Greek “review” must consider practices that create unsafe environment

If Greeks… Greek “review” must consider practices that create unsafe environment

If Greeks want to avoid a reputation as “moronic partiers” they need to stop practices that encourage “moronic partying.” I don’t want to downplay the positive contributions of the Greeks, but there are some serious problems that ought to be addressed in the forthcoming “review” of Greek life.

Currently, frat parties provide a visible and accessible place to go on a Friday night, particularly for freshmen who don’t know anyone or anywhere to go that doesn’t require being 21. This would be great, except that the environment of the frat party is not the healthiest or the safest.

Certainly, frat parties are not the only place where date rape occurs, but I think few can argue that it does occur at frat parties too often to be ignored. Whether or not the brothers themselves participate in date rape is irrelevant. They make it no secret that they want a high concentration of young, attractive females getting very drunk. I myself have been to (and left) frat parties in which my male friends were either not admitted or refused beer to because of the fact that they had not brought enough girls with them. This type of attitude fosters an unsafe environment and this new “review” of Greek life ought not ignore such practices.

If fraternities followed the lead of more respectable universities (like Cornell) and were to either card at the door or have invite only parties, freshmen girls might find other safer places to spend their Friday nights.

Susan Hicks

CAS senior

True basketball fan disappointed

As a student at the University of Pittsburgh, I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed right now. Basketball season tickets were given out Friday night in the form of a lottery. Each student received a wristband, and the winners of this year’s lottery would have priority on season tickets for years to come.

That’s a great idea, but what about those of us that have been here and have been going to the games before we were a top-10 team in the nation? What about those of us who went to every home game, drove to Columbus, Oh., to see the Ohio State game, paid big money for the California game and drove to Kentucky to watch the Kent State game, only to drive back that same night and type a paper for a 10 a.m. class?

Does Steve Pederson realize the true fans that planned on camping out Wednesday night to buy tickets are the ones who will now be watching the game from home?

When I received my wristband last night, I swore that I wouldn’t be taking it off until I got my season tickets to support the same group of guys I supported after they lost to South Florida last year when everyone wrote them off as a mediocre team. After last night, it looks like I’ll be wearing that wristband for the next five years.

Jon Wietholter

CAS sophomore