2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor
Ryan Gustafson
Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: Opinion
Dear Editor,
As the current President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, I am constantly presented with the challenge of competing with the bad reputation and misconceptions about the Greek community here at UPS. Each year, members of the Greek system devote countless hours to improving our campus and the surrounding community. However, it seems that all this hard work and dedication is ruined by a few people who know little about Greek Life.
It seems that much of the controversy surrounding the Greek system stems from the tradition of crossover. Crossover is the most visible Greek event throughout campus where new members "cross over" Union Avenue and join our community. Outsiders see the event as a day-long binge drinking session full of bad decisions. They often question the safety of crossover and why we need to have the event to begin with. What people outside the Greek community fail to see is what crossover celebrates. Crossover is the culmination of all the hard work that went into recruitment, and the celebration on the beginning of life-long friendships with new members. I would be ignorant myself to dismiss the concerns surrounding crossover, however, there will be measures taken in the future to ensure the safety of all students involved.
It really bothers me when the criticism of crossover turns into an article full of accusations and generalizations about the morals of Fraternity men. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, being a part of Greek life was a very unsafe thing to do. Alcohol and drug abuse was rampant; hazing and sexual assault certainly occurred. However, today it is much different. The men of the Greek community here at UPS are men of strong morals, who are far different from the "frat boy" image.
Instead of being bashed with uneducated stereotypes, Greeks should be recognized for our involvement at UPS. Members of the Greek community are leaders in many campus organizations such as ASUPS, varsity/club athletics, and student development. Greek houses dedicate countless hours to philanthropy, greatly benefiting the community around UPS. The average GPA for the Greek system is always significantly higher than the average for the rest of campus, and the Greek Alumni consistently donate more money to our University. UPS would not be the great place it is today without involvement from the Greek system, and it is a shame we are constantly confronted with uneducated stereotypes.
I feel that, each year, the Greek system here at UPS continues to get stronger, and I am very proud to be a part of the community. I hope that this letter gets rid of some misconceptions and the bad reputation surrounding Greek Life. I wrote this letter in the hopes of convincing people around campus to formulate their own opinions about the Greek system, not listen to the opinions of ignorant individuals.
Sincerely,
Ryan Gustafson
IFC President
As the current President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, I am constantly presented with the challenge of competing with the bad reputation and misconceptions about the Greek community here at UPS. Each year, members of the Greek system devote countless hours to improving our campus and the surrounding community. However, it seems that all this hard work and dedication is ruined by a few people who know little about Greek Life.
It seems that much of the controversy surrounding the Greek system stems from the tradition of crossover. Crossover is the most visible Greek event throughout campus where new members "cross over" Union Avenue and join our community. Outsiders see the event as a day-long binge drinking session full of bad decisions. They often question the safety of crossover and why we need to have the event to begin with. What people outside the Greek community fail to see is what crossover celebrates. Crossover is the culmination of all the hard work that went into recruitment, and the celebration on the beginning of life-long friendships with new members. I would be ignorant myself to dismiss the concerns surrounding crossover, however, there will be measures taken in the future to ensure the safety of all students involved.
It really bothers me when the criticism of crossover turns into an article full of accusations and generalizations about the morals of Fraternity men. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, being a part of Greek life was a very unsafe thing to do. Alcohol and drug abuse was rampant; hazing and sexual assault certainly occurred. However, today it is much different. The men of the Greek community here at UPS are men of strong morals, who are far different from the "frat boy" image.
Instead of being bashed with uneducated stereotypes, Greeks should be recognized for our involvement at UPS. Members of the Greek community are leaders in many campus organizations such as ASUPS, varsity/club athletics, and student development. Greek houses dedicate countless hours to philanthropy, greatly benefiting the community around UPS. The average GPA for the Greek system is always significantly higher than the average for the rest of campus, and the Greek Alumni consistently donate more money to our University. UPS would not be the great place it is today without involvement from the Greek system, and it is a shame we are constantly confronted with uneducated stereotypes.
I feel that, each year, the Greek system here at UPS continues to get stronger, and I am very proud to be a part of the community. I hope that this letter gets rid of some misconceptions and the bad reputation surrounding Greek Life. I wrote this letter in the hopes of convincing people around campus to formulate their own opinions about the Greek system, not listen to the opinions of ignorant individuals.
Sincerely,
Ryan Gustafson
IFC President
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