Dear Dean Leavitt,
I am writing to you to express my deep disappointment with actions taken by you with regards to extending Psi Upsilon’s provisional status until 2013. My son, Sam, was just initiated on Oct. 31, 2011 to Psi U and had been looking forward to many of the same experiences that I spoke longingly of when I was at Union. Your actions have robbed him and 23 other young men of those wonderful experiences.
I graduated in 1977 as a very proud member of Sigma Phi. My father (Kappa Alpha) preceded me, graduating in 1950. My nephew, who is a freshman, follows my son, Sam, in a legacy to a school that we have all loved. The Copeland family has a deep history at Union, and we are greatly distressed with the punitive actions you have recently administered.
Your actions regarding Psi U are unfair and unjust. The “brandings” were not part of Psi U’s initiation process; indeed they occurred long after the students were initiated and are clearly not a form of hazing. Five brothers made the ill-advised decision of their own volition and not under duress.
Psi U is being punished for actions that are allegedly a public safety hazard. Understandably, the school ostensibly wants to end the pattern of endangerment. Branding is potentially a personal safety hazard, but no more so then piercings or tattoos. Is the school in the business of regulating those forms of scarifications among its student body? Surely, students have a responsibility for good health care, just as they do for safe sex. But, the school can’t legislate safe sex any more than it can, or should regulate scarifications. Is the administration monitoring the personal rituals of all students on campus, or just the brothers of Psi U?
Freedom of expression is not a violation of the code of conduct, nor is it a threat to public safety. Where in the student handbook does it state that an individual cannot scarify his/her body? (I did read that coerced branding is illegal and would violate New York State laws, but clearly such actions were not coerced.)
Your statements in the Concordiensis expose your cursory knowledge of what a fraternity is. You claim that, ”When you join the organization, you sort of give up your individuality in that sense. You’re recognizing that the fate of the organization is based on your behaviors as an individual and they can affect the whole organization.”
Fraternities are nothing more than the bonding of individuals. The students are individuals first, and brothers second. Individuality is what allowed the other 19 brothers to think for themselves and not go along blindly with the branding. They acted out of their own consciences. While Sam and the others rejected the choice to brand, you must understand that they had every right to make that decision. The five students who did brand themselves did so as adults and as repugnant as we might find their choices, we defend their rights to choose. To assume that brotherhood in a fraternity comes at the price of individuality is to understand how completely out of touch you are with the ideals of Greek life.
Your actions (as well as many administrators who precede you) only serve to bolster decades of bad feelings and disgust that have characterized Greek life relationships with the school. Of course, I am sure you have heard all this before. I am also sure you are keenly aware that Union has sacrificed tens of millions in potential gifts, but it is a cost that administrators apparently feel has been justified. I would argue that the highly aggressive actions taken since 2000 have and will continue to cost the college dearly. Sadly, this ill wind should never have blown down Library Lane.
From my perspective, the decisions to “repurpose houses” has been misguided and very destructive to the soul of the school. The attempt to mold Union’s fraternities into an administrator’s vision further serves to bolster the argument that they don’t understand or fully appreciate the role and the histories of these institutions. The lesson is that you need to work with 200 years of history and not openly challenge it.
Union never fails to disappoint me when it comes to its attitude toward Greek life. Dean Leavitt, you, like prior administrations before you, seem to harbor a restrictive mindset that manifests as mistrust.
You said: “We want Greek organizations that are reflective of the ideals of the Greek life rather than the same old Greek life. We are not looking for them to follow the conduct code. We’re looking for more than that.” What does that mean? Why are you looking for something more? What are you referring too? Is following the code of conduct not enough? Does this standard of behavior, of expecting “more than that” apply to all the other students as well? This kind of scrutiny that seems to target Greek organizations appears to be punitive and unjust to say the least.
To punish an entire fraternity because you want to make an example of the few is mean spirited and perhaps discriminatory.
Indeed, your actions have caused 24 students to have poor housing options for the next year by missing lotteries. More importantly, this situation has distracted from the more relevant academic challenges ahead.
As you know, the oldest Fraternities in the country call Union their first home. There is sanctity and a sense of tradition that was lost when the school absconded these very homes. The school has been engaged in damage control by trying to paint the Minervas as a success. Contrary to the propaganda expressed in the last Union College [Alumni Magazine] (Winter Issue), the reality is that they are a failed venture and a very costly one at that. The college still seems to be trying to come to terms with the disenfranchisement of nearly half of the alumni body. No matter how much money the school throws at the Minervas, they will never capture what has been vanquished. It is difficult to argue that Union College continues to pursue anything other than a policy of betrayal of some of the oldest and finest traditions on campus.
In October, I was so pleased to attend Union for Homecoming Weekend with my father, my son and my nephew. The alumni affairs office couldn’t have been more accommodating as they extended themselves to my family, in particular to my elderly parents. The four Union men in my family stood in front of the beautiful fireplace in Abbot Hall for a memorable family portrait. It felt good to be back on campus and I was assured there was an honest attempt to recognize the errors of the past as it pertains to Greek life. With this unfair ruling on Psi U, it is clear that I was mistaken. How unfortunate for my son and his peers that they are sidetracked by constant upheavals in Greek Life. This should be a time of joy and growth, academic and social that should be stewarded by teachers, deans and other administration officials. Perhaps you will reconsider your decision and seek to find a way to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive that strengthens the relationship between the school and members of the Greek community.
William Copeland ‘77
Sigma Phi
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Leavitt to a geek to ruin a greek!
Ned!? Ned Dukehart?!?
While, yes, I think that it is wrong to hold all of the brothers of PsiU responsible for the actions of the few, I don’t think it is well advised to simply blow over the whole branding ordeal as a means of the brothers’ self expression. The question to ask is if, when drunk, the brothers thought it would be a good idea to brand themselves, which in most people’s minds is rather extreme, is it a good idea to let these same brothers be part of the leadership of a fraternity? On campus, when holding social events, brothers in fraternities have a huge amount of responsibility for all of the guests who are present. If some of the brothers of PsiU think it is a good idea to traumatically physically scar their bodies when drunk, is it necessarily a good idea to have them be responsible for the welfare of their guests at a party? Who knows what they might think is a good idea at a party/ All I suggest is that the brothers who branded themselves be taking more penalty for their actions, rather than the entirety of the fraternity itself. It seems foolish to allow people who would brand themselves while drunk to be in any position of responsibility over others on campus.
First of all, no one should be punished for scarring their body when drunk. That is just absurd. Since when are we not allowed individual freedom? These men are adults and they have the right to do what they please with themselves, drunk or otherwise. If they were harming others, that would be a different story. But they weren’t.
For your concerns about leaders of a fraternity doing this, what is the issue? What if these individuals have put in many hours of community service and have been involved with a lot of campus-wide fundraisers? Maybe they have done a lot of positive work for our community and humanity. So they get drunk one night and brand themselves. Who the f*&k cares? You’re just going to denounce all the things that they have done and were able to successfully lead just because you think it’s wrong to make a permanent mark on your body? And for the social well-being of others at a social event, are you truly concerned about that? What do you think these few gentlemen are going to let happen? The fact that these men did not force others to get branded shows that they care and respect an individual’s right to make decisions for themselves. I guess in your opinion, that make’s for a shitty leader.
