The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-University - Thursday, September 10, 1992 - Page 5
Greeks deal with stereotypes, sexism
by Hope Calati
Daily Staff Reporter
The letters of the Greek alphabet hang
from every tree on the Diag during fall
}rush. The letters call prospective rushees to
share in the experiences of the approxi-
mately one-quarter of the undergraduate
population which belongs to fraternities
and sororities. Five thousand students wear
the letters of the more than 60 Greek-
lettered organizations that dot this campus.
However, the bonding between brothers
and sisters can backfire. "Sometimes in
houses cliques start to develop and that
doesn't help brotherhood," Gugiu said.
The fraternity system has moved away
from being a free beer supplier on campus.
Many fraternities have instituted a bring-
your-own (BYO) policy at open parties to
decrease liabilities and comply with the
wishes of their national chapters.
"There's definitely a house for every-
one. I think it's a lot more expensive than
they tell you going through rush. There are
a lot of little things that they don't tell
you," Booher said. .
growth spurt, but we're not diminishing,"
said IFC advisor Joe Foster.
Alpha Gamma Delta junior Kristen
Pembroke said that numbers were slightly
lower this year because of bad press and
stereotyping of Greeks.
The Greek system extends beyond the
stereotypical social opportunities, said
Foster. "We like to emphasize leadership.
We like to emphasize philanthropy. We
emphasize our scholastics. And finally we
emphasize our social," Foster said.
However, social opportunities are a
main reason why students join the Greek
system. Delta Upsilon sophomore Cristian
Gugiu rushed his first term because he
didn't like the people who lived in his resi-
dence hall.
"I wanted to get out and meet some
people," Gugiu said.
Residential College junior Brent Hiatt
did not choose to join the Greek system. "It
seemed like a rather artificial way of form-
ing a social group or a social context,"
Hiatt said.
Although increased social opportunities
are one of the popular reasons to rush,
some students join Greek organizations for
other reasons.
Delta Zeta graduate Chris Anderson said
the social and sisterhood aspects of Greek
life were emphasized above philanthropy.
"My worst experience was stressing out
about finding dates for the date parties,"
Anderson said.
"Most people rush for the parties. They
only actually decide (to pledge) after they
meet the brothers," Gugiu said. "The best
part is the bonding that you do with your
brothers."
However, the bonding between brothers
and sisters can backfire. "Sometimes in
houses cliques start to develop and that
doesn't help brotherhood," Gugiu said.
The Greek system has been criticized
for its social emphasis.
"I have encountered many members of
the Greek system and it seems to be the
same to them as it is to me. It seems to me
to be a means to easy sex and beer," Hiatt
said.
The fraternity system has moved away
from being a free campus beer supplier.
Many fraternities have instituted a bring-
your-own (BYO) policy at open parties to
decrease liabilities and comply with the
wishes of their national chapters.
Alpha Phi junior Dee Dee Booher said
the BYO policies of many fraternities have
led to more open parties and that Greek
membership is no longer a necessity to en-
ter these parties.
The fraternity system is also trying to
cast away its image of sexism. A sexist
flyer depicting a scantily-clad woman with
a keg of beer posted during fall rush last
year brought attention to this issue.
"Yes, there are problems in the Greek
system," Foster said. "But the system itself
is recognizing the problems."
He said over the next year the IFC will
be working with the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Awareness Center to edu-
cate fraternity members about issues of
sexual assault and sexism.
Despite these aspects of Greek life,
membership in a sorority or a fraternity has
enriched campus life for many students.
"You meet a lot of people. It gets you
more involved around campus," Beta Theta
Pi senior Scott Schorer said.
"Being part of the Greek system makes
the University a little bit smaller," Foster
said. "With the number of chapters on this
campus, there is something for everyone."
"There's definitely a house for every-
one. I think its a lot more expensive than
they tell you going through rush. There are
a lot of little things that they don't tell
you," Booher said.
Fraternity living expenses are competi-
tive with those in the resident halls, Foster
said. He added that pledge and initiation
fees make the first year as a member of the
Greek system "definitely your most
expensive."
Foster added, "It's definitely not for
everybody. But there is a spot for anyone
who is looking."
SHARON MUSHER/Daily
Greeks play twister on the Diag during Greek Week. The week provides fun activities for
members of fraternities and sororities and raises thousands of dollars for local charities.
