The persistent rumor on campus for at least the last 10 years is that the RPI administration has it in for fraternities, especially some of the smaller, more eclectic ones. This rumor has stuck around even though the school has been through three different administrations, or at least presidents—and, for that matter, four assistant deans for greek affairs. Many people whose opinions I respect have held this opinion, so I believed it, but I was never a fraternity member, so I never had direct evidence to support the contention ... until now.

In Saturday’s Times Union, I read about a policy proposed by the administration severely curtailing the use of alcohol in fraternity houses and requiring every fraternity to house and salary an independent house monitor. The Institute has over 30 greek organizations on campus, many of them fairly small and without a whole lot of money. The requirement to pay a non-member’s salary will effectively kill those groups. Even the larger houses will see a substantial hit in dues and rent for members who live in-house.

Normally I would agree with the aphorism: “Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance.” But in this case, none of the key players are stupid. Travis Apgar (former assistant dean for Greek Affairs), Mark Smith (dean of Students), Eddie Knowles (Vice President for Student Life), and Shirley Ann Jackson (president) are all very sharp people. I don’t know Jessica Wickiewicz, the current greek dean, but I suspect she’s not dumb either. There’s no way the ramifications of this proposal haven’t been thought out.

The question, then, is why? The most charitable explanation is that it’s a bargaining tool, intended to get the IFC and Panhel to agree to a somewhat less draconian proposal as a “compromise.” A more ominous thought is that, along with recent revisions to the Grounds for Disciplinary Action, it’s part of a concerted effort to extend the reach of the school’s authority into the off-campus lives of its students. Plus, there’s been no reason given as to what was wrong with the previous system. Violations by one organization were handled by disciplining that organization. Now, it seems the ’tute wants to punish the whole system.

The student body needs to rally itself to oppose these changes—not just the greeks, but independents too. A new Student Senate has just been installed; they need to lead the way, getting the word out and drumming up support. The administration is unfairly and unilaterally trying to stamp out organizations that are not only generally harmless, but actively beneficial to campus as a whole. If you don’t speak up for the fraternities and sororities, even if you are not a member, who will speak up for your organization when its turn is next?

Dan DiTursi