There are so many people in this United States that have made similar decisions for themselves and you’d be surprised at how many of them are leaders in our society. Just because someone else does something to themselves that you don’t understand, does not undermine their intelligence or humanitarian values. People like you and the administration, clearly think that you “know better” than these individuals and thus have the “right” to reprimand them for their actions. I’m sorry, but that is not how society should work. Our country was founded on freedom, and the fact that you and others are trying to take that most important and basic principle away from these individuals who harmed no one but themselves, is concerning to say the least.
It’s clear that you are so incensed by this “gross injustice” that you completely missed the point of my post. Let me make it more concise.
Intoxication –> red-hot iron –> scorching flesh –> causing physical trauma to own body –> poor decision making
Nowhere in my post did I say anything against self-expression expressed through branding. I, myself, have a tattoo. What I am saying is that the decision to seriously harm oneself while intoxicated shows dangerously poor decision making. It has nothing to do with their personal choice, they can do whatever they like. However, it’s clear that their actions when intoxicated are not safe. When drunk and bored, most people do not decide to burn their flesh to pass the time. The decision to scarify oneself should be well-thought out, not something done in the moment.
Fraternities hold complete responsibility over their guests at their parties. With as much as 100 people at a party, that is a huge responsibility. In all likelihood, these same brothers are going to be intoxicated as well. If they brand themselves while drunk to amuse themselves, what other things might they do or allow to happen to liven things up a little? If something goes wrong at a party, such as a student passing out or seriously hurting themselves, based on their past track record, are these “gentlemen” going to have the appropriate drunken judgment to resolve the situation? I wouldn’t put my safety in their hands and the College shouldn’t either.
In conclusion,
Intoxication –> poor decision making –> responsibility –> things go terribly wrong
Bitter,
First of all, I have been a Fraternity president and IFC President and am currently a senior at Union, so I have a pretty unique understanding and perspective of Greek life at Union both among administrators and the student body.
#1: I think your statement “fraternities hold complete responsibility over their guests at their parties” is interesting. The real truth is that “fraternities are held completely responsible for their guests at their parties.” Both legally and by the school. So when someone arrives at our fraternity and does something stupid or puts themselves in a dangerous situation, we the fraternity are held responsible for their poor decision making. I for one do not know all of the people who enter the parties at my fraternity because of the very special and very VERY rare configuration of Greek life at Union. We are among the few Greek systems that actually welcome many random non-brothers to parties on a regular basis. This is NOT the norm, so really the solution to both the issue of Fraternity brothers being responsible for their guests and the problem of Fraternities being unfairly blamed for the poor decisions made by “guests” we don’t know is to follow all other Greek systems and close our doors to independents. Unfortunately, while this keeps you and the student body safe from our “poor leadership” (and reduces our liability tremendously), it increases the stigma of elitism and exclusivity that already plagues us.
#2: Despite all of the negative pop-culture stereotypes, Greek social events at Union are arguably one of the safest venues to drink at. During a Greek party, per rules of IFC, a number of brothers must be working the party–therefore relatively sober–the whole time, two brothers are registered to serve, and one person is registered with campus safety as the responsible person–to be sober and make decisions as the night rolls on. I, myself have been involved in calling for help when a girl snuck a bottle of alcohol in with her and quickly became too drunk. She was evaluated by the medical staff on call, and a crisis was averted. College kids are going to drink and make mistakes–doesn’t it make sense for this drinking to occur in an environment where there are brothers actively looking for signs of distress and one that has a structured system of running parties? Also, understand that no system is perfect–even our best efforts to keep people safe and run parties smoothly may occasionally fail to some degree.
Moving forward, I really hope the leaders of Union administration do everything in their power to address each situation rationally and fairly so that Union may flourish into the future and so its students, whether Greek or independent, may experience the challenges and opportunities that promote growth and self-development academically and socially.
Mr. Copeland,
I want to congratulate you from one Sig to another on a very well written and reasoned opinion article. Unfortunately, Greek life has changed a lot in the past ten or so years. In some ways, Greek life is much stronger than it used to be and in other ways, it is much weaker. Under the watchful eye of the administration I believe that students are safer and that the program as a whole is more focused on campus programming and service. Greek life has also lost the self-accountability, freedom, and security that it had in the past (or so I hear).
When I was IFC president from 2010-2011 I was very much focused on making Greek life stronger under the eyes of the administration (just ask Stevie or Dom, “fun” was not a priority for me). I felt, however, that the weaknesses would improve as a result of my work. What I found was that no matter how much the Greeks ‘rose to the occasion’ when the administration asked, they were never rewarded with the self-accountability, freedom and security I had expected. I was constantly torn between two thoughts: “is the administration trying to kill Greek life in spite of what we do to impress them” and “they haven’t forgotten about that damn coyote in the dumpster.”
As much as I hate the decision that was made about Psi U (for I agree that the individual is much more responsible than the group), when I was at Union, Greeks were constantly taking one step forward and two steps back. While I think the good that Greeks produced far outweighed the bad, there are a host of students/professors/alumni that are salivating at the thought of any missteps made by Greeks (i.e. this newspaper). Greeks must grasp the reality that they live on a campus waiting for them to fail and until they ALL realize this, there will still be five idiots that brand themselves with the damn fraternity logo. Do I agree with Dean Leavitt’s decision, no, but in 2012 the Greeks at Union College have got to be more careful. We are not trusted and we need to stop giving Dean Leavitt reasons not to trust us. I’m sure his decision would be different had the remainder of Greek life conducted itself more responsibly (and I don’t think I’m asking for too much, I’m simply requesting individual Greeks to stop putting scalding pieces of metal on your skin, gathering roadkill, or giving 98 lb girls two bottles of Andre. Those acts of foolishness make it all too easy for the salivating coyotes in Reamer Campus Center).
BSL,
Patrick O’Hern
Sigma Phi
‘I’m simply requesting individual Greeks to stop ……..gathering roadkill, or giving 98 lb girls two bottles of Andre.’
They used to call this community service in my day, but I guess Union doesn’t care about that either anymore…
sick dude your the man
Well, its funny that you talk about responsibility, because I believe Sig Phi is now on probation for possession of kegs and bottles of alcohol…
I guess it’s ok to not practice what we preach.
Looks like someone cried themself to sleep on bid night!
Your parents obviously didn’t think it through when they named you. We should talk sometime.
you must be a geed.
And you must be an angry alum. Or so says your name
“The college still seems to be trying to come to terms with the disenfranchisement of nearly half of the alumni body. No matter how much money the school throws at the Minervas, they will never capture what has been vanquished.”
You seem to forget that the Minerva Program was a compromise by the Board of Trustees in order to prevent a full faculty vote removing ALL Greek Life from campus. Without the compromise, we’d see a very different (and probably worse off) campus.
