PAGE TWO

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMER 3, Ig52

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1952

RUMORS DISCREDITED:
Quad Staff Neutral on Greek Rushing

By MIKE WOLFF .
Since 1846, when the first fra-
ternities were established here, in-
caming men have been debating
whether to "go fraternity" or re-
main "independent."
After University President Hen-
ry Philip Tappan abolished the
principle of housing students in
University buildings during the
early 1860's the field of choice was
narrowed. Students had the op-
tion of searching for board and
lodging in private homes (the
prices varied from $2 to $3.50 per
week) or living with other stu-
dents in a fraternity or "club."
That many chose the latter is
borne out by the rapid growth of
Greek societies during the next
70 years.
However, when the year 1938
rolled around something new was
discovered on the campus scene.
The principle of University-dir-
ected housing had reasserted itself
and a speedy building program
brought the East and West Quads
and the Women's Dorms into exis-
tence in, time for the school year
194-41.
THE NEW quadrangles bore lit-
tle resemblance to the "colleges"
of the 1850's. There was no need
to haul wood and water and super-
vision over the students was en-
trusted to a staff of housemothers
and advisors rather than placed
in the hands of the janitor whom
early undergraduates referred to
as "Professor of Dust and Ashes."
The opening of the lavish
South Quadrangle last year
brought to a climax a housing
situation that offered definite
advantages to those who didn't
wish to join a fraternity. Those
who were on the borderline,
however, found it increasingly
difficult to make up their
minds. Modern facilities, such
as private phones and comfort-
able study halls were innova-
tions not easily disregarded.
The men were still pledging
fraternities, though. A seven se-
mester record was broken this
fall when 506 of 815 rushees
pledged 41 houses. The previous
high was in the fall of 1949 whenF
535 men pledged.
A study of this fall's pledge listsc
showed 15.2 percent of WestI
Quad's men and 14.2 percent of
the South Quadders joined fra-
ternities. East Quad kept moret

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of its men with only 11.1 percent
pledging.
Statistics also show that fra-
ternity pledges appear fairly sat-
isfied with their act. Only 63 of
last year's 755 pledges chose to de-
pledge. So far this year only one
man has depledged.
* * *
IN SPITE of these brighter
prospects, however, fraternity men
have become somewhat uneasy
over rumors that members of the
quadrangle staffs "are talking
down fraternities."
The local Interfraternity
Alumni Conference has become
interested in determining wheth-
er or not there is any truth in
these "widespread rumors."
A survey of housemothers and
resident advisors in the men's
residence halls has shown, how-
ever, that on the whole a neutral
attitude is taken when freshmen
ask for advice about rushing and
pledging fraternities.
The majority of quadrangle ad-
visors revealed that while rela-
tively few freshmen came to them

directly for advice on fraternities,'
those that did had usually made!
up their minds to rush but were
undecided about pledging during
their first semester at the Univer-
sity. Several advisors reported
that often it was a case of decid-
ing which fraternity to pledge.
* * *
ASSISTANT to the Dean of
Students, Bill Zerman; said that
most students who com eto his
office for advice on fraternities
are interested in learning which
houses they 'will be most compat-
ible with and the scholarship stan-
dards of the house.
Resident advisors, who appar-
ently received more queries than
housemothers, said that when
asked directly they would either
try to point out the merits of
the quadrangles and of the fra-
ternities or leave the whole mat-
ter strictly up to the student.
Only one of the 13 resident ad-
visors interviewed said he told the
average freshman not to rush or
pledge during his first semester.
His reasons were for the most part
in agreement with the personal
beliefs of most of the other resi-
dence advisors and the 17 house-
mothers interviewed.
THEY FELT the average fresh-
man has enough difficulty adjust-
ing to living away from home, de-
veloping good study habits and
maintaining his grades, to have'
to cope with first-semester pledg-
ing.
The majority of advisors
agreed that while it was -a good
idea for interested freshmen to
rush fraternities and thereby
find out about the' system for
themselves, the ideal plan would
be a system of deferred pledg-
ing in which no first-semester
freshman would be allowed to
join a fraternty.
MANY of these points were ex-j
pressed by members of the Inter-
House Council at a recent meet-
ing where they voted to suggest a
system of deferred pledging to
nterfraternity Council officers as
a starting point for talks on the
problem of allowing rushing in
the common lounges and Club 600.