I
Freak, geek, jock or 21st century leader
-the 'U' has a res hall for you
I
by Joey Barker
Daily Staff Reporter
Dorms - as much a part of a
new college student's life as outra-
geously priced textbooks, caffeine-
induced fits of hysteria, and mass
confusion. Officially termed "res-
idence halls" by the University
deities, these hallowed (albeit badly
carpeted) halls are the most expen-
sive closets you'll ever have the op-
portunity to reside in.
Now that you've sent in your
housing application, and made your
housing decision based on the infal-
lible eeny-meeny-miney-mo system
- it is my job to tell you a little bit
about each of the dorms here on
campus.
East Quad - also known as
"Freaks and Geeks" - is home to
*both the Residential College (RC)
and Inteflex program. Inteflex (the
"geeks") is an accelerated med pro-
gram in which students receive their
B.A./B.S. and M.D. in "only" seven
years.
The RC (the "freaks" portion of
the aforementioned title) is a small,
sort of - well, let's face it -
EXTREMELY liberal college,
founded during the midst of the
hippie era, whose students are re-
quired to live in East Quad for the
first two years of their sentence. It is
also host to the most torturous de-
vice known to modern humanity -
Intensive Languages. An intensive
language is eight credit hours of
complete and utter hell (its mere
existence has caused a post-mortem
visit by Dante, to discuss adding a
@9th level to his infamous inferno).
For all of you currently enrolled in
the RC for the fall semester I have
just one piece of advice - GET
OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!
Okay, the RC isn't ALL bad,
there is after all, a nifty class called
Math for Poets, which you don't
need to take, because there is NO
MATH REQUIRED to graduate
from the Residential College. This is
used as an excuse by many RC stu-
dents after making gross mathemati-
cal errors in public.
Residents of West Quad have
the distinct advantage of being con-
nected to the Michigan Union. This
allows for quick access to the all-
important dorm food alternatives lo-
cated in the Union basement. West
Quadders seem to dominate in sev-
eral campus-wide intramural sports
(or so it is said). I suspect, however,
that these sports are just a cover-up
to allow the residents to stay in
shape for the bi-semesterly Pull-the-
fire-alarm-in-South-Quad-and-RUN
run.
As you might have guessed,
South Quad has the not-so-desirable
location right next to its long-time
rival, West Quad. A Quadder once
aptly coined this dorm "Squad" due
to the many football, basketball, and
hockey team members who live
there. A favorite pastime of many
South and West Quadders is rou-
tinely screeching out their windows
about the superiority of their respec-
tive dorms. Personally, I would be
hard put to find ANY of the
University's dorm superior to, well,
just about anything.
If you're planning on living in
Betsy Barbour or Helen New-
berry, I can only say one thing,
you'd better be a woman. Barbour
and Newberry are two very small
residences which house (you
guessed it) women only.
One advantage all of the above
mentioned dorms share, is their
closeness to Central Campus, and
thus, your classes. It is time to move
on to the dorms on "the Hill".
Almost as far away as the U.P.
(Upper Peninsula, for you non-
Michaganders), but not nearly as far
as North Campus, this cluster of
dorms is, however, close to the
Central Campus Recreation Building
and tennis courts, which allows you
to stay in shape for your long-
distance trek to class.
If, however, you live in Alice
Lloyd, you may not need to make
that trek - but only if you're part of
the Pilot Program, which is housed
there. Participants in the Pilot
Program have several classes taught
inside the dorm, and many of the
graduate students who teach these
classes live in the dorm too. This has
several advantages - namely being
able to stagger out of bed at 10:08
and fall down the stairs to your first
class in your pajamas. But
disadvantages as well - namely,
staggering (drunkenly?) into your
teacher one night after missing a
week's worth of classes because of a
"serious illness."
Couzens residents may also be
spared that long trek, as the Pilot
Program was extended to this dorm
in the Fall of 1991. And, well,
um......hmmmmm.........guess that's
about it for Couzens - oh yeah, it's
conveniently located next to both
University and Ann Arbor bus stops
(pretty cool, huh?).
Mosher-Jordan, known better as
simply Mo-Jo, is also located on the
Hill. Mo-Jo is home to the appropri-
ately named "Procrastination
Station" snack bar - a convenient
place to gather with friends and
avoid work like the plague.