I agree with a lot of what you wrote Mr. Copeland, but c’mon…remember the history accurately and don’t just bash another organization trying to defend your own.
You, Sir, seem to forget that the installation of Minervas was a spot decision by our dear former President, the power trippin’ Roger Hull. Hence the reason the Greek community mobilized to battle his Mayoral bid in Schenectady this past fall.
we get stuck with good ‘ol corrupt McCarthy! Yay!
That was like eight years ago, come on!
If you think the Minervas were the sole venture of President Hull, then you should check your facts. No system that large can just be passed by a single man. The whole school, student reps/faculty, voted on it. Hull is just used as a scapegoat by bitter Greeks.
The most important part of getting it right on Minervas, is that they are not failing and have not failed. The institution is young and will continue to grow as time passes. Greeks and Minervas are not mutually exclusive and Greek participation in the system is valued. So Mr. Alum, please don’t speak to campus culture when you know very little about the Union that exists today rather than in 1977.
I never said Sigma Phi didn’t have its fair share of idiots, I have a love/hate relationship with them. Ask Shawn Tangnavarad how pissed I used to get at some of these fools. Thank you for your comment though (see ‘salivating coyote’ reference above). I also appreciate the personal attack under my nickname (although a tad cowardly if you’re really calling out specific people or organizations on the internet, much like the awesome people that comment ‘go kill yourself’ anonymously under a video of a little girl petting a kitten).
“Fratrick Brohern” –> creation of which is both ironic and hilarious. I give complete credit to the aforementioned fools of Sigma Phi, and I love them for it.
“although a tad cowardly if you’re really calling out specific people or organizations on the internet”. I believe this is exactly what you are doing to Mr. Brohern, Mr. O’Hern. Thus, according to your own reasoning, you are also a coward. And a condescending one at that.
You misunderstand “huh?”, I was calling him cowardly because he did not attach a name to his comment. I feel that if you are going to say something nasty, at least give that other person or group the opportunity to give you the stink eye next time they see you (something I totally respect about the water bottle controversy two pages over)
For the record, I said nothing in my comments that I wouldn’t say face-to-face with the IFC, Dean Leavitt or Ajay Major/Aviva Rutkin (all of whom I vehemently respect), thus I tacked my actual name to this comment. Also, sorry if I’m coming across as condescending, I just finished reading Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” and as a result, my sarcasm has seriously peaked. I’m not being paid to plug this book, but seriously, go buy it “huh?”, you’ll totes enjoy it!
Patrick O’Hern
Your comment that
“While I think the good that Greeks produced far outweighed the bad, there are a host of students/professors/alumni that are salivating at the thought of any missteps made by Greeks (i.e. this newspaper).” is unfair.
The Concordy reports campus news regardless of whether that news puts Greeks in a positive or negative light. You cannot be angry at a newspaper for reporting facts and obviously by publishing Mr. Copeland’s article they aren’t out to get Greeks. They just want an accurate depiction of the situation from both sides.
Thank you Concordy for fearlessly defending the freedom and liberty that all of us as Union students and Americans hold dear to our hearts! Your bravery does not go unnoticed.
Yes the Concordiensis publishes as much as it can in one issue about what is going on about campus but it is how this is accomplished that is disconcerting. This newspaper purposefully splashes the letters of Greek organizations on the front page (which, on a different note is disrespectful to the organization), for the sole purpose of sensationalizing news that has no business being on the front page, when news about the strides Union students are making, whether Greek or non-Greek, in causes that deserve attention are given barely a quarter of a page tucked somewhere in the middle of the paper between 807 Union and the sports section. When Phi Delt had to move out of their house due to their chimney collapsing, the Concordiensis published it on the front page as so to say “Hey Union, here’s another way in which Greek life fails”, even though the chimney collapse was not their fault! Really, if we are supposed to consider the Concordiensis a legitimate source of news maybe the editors should do a better job of ensuring this newspaper stays true to it’s motto and accurately depicts the interests of the student body instead of using it to favor their personal views and spread word to the rest of the internet world that Union is a campus marred by the “atrocities” of Greek life when there are plenty of us here because of the academic integrity of this institution, which should be most important.
People love reading about juicy things. That’s why this post has 3,000 views in less than 24 hours. Why wouldn’t the Concordy take advantage of that? Juicy news is what people want to read!
Annyong
I think there is a slight difference between being “caught” with Kegs and bottles of alcohol, and the more specific “hazing” that the letter was addressing. Kegs and liquor are completely legal to have in the United States. Union basically banned them just to have more leverage over students. It was a “Hmmmm they aren’t breaking enough rules, we should make more rules” sort of decision by the administration. Because they hate fun apparently.
I thought the whole thing about going to college was to find yourself and grow. And guess what? People are going to be violently different. Some people are going to be teetotalers and be really into academics and that’s great. Some people are going to work there asses off and also be really into academics. Some people are going to care less about academics and more about the experience of college.That’s just what is going to happen. I admittedly should have worked a little harder and drank a LOT less. But because of all the dumb shit I did in college, not in the classroom, I’m a better person today because of it. I’m able to say that, because I was allowed to make those mistakes in the relatively safe environment of Union.
The best example is learning that fire is hot. Yeah I can be told that I shouldn’t touch fire because it will hurt me. Until I put my finger on the burner I’m not going to grasp that concept and BELIEVE it. Tautology doesn’t work on a person with a brain. Union should have no control over what students do with there own bodies. If these men got tattoos instead of Brands would this even be a big deal? Because there is a negative association with branding and Greek life, Union jumped on the chance to give the Greeks yet another smack, to show them whose boss.
Patrick is saying the only way to deal with the current administration is to give them nothing they could possibly spin into negative press about Greek life. Also the hack writing that is the Concordy loves to jump on the gossip train because apparently their editor in chief is Cecily von Ziegesar.
TL;DR Union llighten up, Greeks don’t brand yourselves.
http://www.concordy.com/article/opinions/february-23-2012/letter-to-the-trustees-psi-upsilon-asks-to-be-reinstated/3954/
I think this letter from the brothers makes it pretty clear that there is no base for kicking psi u off. If psi u can lose its housing because a couple idiots brand themselves after pledging, off campus, and with no conduct charges against the house – then it obviosly doesn’t take much to lose a house. I think the school’s sending a message rather than playing fair.
Aside from that, the letter is pretty good for a house full of idiots; if we assume that you give up your individuality when you join an organization as Dean Leavitt put it
You should remember the history that goes even further back than the instatement of the Minerva Program. In the early 1900′s, Union college did not have the means to house their students. They resorted to asking the fraternities to build structures that could house their members. To make this more appealing, they offered the fraternities 99 year leases on the college land. The number 99 was chosen because there were only 2 spaces to fill out on the legal documents, so they put 99 to symbolize forever. They signed the lease in good will that the college would not rob them after the 99 year term had expired. sure enough, Union college robbed fraternities of their mansions and placed them in the glorified jail cells we call “dorms”. Now union college has so much space that they are forced to occupy, seniors have to fill out applications in the HOPES that they can even be released. What other college do you know of that forcibly retains SENIORS?