One West Quad resident ad-
visor "suggested that an all-
freshman residence hall would
alleviate the problem of fresh-
men pledges being "dead wood"
under the present house plan.
The problem of "dead wood"
was also brought out at a recent
IHC meeting when Booth Tar-
kington, '54E, of Reeves House in
the South Quad said that a poll
of the men in his house who
pledged fraternities showed a
strong lack of participation in
house activities during their
pledge periods.

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THE SAME resident advisor a
so expressed, the opinion that a
those who planned to rusho
pledge a fraternity be housedi
a separate dormitory so as nott
upset the routine of men who ha
no intention of joining a frater
nity.
He also felt the quadrangles
should hold sessions pointing
out the advantages of the quad
rangles and the disadvantages
of fraternities as the only fair
way to compete with the Greek
who follow a similar arrange
ment in their rushing program
One resident advisor who b
longed to a fraternity said a
though he usually limits his ad
vice to listing the pros and con
of fraternity pledging, he occa
sionally gives his personal opin
ion when a student asks whethe
to pledge.
THE RESIDENT advisors an
housemothers interviewed wer
distributed fairly evenly amon
the three quadrangles and mad
up 71 percent of the total. Ap
proximately half had either rush
ed or pledged fraternities or soror
ities in the past. Some are mem
bers of professional or honorar
groups and several held high posi
tions in their undergraduate so
cial fraternities.
The overall formal position
of "neutrality" found among
the advisors is in agreement
with the official quadrangle pol-
icy regarding fraternities.
Assistant Dean of the Men'
Residence Halls Peter A. Ostafi
said that men who are undecided
about whether to rush or pledg
are told. to make up their own
minds on the subject. Those who
wish to learn whether one fra
ternity is better than another are
advised to seek the advice of the
fraternity rushing counselors o
the fraternity counselor in the of
fice of Student Affairs, he said.
Dean Ostafin added that fresh
men who are having academic dif-
ficulties because of their pledging
are always advised to work ou
the problem with the individual
houses. "To my knowledge every
fraternity has cooperated in th
interest of the pledge concerned,'
he commented.
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Ash Trays with Michigan
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U .S. To Send
Servicemen
Home Early
WASHINGTON - ( ) - The
armed forces will speed up the dis-
charge of many men whose terms
of service ar nearing an end, so
that they may get home for
Christmas.
The Defense Department has is-
sued a summary of plans for each
of the armed forces, which said:
Army personnel scheduled for
discharge between Dec. 20 and
January 5, with some exceptions,
will be released not later than Dec.
19. This applies only to personnel
in the United States or its terri-
tories. Service personnel returning
from overseas during that time
will be released "as soon as possi-
ble" after arrival in the U.S.
Three exceptions are made to
the pre-Christmas release policy:
(1) enlisted reserve personnel who
want to complete their reserve ob-
ligation can be retained until their
terms of service expire; (2) draft-
ees who voluntarily extend their
active duty one year under the re-
serve provisions of the Selective
Service Act; (3) draftees eligible
for early release because of Korean
service, who must complete 21
months of active duty.
Navy enlisted men of the regu-
lar and reserve who normally
would be eligible for release be-
tween Dec. 20 and Jan. 6, will be
released not later than Dec. 20.
This does not apply to men who
are being retired.
The Air Force said it "will fol-
low substantially a policy of re-
leasing airmen and officers early
so that they may arrive at home
for Christmas week." Those re-
leased will include all personnel
who normally would be released
prior to Jan. 5.

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