Procrastination is one of the Univer-
sity's most popular past-times ( it's
even rumored to be an up-and-
coming club sport), and brings to-
gether a myriad of people from
across the country who all share one
common trait - the ability to avoid
studying above and beyond the call
of duty.
Although it's not exactly on top
of the Hill (more like the bottom),
Mary Markley is considered to be
located on "the Hill" (just another
one of those idiosyncrasies you'll
come to adore here at Michigan).
Markley is home to yet another
"innovative 'college within a col-
lege"' program - the 21st Century
Program, which is geared towards
preparing leaders in the next century.
Although none of the dorms on
campus can be considered aestheti-
cally pleasing, Markley (or so I've
heard) is downright ugly. Which
makes it even more convenient that
it's only a hop, skip and a jump
away from the eye-soothing Nickel's
Arboretum (or the "Arb," as it is
known by everyone in Ann Arbor).
This brings us to the last dorm
located "on the Hill" - Stockwell.
The largest female-only residence on
campus, Stockwell is sometimes re-
ferred to as "the virgin vault." But
don't be too hasty to judge, because
not only was Stockwell the dorm
Madonna lived in, but I've heard it
said that late-night fire alarms pro-
duce just as many men as women....
Well, that just about covers all*
the.......oops.....I forgot the North
Campus dorms, Bursley and Baits.
Although these are actually two sep-
arate dorms, they are often just re-
ferred to as Bursley-Baits, seeing as
since they're so far away the resi-
dents might as well be living in
Siberia anyhow. These two dorms
do, however, have one distinct ad-
vantage over the rest of the campus
- parking. And lots of it too. Not to
mention their very own "Vomit
Comet" (or, the last bus back to
North Campus on a weekend night).
Keep in mind no matter which
dorm the housing office eventually
delegates you to, you will have the
same types of experiences; the same
drunken revelers keeping you up til
all hours the night, the same suicide-
inducing roommates, and the friends
you make will still make your first
year here at Michigan a little more
bearable - and maybe even fun.
iU
Michigan student Assembly
We are your student government. We are the
student voice at the University of Michigan. We
work directly with the administration. The assem-
bly includes representatives from every school.
We are a source of funding for student groups.
Over 500 organizations are registered with our
office. We are a campus-wide network. MSA
offers you an excellent chance to find out what is
happening on campus and how it affects your life.
- -L..i\---
3909 Michigan Union
Telephone: 763-3241
Monday-Friday,
9 am-5 pm
MSA meetings every
Tuesday evening
at 7:30
Constituents' time
is 7:45
Executive Officers
President: Ede Fox
Vice-President: Hunter Van'
Treasurer: Michael Oduro
Student General Counselor:
Valkenburgh
Roger De Roo
You may have a learning disability, an umbrella term for a variety of handicaps that can be a
result of visual or auditory processing problems.
The University of Michigan Medical Center's Educational Evaluation and Consultation
Service can help you determine if your difficulties are the result of a learning disability. And
our certified educational diagnosticians will work with you to develop an effective plan to help
you perform better on the job or in school. You (an manage your learning problems and elim-
inate the doubts you have about your achievement potential.
" We're flexible, so you're assured a time that's convenient for you.
" Appointments are available weekdays, evenings and weekends.
" We're affordable, so virtually anyone can benefit from our service.
Representatives
Architecture: Mark Stoel
Art: Dorene Red Cloud
Business: Todd Bartley
Business: Jack Ulrich
Engineering: Colleen Hofmeister
Engineering: Brent House
Engineering: Brian Kight
Engineering: Christine Young
Law: Harry Nelson
Info and Lib Science: Chris Thiry
Medicine: John Uy
Medicine: Mike Lee
Natural Resources: Fred Wemer
Nursing: Kristen Clark
Pharmacy: Tom Macek
LS&A:
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LS&A:
Stephanie Acho
Cheryl Barecki
Ken Bartlett
Nancy Eisenstein
Amy Ellis
Scott Gast
Corey Hill
Amy Kudansky
Ericka Matthews
John McClosky
Leah McRae
Sejal Mistry
Todd Ochoa
David Powell
Rackham: Janelle White
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