives Association (FRA), to re- present the views of its mem- bers on all-campus issues. The association unanimously en- dorsed the boycott at Stephan's, the rent strike, and the aboli- tion of the language require- ment. FRA - officers argue the atti- tudes of fraternity members re- presents a cross-section of Uni- versity-wide attitudes. However, if attendance at FRA meetings is any indication, the system's members are still politically apathetic, though not necessar- ily more than most students. But criticism of the fraternity life-style can't be countered by these Interfraternity Council programs. The image of the beer-drinking slob has not been completely dispelled. If frater- nity members no longer wear raccoon coats and wave Michi- gan pennants, they are still considered overly-prone to such bourgeois manifestations as wing tip shoes, V-neck sweaters, sumption of certain popular sti- mulants is significantly below par. All this despite the protes- tations of a Greek avant-garde, regarded atabest as a small mi- nority and at worst as a bunch of outright phonies. Critics also score fraternity "exclusiveness.' But the system claims everyone can find a place in a fraternity house, whether he be a jock, scholar or socialite. Still, some say the radical and rionconformist are disenfran- chised. Privately, some FRA members admit, in fact, that many of the nsmnallerhouses are responsible for the exclusive, conservative stereotype. But they maintain that the large houses, and the Jewish houses in particular, attract students of all manner of persuasion. They assert fraternities and radical activism are perfectly compatible. For instance Marc Van Der Hout, executive vice- president of Student Govern- ment Council and a member of the Radical Caucus, served last year as a fraternity president. But some say the rush process itself perpetuates a system bas- ed on superficial status and of- ten crassly financial or ethnic considerations. Greeks respond that this charge, like the others, is an in- flated exaggeration. Rushees, they say, simply choose the fra- ternity whose members they like best. All other considerations, whether financial, ethnic, reli- gious or racial, are completely secondary. And what about the fraternity conception of brotherhood? Cri- tics contend it reeks of mom's apple pie, and stands for a val- ue-system long since discarded as insipid and corny. Fraternity pledges in most houses still must "prove" their loyalty by under- going traditional rituals. IFC prohibits physical hazing of pledges, but everyone knows it is standard practice - Hell Week is still a reality. Only a few houses have recently aban- doned it. And many claim the sin of fraternity traditionalism is vis- ited upon the general campus: the "UAC- fraternity clique" is said to perpetuate obsoletecul- tural forms through Homecom- ing parades, carnivals, and skit nights. Recently the system has shown some noticable signs of decline. De-activations of jun- iors and seniors, who generally live outside the fraternity house, have increased because upper- classmen in some houses no lon- ger feel the fraternity fulfills their needs. And even more cri- tically, the number of students registering to rush has fallen somewhat in the past two years. The factors behind the de- cline - apparently changing student attitudes and values - can only grow stronger in the immediate future. Inevitably some students will remain nonplussed by arguments that fraternities are bulwarks of traditionalism; these stu- dents themselves are not orien- ted toward change, But, others will note a fatal parallel between the traditional- ism they deplore in other insti- tutions and the traditionalism in the fraternity system. These students simply won't rush. Is the fraternity system neces- sarily tied to the past? Tradi- tional fraternity values are sup- posedly universals, adaptable to any era. Apparently fraternities must try to revise these values and carry them out in new pro- grams, or a process of decline which has only just begun could accelerate. Dorms,fratsI co-ops try sexual integration By MARCIA ABRAMSON "The Harrad Experiment?" Not quite. But University frater- nity houses, co-ops and even dormitories began last year to move toward close, if not intimate co-existence of the sexes. In February, Phi Epsilon Phi became the first social fraternity on campus to go co-ed. Rush was held that month and 14 girls de- cided to join up as Phi Ep "associates" with all social privileges. The only difference between the sexes is that the girls will not be initiated and will not vote at house meetings, Phi Ep was not, however, really the first University frat to go co-ed. Members of Alpha Rho Chi, the professional architectural fraternity, were quick to point out that their house has been suc- cessfully co-ed for some time. The Phi Ep rush was completely successful, since there were places for only 16 girls in the house. The female portion of the house can be divided off and has separate bathroom facilities. Not yet as successful is the plan of several Mosher-Jordan residents to set up a co-ed floor in that dorm. Although the pro- posal appears to be headed for approval by the University, organi- zers are having trouble finding enough residents-especially girls. The Mosher-Jordan plan calls for alternating male-female rooms with separate bathroom facilities. As this supplement goes to press, eight women and one man are still needed to complete the experimental floor of 38 residents. The originators of the plan were hopeful that additional ex- perimenters would be found among transfer students, whose hous- ing applications have not yet been processed. Perhaps the most successful co-ed living arrangement at the University has been created at the co-ops. Known for their infor- mality, the co-ops provide an ideal place for co-ed life. Nakamura House, formerly for men only, went co-ed early during the 1968-69 school year, and several other co-ops are trying out co-ed living arrangements over the summer. It may be the wave of the future. COMINGATTRAC"TIONS button-down shirts Beachboys' records. And many contend and old their con- Registration for Belt Midrash Film Series High Holy Day Services Lectures APPLICATION for Membership in Hillel-1969-70M Name-I am enclosing check or money order' for $5.00 to Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation Address: - for membership 1969-70 r, I M Phone: 3r a a ar.r-...a a ara-awawa-a r-a a-ar-rawawa a a.a ararawara-a.a.a arS a.ara.a a a..raw a...a.aw..,.....a.a...a.a.a.a.a.a a a.a.a...m...a......a.a.a.a.a.awar3 BARBERS for MEN WOMEN and CHILDREN Welcome Students! says Don Dascola, M '36 to The DASCOLA BARBERS THREE SHOPS: Arborland. Maple Village 971-9975 761-2733 Hours: Mon~ Thurs., Fri.-10 A.M. to 9 P.M. Tues., Wed., Sat.-9 A.M.-6 P.M. ON CAMPUS: 668-9329 Daily 8:30-5:30 cra 1 ' : L : ,. J.. K': start .... ,, a1 start start thinking about sororities as a viable alternative. come see for yourself what they have to offer upperclass rush registration september 3-5 : $I-: fishbowl, dorms, diag n rush reaistration in innuarv I ' freshrma ' "