I like how SigPhi conveniently ignores the fact that One Library Lane was taken from them not only because Union was trying to reform Greek life, but because the City of Schenectady told the College to restore the building or mark it as condemned and slate it for demolition. After 100 years of deferred maintenance, the wonderful building now rightfully known as Breazzano was unsafe for habitation and the righteous gentlemen of Sigma Phi had no money to restore it to safety.
Don’t bother trying to respond with anything saying this isn’t the case. Go to Schenectady City Hall and request the Code’s Enforcement records in relation to Union College. You could even go to the Library and request its records. It’s all public. SigPhi needs to stop blaming the College for the seizure of One Library Lane and admit that they also had some hand in their undoing. In fact, they should almost be grateful that Union restored the historic home rather than demolished it. After that investment on the College’s part, it would have been unreasonable to turn it back over to the fraternity for another 100 years of destruction.
…and where does the college’s money come from? Students and alumni.
Which are and were not necessarily ever part of SigPhi. Why would people who have no affiliation with the fraternity want their private donation used to restore a structure for the use of an exclusive group on campus? If they wanted to restore it, SigPhi’s alumni should have ponied up the cash, but they didn’t. So stop whining…
“No matter how much money the school throws at the Minervas, they will never capture what has been vanquished.”
Mr. Copeland, as you point out yourself, Greek life at Union is an institution that is hundreds of years old. It would seem to me that since the Minervas are less than a decade old it is a bit early to be passing judgement on their lasting contribution to the school. Of course Minervas do not have the legacy and history of the Greek system; they are in their infancy and have not yet had a chance to establish a tradition. Curiously, there still seems to be a culture of resentment towards the Minerva system, particularly amongst members of Greek life. Unfortunately it seems that many Greeks (though obviously no Fraternity as whole) have been passing down a tradition of Minerva-bashing. One is forced to wonder where this sense of wounded pride is coming from when the simple truth is that none of the current students have ever known a Union without Minervas. Mr. O’Hern stated “Greeks must grasp the reality that they live on a campus waiting for them to fail”. The obvious counter-point is that the Minerva system exists in an institution where a large portion of the alumni are hoping (and sometimes actively campaigning) for its failure.
“Fraternities are nothing more than the bonding of individuals.”
If this is true then I am forced to determine that the benefit of Greek life is marginal at best. In a school of a few thousand students there should be no inherent roadblock to bonding. By graduation a student is able to identify the majority of his class by name, and the entirety by face. It seems to me that Greek life actually establishes a divide amongst students; a large portion of Greeks seem to think they are superior to non-Greek students by virtue of their membership. This culture of arrogance establishes a social hierarchy that fosters resentment amongst all students, Greeks can be heard to voice their disdain over “God-Damned Independents” while non-Greeks either resent Greeks for this attitude or establish a superiority complex of their own, thinking themselves better for not being the stereotypical “fratboy”. The truth is that both sides are equally wrong: we are all Union students and no individual is better than any other because of their participation (or lack thereof) in Greek life. I find it laughable that people taut a system that so polarizes the campus as an incubator of student bonding when in reality it is the cause of so much unnecessary strife.
All of that being said, I agree wholeheartedly that the probation of Psi U as a whole for the actions of a few fools is absolutely ludicrous. The administration hurts both its relationship with the Greek Alums and its image as a responsible governing body when it uses such drastic measures to address a relatively small problem.
Union College hates fun #splash
It is unfortunate that Union has become a place where people are more concerned with bad mouthing each other than building up the community. This letter should give insight into the overwhelming animosity that the administration has towards the greek system. This is an issue beyond Psi U, Sig Phi or any of the individual fraternities. Based upon recent actions on campus as well as mandates imposed by the administration, the Greek system is allowing it self to become divided. 2012, like 2004, is beginning to present itself as a turning point. The administration holds no respect for the sanctity of fraternal brotherhood, and the fraternities need to begin to come together so they become stronger and can fight back. Currently 5 out of the 9 major fraternities are on probation and the administration is doing every thing they can to catch every single misstep a fraternity makes. What every happened to the fact that we are just college students? What happened to college being the place where you come to make mistakes so that you can learn from them in the future? We are all fiscally challenged young adults who drink on the weekends. Of corse there is going to be an attempt to save money and cans by purchasing a keg or two.
The drinking problem on campus is not centered at fraternity houses. The problem is that the campus body knows that there will not be enough alcohol at a fraternity party, so they pre-game. For anyone who doesn’t know, pre-gaming is when you drink before you go out, often reaching your capacity to take in any more alcohol before you make it to a fraternity house. If kegs were allowed, there would be less pre-gaming and the campus would be a safer drinking environment.
On a different note, as a current student that lives in a minerva, the program is not working. Beyond the minerva houses that are located in North and South College (Messa, Wold, Sorum & Green), the houses aren’t used by the student body. The minerva program in theory is a good idea. It provides an alternative to greek life. However, this resource is not utilized by the student body. There is no sense of community in minervas and people treat them as such. If you were to ask the student body if the minerva program works, an overwhelming amount would be quick to point out its faults and give insight into how the program has no place on campus. The minerva program wastes over $150,000 in tuition each year on funding activities that are poorly attended by the student body. Minerva events can not replace greek events. It has been attempted and students don’t attend the events unless they are forced to. The administration has an incredibly distorted view of life on campus which is clear to see based upon the way the administration advertises minervas as an integral part of campus. The program has been in effect for the past 7 years and it has failed. It was a costly experiment that was implemented with the best of intentions but it failed. In the words of the illustrious alumnus Elihu Root, “No human institution lives long unless it meets a human need.” The minerva program doesn’t fill a need on campus and it is time for it to accept its place in the history books. The time has come for the administration to accept the resilience of the greek system and give the houses back while embracing the role fraternities play on campus.
-Student of the 21st Century-
During my time at Union, Dean Leavitt voiced his displeasure with the behavior of Union students in the Concordy on several occasions. At one point he went as far as predicting that a student was going to die due to alcohol abuse. Apparently, he also takes issue with the choice made by a few brothers of Psi U to brand themselves. What I think is the issue here is Dean Leavitt is in the wrong line of work. I would like to officially announce the creation of the Alumni and Students for Steve Leavitt Education Advisory Foundation or ASSLEAF. Your donation to the foundation will help send Mr. Leavitt back to school to earn his medical degree so that he can help students make better decisions regarding healthy lifestyle choices. Please send your donations to the Alumni office and make the checks out to ASSLEAF.
PSI U is a three thousand dollar fraternity. COME ON.
Hey Brother
Really, you’re gonna criticize the $4,000 fraternity? COME ON
This is obvious case of defamation. I will see you in court.
Oh baby, I’ll see you in court. There’s no way he can take that the wrong way.
Why should your fraternity be suspended for a branding that somebody else.. noticed.
You can brand me any time
Oh William Copeland, you blowhard!
