To the Editor:
I am one of many members of a fraternity here at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who feel that recent changes made in the rules of intramural soccer are unfair. I was first annoyed by some of the rules that the Intramural Office was instituting in the past year. Most notably, the “no slide” rule. As someone who has played soccer for most of my life, and also has experience in refereeing and coaching, I know how soccer should be played at different levels to keep people safe and the games competitive. Penalizing field players for sliding is acceptable, as many intramurals don’t have the skill to be able to slide tackle without hurting the other players. Not allowing goalies to slide is the most foolish and irresponsible rule intended for soccer that I have heard of. The only safe way for a goalie to stop an oncoming attacker is to slide at their legs and secure the ball. Evidently, those in charge of intramural soccer decided it would be safer for goalies to dive head first into opposing player’s legs, or, better yet, just render the goalie position useless by not allowing them to stop a ball.
I was annoyed by this rule, but it is not until recently that I have become outraged at the rules instituted by the Intramural Office. Beginning this year, no soccer player can play on both an intramural team and an Inter-Fraternity Council team. These are two completely separate leagues, which in my opinion should be run by separate parties. For me and many others, this forces me to abandon my friends. If a fraternity wants any realistic chance at placing in the Barker cup, it can’t afford for any of its brothers to choose their intramural team over the fraternity team. This means that I can’t participate in one of the few activities during which I can see my friends not connected to me fraternally. I have to abandon my friends with whom my main connection for the past two years has been playing soccer.
Now, why is the Intramural Office instituting this rule? Evidently, some non-greek individuals complained that it is unfair that greeks get to participate in both intramural and IFC soccer when they can’t participate in IFC sports. So the Intramural Office decided to kick out every player on rosters of both intramural and IFC teams and force them to choose a team. Again, greeks really don’t have a choice if they expect their fraternity to do well in sports, so essentially we have been booted from intramural soccer.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Intramural Office for deciding to separate greeks and independents further than they are; this will probably increase the general xenophobia that exists between the two groups and put a wedge in the middle of our RPI community. Secondly, this rule sets a new precedent: if a greek can participate in a sport, an independent must have equal opportunity for playing time in the sport, but separately from the greeks of course. Shouldn’t the Intramural Office be setting up a football league right now? Of course, it should also work both ways, shouldn’t it? So there need to be greeks-only hockey and volleyball leagues, don’t there? I shudder to even begin on the possible number of leagues that need to be set up in the spring because of this new rule.
The bottom line is, this rule serves to separate greeks from independents, and forces people to choose one or the other. It discourages participation in athletics activities, which many RPI students need as a social outlet. It complicates the decision to go greek or not more than the tough decision it already is. It breaks a bond between my friends and I, and I am sure many others.
Fraternity Brother and Friend, although apparently not at the same time,
A.J. Geary
MECH ’10
