4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 9, 1999 (Tbz £ibid-gin auij How much is brotherhood worth. 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 daily.letters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan HEATHER KAMINS Editor in Chief JEFFREY KOSSEFF DAVID WALLACE Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. Hazing must end Fraternity ritual is unacceptable ... A ccidents happen. Rules are broken. As teachers tell youngsters not to run with the scissors pointed up and mothers insist that kids not play with matches, governing bodies set rules that will be cast aside by adherents with the same sense of youthful abandon. The recent, unfortunate Alpha Epsilon Pi BB gun accident is a reminder that rules, silly as they may seem, are in place with constituents' best interests at heart. The community's trust that the Greek system is haze-free is becoming hard to see as anything but myth governed by good intentions. But this "possible hazing" mishap, which sent a 19-year-old student into surgery with a groin injury, is not a time to blame, but a chance to reassess some larger issues. It calls to attention the great need to eliminate first-semester rush. The University's Interfraternity Council Constitution expressly forbids hazing, but pledges are not regulated with totalitarian authority, nor should they be. But the IFC has the responsibility of educating all members about the dangers of hazing. The Greek sys- tem can and should be allowed to run with some deal of autonomy, with personal changes in behavior as logical first steps. This incident may be used to highlight the importance of personal responsibility, both on the part of Greek brothers and sis- ters as well as pledge members themselves. It is personal discretion that can prevent accidents like this from recurring. If a pun- ishment is to be dealt, the IFC Constitution's "mandatory sponsorship of an educational program or activity" should be considered to help young pledge mem- bers empower themselves in the face of haz- ing and aggression. The fact that new recruits are often campus newcomers with- out a good sense of their options remains part of a larger issue. The University's Greek system recruits students in their first semester, while many other major universities restrict pledging to the second semester, or even to the second year. Having an adjustment period for wide- eyed freshmen on a big campus could give them time to realize their options and get a better sense of what they can explore. Combining this with better education or some kind of crash course in the various Greek pledge programs could be the start to better - and safer - initiation traditions. No intrusive intervention by the IFC or the Greek Activities Review Panel would be necessary if everyone was looking out for themselves as well as their brothers and sisters. This ultimately comes down to a matter of personal discretion. An abusive relationship, in any form, is not something that authority can ultimately stop, no matter the intervening role they may assume. More policing is an option, but not a good one. If University fra- ternities and sororities are to retain their appeal, it is up to them to make the effort to learn from the horrible mistakes of Alpha Epsilon Pi and others, lest more dire conse- quences of brotherly and sisterly love present themselves. ... but the 'U' shouldn't be involved The campus community must not take the recent hazing tragedy lightly. This dis- plays the dire need for all hazing to end. And whoever committed this alleged atrocity should be tried to the fullest extent in a court of law. Unfortunately, the University might try to hold its own, un- democratip trial. The Code neglects many rights guaran- teed in the U.S. legal system. Bureaucrats have too much power in these often secre- tive hearings. We also do not want the University to begin a Greek witch hunt. While this act of violence should not be tolerated, it must not serve as reason for local police to increase their watch over fraternities and sororities. The campus must not judge the entire Greek system by the hurtful actions of a few hurt- ful people. December frenzy More study days would ease student stress T he end of the term is an imminent yet unwelcome part of students' lives. Each year at this time, students prepare for final examinations or complete term papers. Whether a first-year student or a senior, the week-long experience can be both exhilarating and draining on one's patience. The University must consider this when scheduling the academic Num calendar and give students more study0 than one study day.Fate Final examinations are Harvard: expected in most classes, and the Princetor brief time between the official Ya e7 end of classes -Monday - and Chicago: the beginning of final examina- MIT: 3 tions - Wednesday, is unaccept- tDuke 3 able. This lack of time to prepare Stanford: is baffling and should be adjusted Ohio Sta to meet the needs of the students. This is not an unreasonable demand, considering the competitive nature of most classes. Some students are caught with two or three exams on the first day of finals, having only one day to prepare. This puts them at a huge competitive disadvantage compared to other students, who might only have one exam that day. Grading curves are part of many classes, so the University should level the playing field. fte willing to start school a week earlier to earn longer study time. With more than four months off, starting school before Labor Day would not be a huge strain on well-rest- ed students. Many schools, including Princeton, Harvard's Arts and Sciences College and Yale, allow students more than a week to prepare on "reading days" (see Iya a accompanying chart). The & University claims to have three, :2 but it includes the weekend that 12 follows three days of final examinations. That's a decep- 4 tive trick to make it look like students have more study days. What students really need is a week to prepare. o 2 When professors, abuse the set guidelines for administering finals, all students - and their test scores and term paper grades - suffer. The University also must address this violation of rules. Everyone wants to do well when a large chunk of their grade is at stake. While rec- ognizing that time cannot simply be created without taking it from elsewhere on the aca- demic calendar, the University should do everything in its power to give the best pos- Original Superfan sets the record straight