…And that’s why you always leave a note
Where was the due process for psi u? There were never formal charges, never a formal hearing in front of the ifc, just a series of interviews with members conducted by the deans and a decision rendered by Dean Leavitt (who wasn’t even part of the interview process). On top of that, he explicitly over-ruled his own staff, Tim, who recomended that there be nothing more than individual sanctions.
On top of that, the campus didn’t even learn about this until the brothers took their case to the Concordy; which in my opinion distorted the story at the expense of students being open and candid, just to make for a good read. Congrats Concordy staff, you never cease to amaze me with your lack of journalistic professionalism.
I think Dean Leavitt needs to offer an explanation to the campus for his rational behind suspending the chapter. And I hope psi u appeals and that it’s succesful. Given the chance, they can have a positive, lasting impact on the campus community. Dean Leavitt, its time for you to be as open as they have, and let the campus know what exactly required such drastic measures.
I graduated not that long ago from Union and am still active in my Fraternity both at Union and Nationally. The article and responses both bother me and makes me happy that I am done with Union as a student. I feel that the school’s actions are both over stepping and show a lack of respect to Psi Upsilon, Fraternities and the student body as a whole. I don’t know all the details and can only comment to what I know.
First the school needs to punish who is at fault. If this was not part of any form or hazing or initiation (as stated in the letter from a father of a member) and clearly not a Fraternity tradition, only 5 of 23 brothers were branded, then how can the Fraternity be held responsible. If alcohol was part of this action and the 5 brothers that were branded were underage than you have an argument to punishing the person that purchased the alcohol or the Fraternity for supplying alcohol to a minor. But I believe that would mean that the Fraternity is placed on probation.
Next if this is a public safety concern and happened off campus at 64 Union Avenue (per the Concordy article from Feb. 23) then the school needs to contact the proper Schenectady authority. If the school is punishing students for actions off campus and not truly a part of any school organization I would recommend the entire student body to transfer. If the school does not support your political view and you protest off campus they could expel you, per the actions done to Psi Upsilon (yes, this is the slippery slope analogy).
A little advice to the student body (you can blow me off or take this to heart). When a student segregate them self from the whole student body, aka join a Fraternity/Sorority, Sports Team or Club, they take on the positives and negatives of the group. As a member your actions don’t just affect you but your fellow members. When I was at Union the “Dirty Jock” incident happened, http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/05/19/hazing . This sent a shockwave though the athletic department, not just the girl’s soccer team. But there is also a lesson to take from this. Is there still a girl’s soccer team? Yes. The incident a Psi Upsilon is just another negative incident that goes into the Fraternity column and the Greek System will not die. It will take a lot off hard work by both the Brothers of Psi Upsilon and the other Greek originations to recover from but by this time next year (excluding any other major incident) the Greek System as a whole will be fine.
Let me get this straight.
Your name is “Suzy” and you are in a fraternity?
Union really is in trouble…
As a student currently involved in my Minerva House, I am extremely insulted by your comments Mr. Copeland. We work our butts off putting our funding to good use and trying to make the campus happy. You obviously wouldn’t understand that because you haven’t been a student here for more than 30 years. While your son may choose to not take part in the Minervas, think about all the other students that love it, including those in greek life as well, and how rude you are being by putting down an organization that so many people love. I’ve been involved in my Minerva for the last 4 years at Union, and it has made such a positive impact on my life. Say what you want about what Dean Leavitt should do, but don’t bring the Minervas into it because you’re pissed about another issue. Our events are educational, fun, and a great outlet for students throughout the WHOLE campus, so don’t say it’s a fail when it is loved by so many. Just because you and your son are angry doesn’t mean you should anger people who aren’t involved.
Listen here nerd, just cause your mother didn’t let you join a fraternity because she was afraid your asthma would act up doesn’t mean you need to come on this comment board and stain my eyes with your insipid whining. Go back to playing World of Warcraft and eating gluten free chips. You people make me sick.
I’m sure plenty of greek members are gluten free…but i’ve never seen gluten free chips at frat parties or minerva events…
There should be no stigmas associated with those who join Greek life or Minerva life. As a proud Greek, I have served on my Minerva council and am a strong supporter of Minervas. There may have to be overarching changes to some of the programs at Union, but there should be no reason to speak so harshly about a Union student. Please do not attack other students personally and attach stereotypes when students comment on these posts. Any maybe I am a nerd? Let’s hope I make a lot of money.
For those of you who read my comment above, this EXACTLY what I was talking about.
You are what is wrong with Greek life and your hostile, childish attitude is what gives all Greeks a bad name.
And if the school suddenly repurposed the minerva system back to greek life – would you hold the same beliefs and foster a sense of acceptance – I think not. Part of fraterntiy tratitions surround the house, and the taking of houses detracts from the whole of greek life and the idividual organization.
The fact is, Mivera programs can be, and are sometimes succesful. But in the grand scheme of things, speding 150,000 a year to host pizza parties and such is hardly rational when a fraction of the student body participates. I am not advocating that Union gives greek life funding, unless it is used to further a cause for the betterment of the school community, or local community.
But the minerva venture takes resources whose use could be put to far better use. If you want to operate on a truly equal field, then minerva members choosing to participate should pay dues just as greek organizations do – and should use that funding for programs of your own choosing. The act of Union throwing so much money towards a program which is trully under-utilized by the campus as a whole proves that the veture need reforms
No Minervas=No Minerva Fellowship
…So…Sorry to the men and women who were part of greek life and minervas who will not be able to take part in the fellowship.
Maybe they could put all the wasted money on “pizza party night” or the “Harry Potter Marathon night” into the fellowship and provide more students with the opportunity to participate in them.
Or maybe they could put all the wasted money on “pizza party night” or the “Harry Potter Marathon night” on kegs, out of respect.
I’m oh so glad that you are a fan of the minervas and their events, but its a waste. Its basically a bunch of fat girls who live in minervas because they know pizza parties and other food-related parties with three kids attending will be downstairs.
Seriously? Stop. Don’t be a jerk. Respect your fellow classmates…why is that so hard? Seriously.
It’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
http://www.concordy.com/article/news/march-1-2012/national-eating-disorder-awareness-week-begins/4034/
Stop.
We all are members of the Union Community. We should respect each other and our activities. This is a disgrace to what it means to be a Union student. You should be ashamed.
I’m embarrassed for you. Make your degree worth something more.
Wait. Fat girl’s dont have eating disorders… they’re fat!
MINERVAS DON’T ORGANIZE EVENTS, THEY JUST FUND THEM! I hate Minerva dweebs who say “we put on __ events!” and never show up to them, etc. You let real organizations like Clubs or Theme Houses run your events, you give them cash, and then do NOTHING. No one of your members even bothers showing up. Minervas are cash-dispensers you live in.
Let’s hash out this re-purposing of Minerva funds to the Greek community. An obvious Con would be that school sponsored Dane Cook appearances would plummet, but on the Pro side the school would suddenly start to have a pulse again on a Friday night.
