Yesterday I read John Shertzer’s Fraternal Thoughts blog post titled It’s Not Working. http://fraternalthoughts.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-working.html#.VRBJccLdhYo.twitter I have felt the same way at times, more so very recently.
Yesterday, the Charlottesville, Virginia, Police Department issued a statement stating that the allegations of gang rape made by an anonymous woman named “Jackie” against a fraternity at the University of Virginia were unfounded. And that while something might have happened to Jackie that night, it did not take place the fraternity house, nor did it involve any of the men in the fraternity. The facts as presented by Jackie did not match up with the facts presented by the fraternity. Where do those fraternity men go to get their character back? The story is still on the Rolling Stone website with this disclaimer.
We published the article with the firm belief that it was accurate. Given all of these reports, however, we have come to the conclusion that we were mistaken in honoring Jackie’s request to not contact the alleged assaulters to get their account. In trying to be sensitive to the unfair shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault, we made a judgment – the kind of judgment reporters and editors make every day. We should have not made this agreement with Jackie and we should have worked harder to convince her that the truth would have been better served by getting the other side of the story. These mistakes are on Rolling Stone, not on Jackie. We apologize to anyone who was affected by the story and we will continue to investigate the events of that evening.
The Fran Becque translation to Rolling Stone’s disclaimer: There was no need to do due diligence on these facts because we all know that fraternities are evil and the men who join them are the lowest of the low. Of course they are guilty. No need to go research anything.
The defacement of property at the SIUC Phi Kappa Tau house.
This was what I saw on my way to the Rotary meeting this morning. Someone had spray painted this graffiti on corner of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity house. Why? I do not know. How unfortunate that there are those among us who take their hatred and rage out on others by defacing property. Frankly, all of my dealings with the Phi Kappa Taus have been pleasant. The chapter is a top fundraiser for the local American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The chapter owns its own home, the only group at SIUC that does. It’s on a main road and the chapter does its best to keep it looking attractive. The men who join know that they have to live to a higher standard than a group of random guys who rent a house on the same street. They have the added obligations and responsibilities of membership.
And while I sometimes, like John Shertzer, question why Greek-letter organization interest me so, I know that the fraternity and sorority experience, when done right, is one of the very best experiences a person can have. Doing it right takes effort. It takes alumni who are committed to the ideals of the organization (not just those who from the Animal House years – and I think every chapter has some of those – who come back and regale the collegians with tales of truth and fiction), a national organization willing to work closely with chapters, and members who understand that being in the organization means living up to higher ideals.
The way our collegiate organizations run means that the lessons need to be taught every year. And while a good foundation can help a chapter along, there is a revolving door of students who come and go. New officers are elected, they figure out what they are doing, they leave office. It starts again. They graduate. More come in.
I haven’t thrown in the towel yet, because the Greek men and women I meet are, by and large, young men and women of whom we can be proud. Are there some bad actors in the bunch? Of course. Bad actors are everywhere, in every part of life. But I am not willing to concede our organizations to the bad actors.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2015. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
