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University Daily Kansan Friday. Nov. 7,1958
Your Choice: Greek or Independent
Anti-Fraternity Man Protests Togetherness
By Al Jones
Call this a protest against undergraduate togetherness. Or a confession article: I am an antifraternity man.
A university is designed to educate students in a wide range of subjects, all leading to the acquisition of certain knowledge and eventually to a degree.
Social life is an inevitable but subordinate function, since students cannot live in a vacuum. The key word is subordinate. When learning and social activity conflict, the socializing must give way.
To start with, compare two things: The goals of a university, and the goals of a social fraternity.
A social fraternity, on the other hand, has goals which barely relate to the university. A fraternity is developed to provide social education, promote brotherhood, and to gain group social status which reflects on the individual members. The fraternity also gives security to its members, the benefits (and drawbacks) of group living, and the opportunity to share ideas.
First, social education. This means, basically, that the member learns etiquette, manners, and conventional patterns of behavior. It is quite possible to learn these things with this equipment: A copy of Emily Post, a modicum of common sense, and a subscription to Esquire.
Brotherhood is the keystone of fraternity life. How, precisely, does fraternity brotherhood differ from the brotherhood which every man has with every other? The fraternity is selective, or restrictive, if you will.
Social status means simply: "We in the fraternity believe we are superior to non-members, and we work toward being superior." For no logical reason, that seems objectable. For any heterogeneous group to set itself up as a leading class is presumptuous.
In any institution less well established, this would be considered a self-preserving aristocracy. The fraternity member gives up a part of his individual freedom for the privilege of belonging to a group. We believe the price is too high.
Security to members? For a freshman who is away from home for the first time, this is an appealing idea. But this extension of apron string, umbilicus, and surrogate only hinders his development into a free, whole man.
Group living is an advantage of fraternity living, but it is available in independent dormitories, private homes housing a group of students, and almost any college living quarters.
Fraternities foster sharing of ideas, it is said. But the ideas which come from a self-contained group tend to be sterile, circular in movement, and do not generate original thought.
Official Bulletin
TODAY
Items for the Official Bulletin must be brought to the public relations office, 222-A Strong, before 9:30 a.m. on the day of publication. Do not bring Bulletin material to The Daily Kansan. Notices should include name, place, date, and
International Club 7 p.m. Kaw River Sandbar, British Evening, Guy Fawkes
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, 7:30
inter-miss. Bible study, discussion,
refreshment
Hillel Friday Evening Services, 7:30 p.m. 1409 Tenn
HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES
Carilion Recital, 6:30-7 p.m., Ronald Barnes.
Varsity-Freshman Basketball Game, 7 p.m., field house, $1.
"The King and I," 9 p.m. Special performance for returning alumni. $1.50
Tamorrow
Alumni registration opens 9 a.m., Kansas Union Lounge.
Homecoming Reception, 9-11 a.m., Union Lounge, Coffee
Homecoming Alumni Reception, 9-11 a.m., Music Room of Union
Bus tours of Campus, 9-11 a.m.
DR. WM. H. BRAY
AND DR. H. R. WILLIAMS
Optometrists
919 Mass. VI 3-1401
Grease Job $1
Brake Adj. 98c
Mufflers and Tallipipes Installed Free
1 qt. oil free with oil & filter change
PAGE'S SINCLAIR SERVICE
6th & Vt.
1 p.m., Union Hallroom. $154
Court Game, 11 a.m.
Union Trophy Room
Portraits
K-Pictures
Application Photos
Fine Photography
SUNDAY
Hillel cost supper, 5 p.m., with faculty forum following 1409 Tenn. St.
Faculty Club, 1409 "Interior Design,"
Law School Open House and Buffet,
1 a.m. - 1 p.m., Green Hall library
2 a.m. - 4 p.m., Law School Library
HIXON STUDIO
**rooftail Game**, KU vs. NU, 1:30 p.m.
**Homecourt**, KU vs. NU, 2:45 p.m.
82.50 per couple.
Faculty Club, 5 p.m. "Interior Design," Mr. Arvid Jacobson, Buffet suiter
DON CRAWFORD - BOB BLANK
721 Mass. VI 3-0330
Wesley Foundation, 5:30 p.m. Methodist
Education Center, Maturing Methodist
Bellman, School of Arts
Greeks Socialize, But Study as Well
By Martha Pearse
A sorority or fraternity is, as designated by its title, a social organization. This does not mean that a Greek organization is all parties and teas. Nor does it mean that members are solely concerned with preparing themselves for a social rather than business or professional environment after leaving college.
Scholarship in the past years has become highly important in Greek houses. For example last year the sorority and fraternity grade averages were above those of the independent women and men averages.
Pledges in the Greek houses are given every opportunity to develop both grade-wise and socially. Each pledge is assigned to an active member, who helps the pledge over the rough spots of fraternity and university life. Who helps the independents, but themselves?
Need Not Conform
One need not be a conformist to be successful in fraternity life. In fact the fraternity grows stronger with the more people who have ideas.
While one is a pledge in a fraternity he would little consider it a democratic organization. Yet once he becomes an active member, then a fraternity is a working organism of living democracy.
The majority rule and the minority learn to live and accept the ideas that they were against, not like the person who, when things go against him, runs off to his hole and draws it in to hide himself.
Often there is the feeling of belonging to something permanent, something which is not completely lost with graduation, something which leaves a few ties with the University upon graduation.
A fraternity is a lifelong proposition. Alumni groups are often stronger than university chapters. A fraternity member has ready made friends and business contacts upon leaving school.
scholarship, or the amount of time spent socializing, but that the members are given the opportunity to choose with whom they are to live by that detested black ball system.
The biggest objection to fraternities, however, does not seem to be
Greeks Insure
By this system, the Greek house insures that in the long run not only the house will benefit, but also the reelected person.
That is the basis of fraternity life companionship. Companionship of people who share the same views as you.
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