And we’re not talking a few socials in the common room with that girl from your freshman precept. We’re talking After Sex parties for the ENTIRE college community. EVERYONE gets a chance to get weird, and not just the select upstanding students that pay handsomely to have 70 tri-delt pledges show up promptly at nine in oxfords.
Through the reflexive property this undoubtedly proves to be a solution for all. Or a Ponzi Scheme. But time will sort that out.
Thanks Mr. Copeland. I had just read the article in the Alumni magazine about how the Greek and Minvera systems are complimentary and that both systems are thriving. I am disappointed the school tried to spin it in the other direction. Thanks for your informative letter about the current state of the admin vs the greeks. Looks like my annual gift will remain flat with no increase in sight.
I need to be honest, when I first read this I thought the term “brand” was some kind of strange sexual experience involving Russell Brand, a hypodermic needle and a burning sensation, not unlike the one you feel after having a go with the fit bird from Sociology that won’t stop making those “oh johnny, please take me to upper class dining after” eyes at you in the computer lab. But seriously, this place is a dump, if you are a current student, transfer to Wesleyan. That is what Union wants to be after all. That way you can spend just as much money, you won’t have administrators lying to you and you’ll have just as many, if not more hairy broads walking around.
I read the article in the Union College Alumni Magazine as well. The school makes the Minerva program seem like it’s thriving. My daughter was drawn most to Union because 1. It was the founder of Greek life, something she dearly wanted to be a part of, and 2. The uniqueness of the minerva program.
After my daughter’s first term this past fall, she came home for thanksgiving and had nothing but bad news to say about the Minerva program. She mentioned that sure, they have kitchens for students to utilize; however, they are too dirty to work in. Additionally, you would think that because the school spends all this money on their Minerva program that these kitchens would supply utensils for students to utilize the space – wrong again. She had to ask the house manager if she could borrow a spatula, and he denied her, saying that because she didn’t live in the house – even though she is technically a part of the house – she wasn’t allowed to use the house’s equipment. Where is the spirit of “community” in that? Additionally, the so called “educational events” that these Minervas spend thousands of dollars on are things such as, “Harry Potter movie marathons” and “Bouncy House and Pumpkin Painting Party.” I’m sorry, but college is a time to let young adults make mistakes, mature, and grow. I can’t imagine that the Minerva Program has helped any of those things happen for students through “educational events” such as “come jump in a Bouncy House on a Saturday evening.”
And finally, if the school is so worried about public safety, then why aren’t their campus security officers in every dorm after 8PM to make sure Schenectady locals aren’t breaking in to the dorms, like almost every other college? Many of Dean Leavitt’s remarks, quite frankly, put me over the edge. I think what he did to this fraternity was unjust, and as a result, I too will not be donating any gifts in the future.
You are one misinformed parent. I agree bouncy bounces are not what Minervas should be about. And they are not. Do yourself a favor and ask your son or daughter to email you the list of events on campus that comes out of the Minerva Office every Friday. I think today one of the houses had a luncheon with a man from Malawi who was working for Partners in HEalth, one of the best NGOs in the world. He was talking about having AIDs himself and now healthy by taking anti retroviral drugs. Please don’t mis represent the Minervas. You don’t go to school here do you?
No – he is a parent who pays the school’s bills, you little twit.
I call for a petition for Leavitt’s resignation.
O’Doyle Rules!
This is actually a legitimately good idea. Trolling aside.
Second.
The Concordy does not write prominent articles about the positive aspects of Greek life. Individuals in the Greek organizations at Union are highly community-service oriented, and these events and initiatives are not recognized- at least not to the extent that our “mistakes” are sensationalized. As a member of a Greek organization, every week when I see the covers of the newspaper splashed with giant Greek letters and a usually misinformed article, I feel like I’m looking at a tabloid about Oprah’s alien baby. Trying to get people to read the newspaper by throwing Greeks under the bus week after week is not cool. This is not to say I disapprove of the newspaper or believe that news should not be published; I respect the majority of the Concordy’s contributors, and count some of them as my good friends. And many of them are GREEK. Greeks are the most involved people on campus. Any club or community service organization you join, I guarantee there will be a Greek student involved. Maybe we make some mistakes (who doesn’t? we’re in college!), but at least we also get involved on Union’s campus in countless positive ways.
Union College taking the fraternity houses and turning them into minervas is literally communism. Think about it.
As a proud member of the greek system I think Psi U’s loss of housing is unjust and unfair. As was previously stated by Concerned Geeks there was no do process for Psi U. This was a decision that was made to keep a fraternity off campus and by result cut down on parties for another year. In Dean Levitt’s eyes fraternities=parties/alcohol, and any reason to suspend a fraternity achieves the schools ultimate goal of reducing the schools parties. He doesn’t understand that there is more too them than just drinking. The bonding that occurs between members of a pledge class is rivaled by few other experiences that a 19-year-old kid can have in his/her short life. As a current sophomore at Union who went through pledging last fall, I can honestly say that the process brought me closer to a group of kids than I have ever experienced previously in my life. I can understand how some may think that this is shallow minded and that I am just saying this too support the greek system. I fully understand that greek life is not for everyone. But the fact of the matter is Union College FOUNDED FRATERNITIES IN AMERICA. That is a fact that cannot be denied by anyone regardless of their greek affiliation. If you don’t like fraternities, the idea of pledging, and (I’ll be honest on this one) the drunken buffoonery that often accompanies them, then why did you come to Union in the first place? Certainly you saw in your college search that nearly half of Union students are active greek life members? I am not saying that every Dutchmen should be involved in Greek, but don’t try and put down the greek system because you don’t like what it represents. This brings on the fact of minervas as a whole. While I think they are a good idea and represent a positive place to conduct non-alcoholic activities, I think they are poorly run and have little idea of what activities the typical college student enjoys. Waffle tuesdays and Harry Potter movie-thons are not what the typical college student would call fun activities. Minerva’s are given a massive budget every year, with which they buy pizza and soda for random spiratic events that are often poorly attended. This being said I have also been to minerva events that were well done and quite fun, a prime example of this was the Chris Webby concert last year. I think that with the more than adequate funding provided by the school that minerva’s should be much more popular than they currently are. The fact of the matter is as of now minerva’s have failed in what they were invented to achieve. While I will admit that more time could be needed for them to settle in and too start making an impact on campus, as of now and with the funds provided they are nothing more than a giant money pit, where students can get free coffee, cook pasta, and offer WOW fans a place too live. The fact that Union turned the campuses frat houses, which all had extensive history at Union into minerva’s is in my eyes despicable. The most unfortunate part about the founding of minerva’s as well as the probation of Psi U’s housing is that both decision’s were made too better Union as a whole (in the eyes of the administration), both of which have failed too do so. The administration of Union knew that they needed to do something when Union was listed as one of the nation’s top party schools. No Dean of any school wants their institution’s reputation to be a bunch of rich, fraty, jews partying the night away. In my eyes, with the research I have done, the reaction to the achievement of making the party list was the formation of the minerva system and the loss of various houses that were previously occupied by fraternities. It is a real shame that the administration and board of trustee’s of Union think that the demotion of frat houses and nice buildings with free coffee better Union as a whole. If we want to reduce the party scene at Union, stop letting in rich kids that have been kicked out of their private high schools and meatheads. Why do you think high school screwups and being good at football allows you to study at Union when you have the intellegence of a labrador retriever. It shouldn’t come as a shock that those students are going to have more fun than they do school work. Union seems to miss these facts and looks at nothing more than what they can gain from letting these students into Union. Are potential donations and a good D3 Liberty League football season really that important? I have news for you football players, games are attended by your parents, old bored alumni, and the girl your banging, nothing more. Does this mean we should lower the standards of acceptance for these kids so Frank Messa has something to do on Saturdays in the fall? What all these problems boil down too is that Union is trying to become an elite liberal arts college, which it is currently not. In the administrations eyes the way too achieve this is to make reduce alcohol consumption and increase punishments of its own students. I have news for you Union if you want to be a better school try not serving your students prison food and make Fox and Davidson a nice place too live and I believe our rankings will increase tenfold.
It is fascinating to me that the vast majority of responses to this article are from individuals who seem too afraid to even post their own true names along with their comments. Kudos to you Mr. O’hern, and to the handful of others who chose to do so as well!
Had the current membership of Psi U decided to brand a dog or cat rather than each other, would we really be having this conversation? The case would be closed, without comment, and the ASPCA would be bringing charges of animal cruelty against the members involved, and the fraternity as a whole, for standing by and allowing it. The charges would stick too.
The entire argument put forth from the current membership of Psi U reminds me of this youtube clip from Animal House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROxvT8KKdFw&feature=relmfu
Psi Upsilon Fraternity, as a member of the second Union Triad of fraternities, clearly deserves a place at Union College, the “Mother of Fraternities.” The current membership of Psi U clearly does not.
Joe,
Your comparison of the Psi U brandings to that of a dog or cat is entirely off base. The Young men who decided to brand themselves made a conscious decision to do so. Nobody held them down and scalded them against their will. An animal obviously does not have the capacity to make that decision, and thus branding them would be cruel. What anyone decides to do with their own body is their business, and certainly not yours nor Dean Leavitt’s. You were clearly not fully informed of the situation before, but now you are. You’re welcome.
Sincerely,
Doe Jamore
Doe,
I applaud you on your name.
ANIMAL DRU…
IN CONTROL…IN CONTROL
I think Psi U should be given the fair trial or process they deserve in the matter of the loss of their housing. As for minerva’s I think they funding should be decreased so we don’t have to pay the price of a brand new mercedes every year in order to get an education. They should also be given a time period to become successful, which if they fail too meet, the minerva system should be either terminated or seriously reevaluated. We have a lot of problems at Union but the base of them is not drinking Dean Levitt, it’s you. You clearly have a skewed perception of the brain development of college students. I really don’t see how a couple drunk kids branding themselves is any different than if they got Psi U tattoos. While I am all for the betterment of Union College they way too achieve this is not through throwing your students under the bus and denying your history. It was said in Mr. Copeland’s letter that the schools relationship with fraternities has already cost Union a small fortune. Shouldn’t Union be working with fraternities and students to better our school? It truly is a shame of what Union is turning into. If the direction in which Union is heading continues I can honestly say I wouldn’t allow my kids to attend school here in the future. Drinking and getting into trouble help us to grow as adults and better prepare for the future. As does living in your own house, on/off campus. There are no RA’s in the real world. Union needs to realize that drinking is a part of college that will never change. It is a part of life, and it is not the reason we are ranked the 40th best liberal arts college. We have a lot of problems to fix at Union, and they need to be addressed immediately.
A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism.
- Tupac Shakur
I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students.
- Biggie Smalls
I used to bullseye womp rats on my t-16 back home. They’re not much bigger than two meters.
This isn’t the real Mike Corti! Imposter! What I would have said is:
“Dumps like a truck truck truck”
–Carl Sagan
Bees?!
In response to Doe Jamore, is that your real name? If so, nice to meet you, Doe? I have never met anyone with that name before.
It is my understanding that alcohol was involved, thus leading to diminished capacity for those participating. I stand by my comparision.
I doubt any of us will ever be fully informed of the situation. I doubt you are either.
Peace, Doe…if that is truly your real name!
I wish my parents hadn’t named me after a fruit spread
Joe,
I am currently an active student at the school, and close with many of the brothers, so yes, I am fully informed on the situation.
Alcohol or not, cruelty was never an issue, so I say again, your comparison is entirely off base.
And since were on the topic, what is so terrible about a brand anyway? The great President George W. Bush sports a lovely “delta” on his butt from his time in DKE at yale. Reverend Jesse Jackson has an “omega”, as do many profession football players. If a branded person can reach these ranks, I believe there is hope for these young Psi U lads yet!
-Doe
Or if you have an ice cream cone tattooed on your face. That’s what the girls go for, I hear.
Especially the fat ones.
your all must be me!!!!
I’m not close with any of the brothers of Psi-U, but I have had most of them in my classes and seen them around campus. They are all extremely well liked by most of the sophomore and freshman class and the situation at hand is extremely unfortunate and unfair.
On the topic of “poor decision making” induced by alcohol, has anyone thought that perhaps these guys actually wanted the brandings prior to drinking? And that drinking before getting the brands may have been just a way to numb the pain – like icing your ear before getting it pierced. I have no idea if this was the case at all, but I do know that when I myself got a piercing I went out with my friends before hand and had a couple of drinks so that I could calm my nerves and ease the pain. The point of my story is to express that I DID want my piercing when I was completely sober and still love it to this day – I just didn’t want it to hurt as much when I got it. Is that considered poor decision making? And if that had been the case of the brothers, would we still be having this argument?
The brandings, in my eyes, are more than a “marking” on the body: they’re a symbol of true friendship and brotherhood – which, clearly these guys have (you rarely see them walking around without each other on campus). They’re not even illegal nor are they anything different than a piercing or tattoo. It’s unfair that their freedom of self-expression has been unjustly penalized when there are some REAL legal problems with the other fraternities on this campus.
First off, that coyote was on a ledge not in a dumpster. Second, I didn’t take it because I was required to as a pledge I picked it up because I thought it was hilarious and I called a cop beforehand to make sure I wouldn’t get in legal trouble for it.
Funny you mention Bush…maybe the former president will too, one day lead a nation. Maybe then he’ll grace his other cheek with a U.S.A brand
I am a current sophomore at Union. I am a proud member of the greek community (Sigma Phi) and truly believe the Union greek system adds much more to the school than given credit. I have been to other colleges where “greek parties” are exclusive, and not available to a majority of the school’s community. Most school’s greek houses even charge $5-$10 for entry! Our greek system invites the whole community, provides a safe environment for drinking, and generally has successful social functions. Every independent (GDI) student I know still considers greek parties their social center for weekends. This shows that the greek system here goes against the biggest greek stigma which is its exclusivity. If this Greek witch-hunt continues (and by witch hunt i mean the focus on any and all greek missteps), the greek community may be forced to make their functions greek-only in order protect themselves. This will ultimately anger the rest of the community! does the administration want that? (remember the “invite only” parties after the unfortunate Delta incident? no one wants that).
Now, about the minervas.
I for one, was impressed by the way minervas were presented to me as a prospective student. I felt I would not be comfortable in greek life, and that the minervas would be where I end up. However, the exact opposite happened. I felt more welcomed, and more genuinely included into Sigma Phi than I was my own minerva house, Messa. I tried to get into the alternative events offered at the minervas, however they are generally more exclusive than any frat party I have seen at union. If you are not part of the minerva-group that normally attends particular minerva events, you are excluded almost! given the stink eye when you come, etc…Its like they want their pizza only eaten by those they choose. Secondly, whenever I use a minerva to watch a movie or use the kitchen, I am told certain tools are “house members only”. This is ridiculous for a “community based” system. I was once even told to leave MY OWN minerva so an event could be held for the people living there. This all led me to feel that Greek Life here at Union is MORE community based than the minerva system. The minervas feel more “cliquey” than any fraternity I have spent time in.
Lastly, The administration has asked the fraternities to begin hosting alternative events with school funding, which we did successfully. For example, at sigma phi we just had a trivia night. We had a strong showing of both independent and greek students. It was a casual and fun event, and everyone seemed to have a good time. This just goes to show that, despite what it claims, the administration knows the minerva events are failing, and that the Greeks can even host alternative events far superior to those hosted by minervas.
Union is the mother of modern fraternities, there is history and tradition here that is unlike any other school. This weekend marks the 185th anniversary of sigma phi. For 185 years straight there has been a Sigma Phi brother at union college. No other Greek system in the world can make the same claim, meaning we, the greeks of union, have the oldest continuously running greek system as well. Lets be proud of that.
As Elihu Root (Nobel Peace Prize winner, secretary of war under Roosevelt, and Sigma Phi Brother) once wrote in a letter read exactly 77 years ago on the 4th of march, 1935, here at Union College: “No human institution lives long unless it meets a human need”. Well, greek life here at Union indeed meets a human need. It is a human need to be part of a family, and as a young man away from home for the first time, Sigma Phi has become my family. And I am sure any greek here feels the same way about their fraternity or sorority. I will fight for my family. I hope you will too.
Sounds like to me, and to my surprise, a man of this age is acting extremely childish and feeling sorry for his sons obviously bad decision to join a frat that was on prohibition in the first place for alost KILLING a member of the fraternity. Yes actions are individual and its not illegal to brand your body but when 5 students do it together thats not an individual act, and claim no direct correlation with the fraternity but you people weren’t born yesterday. The school controls who’s in and who’s out and if your cry baby little son and their brother cant take a punishment that they stupidly brought upon them selves (while knowing they were on thin ice already) then there is no sympathy for them. Its funny that a sorority has more cahunas and admit when they do wrongly, and fix the problem. There is nothing fraternity like or respectable about what this fraternity is doing and obviously they should have no inclusion in the affairs of other fraternities and sororities that have upstanding members and traditions that dont involve idiotically marking your body. Also you claim the school that FOUNDED fraternities knows nothing about them, and then go on to state how individuality is the first tradition of Fraternities. Im not sure what Sigma Phi taught you but last i checked fraternities focused on brotherhood not individuality. Im embarrassed to have shameful fraternities like psi u and their members make a mockery of the sanctitude of fraternities. And the fact that you support your sons obviously idiotic mistake to join such a irresponsible fraternity is admirable but idiotic and your feeling sorry for him and your embarrassing words to your school are just shameful. I will sleep better every night Psi U is off campus.
On the last comment, perhaps you should watch calling this gentleman childish because at least he used grammar when making a statement. Perhaps the issue here is Union has not properly taught the student body how to write correctly. I will sleep better when I know this campus is producing intelligent writers.
To the above complaint theres a service for your hard time reading “poor” grammar below:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O0EBF2MHPwg/TKnheY_NcfI/AAAAAAAAAEY/b-LV_XaOfSU/s1600/wahmbulance.jpg
To the above response, wambulance jokes aren’t funny anymore. go away.
The correct terminology is probation, prohibition happened in early 1900′s. Additionally the event that transpired fall of 2009 has nothing to do with hazing or the fraternity almost “killing” a member of the fraternity. Honestly unless it turned out that the people involved with the branding were forced to get brand and they came forth, this shouldn’t be such a big deal. People might think getting a brand is dumb or immature but that’s not relevant. What is relevant is that this occurrence is just a small fraction of what is wrong with the school. The school should be encouraging people to venture off campus and interact with the surrounding community, not trying to keep them on the campus for the school’s own financial gain. There’s always going to be some faculty member who needs to make tough decisions for what is perceived as for the betterment of the school but Dean Leavitt is just horrendously bad for the school. It’s interesting that Dean Leavitt with a background as an anthropologist, having spent substantial time in locations such a Papua New Guinea would view a brand so negatively instead of as a form of body artwork and or expression. I think that Dean Leavitt should take his anthropology degree and perhaps try and better understand the college community as he was expected to do with such a background. On the other hand, I think he has given it the “old college try,” and has not performed above the code of conduct that I hold a person in his position to.
When I first stepped foot on this campus as a freshmen my OA explained Minervas to me as “they are like fraternities and sororities!…except theres no pledging or anything! You are automatically in!” That explains it all…and why a historically Greek campus such as Union will never except the Minerva system. Minervas are clubs. That is all they are.
No other clubs on this campus get tossed the hysterical amounts of money like the Minervas do. The reason? Minervas get tossed a ton of money from the school in an attempt to seduce new students away from Greek life, money that comes from my tuition as much as it does from yours. When the Minervas host all those worthless attempts to be social that no one comes to, who pays for the yummy pizza and soda pop? The school, which mean a chuck of our tuition. On a Friday and Saturday night at Union College you wont find people getting dressed up to go to “Disney Film Night” at Sorum or whatever, they get ready to go to frat parties or off campus. Who pays for the beer at the heavily populated frat parties? Us, out of our pockets. I don’t care if the Minervas want to exist and have their little “guitar hero” tournaments, just pay for it yourself. Part of my tuition shouldnt go to support things on this campus that I am not taking part of. Period.
where do you suggest we go? Hamilton Hill?
the comment above was in response to GLINK
I’m gay and jewish. Please do away with Sig Phag and my own filth, Sig Cry.
@Mike Eisenman
…….grow up
This is one of the silliest, most un-American unequal enforcement/unequal treatment stories I have ever read.
I can only assume the school will do the only honorable thing, and deny any students with tatoos and piercings – and their 20 closest friends – their living arrangements for next year.
Who could respect an institution that does something like this?
What kind of sick malicious mind does this?
I’m not a Union guy – I’m from out of state. And this is how I will remember Union Administration; sick, power crazed wackos, who I’m sure spout all kinds of PC garbage about “diversity” – while they turn every screw possible against my demographic. Who would think leadership like that could provide a reasonable, valuable education?
Leavitt – untwist your panties and grow up.