Opinion

Bull won’t stop fraternity foibles

Tim Williams
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by Tim Williams
Thursday, May 8, 2008 00:00

Revelation can take many forms, whether it’s in translucent rocks that help decipher scripture or the sudden shame that comes in the fourth or fifth hour of watching the NBC miniseries “Revelations.” You might think getting feces dumped on your head by your friends would be one of these.

But while I’d bet for several seconds Friday night three members of Sigma Phi Epsilon thought better of paying several hundred dollars to be publically humiliated, it’s human nature to usually toss yesterday’s deep-felt conviction out like so much refuse. It’s just that usually no one — and least of all, those involved — notices the hypocrisy of disposal in action.

Such is the unenviable predicament members of Sigma Phi Epsilon have put themselves in, needing to square a tradition that reportedly involves pledges put through “hell week” getting revenge via buckets of human waste with their president Mike Miesen’s brilliantly circular assertion in The Badger Herald that “hell weeks are for fraternities that haze, and we don’t haze.”

I am certain Mr. Miesen is completely sincere when he says this, if only because in no possible world could his fraternity do anything constituting hazing. I’m also certain he is completely insincere when he says “the leadership including myself do not condone this sort of action.” If that was the case, then this “irresponsible and immature” incident would not have been a tradition, as Mr. Miesen acknowledges.

But wait, say the professional rationalists, the Interfraternity Council defines hazing as “any means, action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation.” Anyway, it might only have been a concoction of muesli and durian that looked, smelled and felt like shit, so that makes it OK. Let he who has not pretended to drop a bucket of fecal matter on his neighbor’s head cast the first stone.

Fine, let’s assume the buckets did not contain anything unsavory and did not violate any public decency ordinances. But even if this was not formally part of an initiation ritual, even if it was freshmen pouring mayonnaise on seniors, that doesn’t mean it can’t be harassment. Allegations against the University of Wisconsin Marching Band in 2006 did not include such a definition of hazing, but that didn’t stop Chancellor John Wiley for calling for its “virtual extinction” if the group didn’t shape up. For the record, Mr. Wiley told The Badger Herald recently he is convinced the band has turned a new leaf.

Let’s assume the ill-conceived Friday event was entirely consensual and merely a disgusting tradition. Still, what kind of tradition is this for a group with the stated goals of “speaking cleanly, playing cleanly and living cleanly?”

Hypocrisy is not against the law, but incidents like this simply confirm the cynic’s view that the Greek community is incapable of conducting itself with any semblance of maturity, except when ticking off their community service hours.

This is a gross generalization, certainly, but even if Bucketgate is an anomaly, it seems obvious that it is an anomaly that will continue as long as the Greek system is simply a bunch of people who pay a lot of money to live together. Without a specific goal to work toward, there will always be those who simply treat their position like a joke. Just ask Senior Class President Oliver Delgado. And if a joke is really all some fraternities and sororities want to be — and if no one is being degraded for the punchline — fine. But the Greek community will continue to be slung through the mud as long as it recruits its members under the two faces of community and beer bong leadership.

Tim Williams (twilliams@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in English. Although he’s sending the runner for the last time tonight, he will surely go out with a blaze of masterfully articulate glory, flailing into the sunset.


Feedback
you suck (May 8, 2008 @ 2:38am):

wow. I really never expected to find people so bitter toward the Greek system...

who rejected you?? we all care to know...

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 2:41am):

If the contents of the bucket were not of the disgusting variety, what makes it any different from the celebrations of sports teams involving buckets of cold gatorade? Similarly, why would someone celebrate a philanthropy by jumping into an unpleasant and frozen Lake Mendota? Does this article mean to say that every single kind of celebration known to man that may not be the most pleasant experience is to be seen as "degrading" and "disgusting?" Obviously nobody has ever included Timothy in their group activities, and like a kid with a magnifying glasses he wants to burn anything temporarily defenseless under the lens.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 6:12am):

sig ep also uses a beer slip n' slide for pledges -- that is hazing. Sig Ep is fucked.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 7:07am):

Why do Greeks think no one respects them because people were 'rejected?'

We don't respect you because you don't deserve it. You're ridiculous, and some of the most unenviable people I've ever met.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 7:51am):

Do the Greeks still wear satin jackets with giant Greek letters on their back? Those jackets are way more hideous than wearing a bucket of shit.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 8:10am):

People are bitter of the greek system because for the most part it is a bunch of rich kids that thinks they are better than the rest of the students on this campus since they are in a fraternity/sorority

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 9:06am):

come on. if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... i was in a fraternity and on sports teams- and having been hazed, i have a pretty good eye for hazing. this is hazing. and whether or not the author has been rejected in his life (strikes me as the type who probably didn't rush, but maybe it's just me) is totally irrelevant. grow up, current madison greeks- if you're gonna haze (and i know you are), don't get caught. it's just like speeding and underage drinking.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 9:12am):

"It seems obvious that it is an anomaly that will continue as long as the Greek system is simply a bunch of people who pay a lot of money to live together. Without a specific goal to work toward, there will always be those who simply treat their position like a joke."

-So one act (not illegal or in violation of any university policies)means that fraternities do not have common goals to work toward? It is apparent that Mr. Williams does not actually know anyone in the Greek system. If he did, he would realize just how goal oriented and successful they are as a group. I am not going to cite stastics here because they only result in the whole "rich white boys using mommy and daddy's money to buy success" argument. Yet the fact of the matter is, most who join fraternities are alpha dominiant, highly motivated individuals, who benefit greatly from their experiences in the Greek system, both durign and after college.

"Hypocrisy is not against the law, but incidents like this simply confirm the cynic’s view that the Greek community is incapable of conducting itself with any semblance of maturity, except when ticking off their community service hours."

--Again, this implies that Greeks only participate in community service for PR purposes. This comment is as arrogant as it is stupid. According to Mr. Williams, any non-Greek affiliated individual can participate in community service out of the goodness of their hearts, yet if a Greek does so, it is for selfish disingenuine reasons. Yet again evidence that Mr. Williams does not know what he is talking about.

"...the Greek system is simply a bunch of people who pay a lot of money to live together."

--Apparently, Mr. Williams is under the belief that Fraternities are the only organizations that charge their members dues. I am sure he is also convinced that said dues go towards, drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, and bats to club baby harp-seals with. Again, the ignorance here makes me wonder how this kid is able to write for such a respected student publication.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 9:33am):

Who are you and why do you hold reservations against the Greek community at large? Gross generalizations like the ones included in this trash only propagate the increasing levels of discrimination against social organizations of which you know nearly nothing about other than through film or assumption.

It is astounding that a single instance of potential misconduct in the Greek system is projected to the entire community. Greeks are not a unified body or of the same mind, nor have they ever been. They are filled with diversity and represent a variety of student interests on campus. Yet, whenever something negative sheds light, it is understood to be only confirmation of one's ungrounded prejudices. If this were any other social organization, it would NEVER reach any level of resentment close to this. Though through your disputes with one's own choice of social life during their college career, people like you find it necessary to tear down what has been a firmly established community for nearly eighty years or more.

Ignorance seems to be your tool of choice like many who have tread before you down the Greek-basing path. So according to your logic I must naturally assume that all Badger Herald journalists are ignorant, of which I know to be untrue.

Good luck with future pursuits.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 10:14am):

Should we ban dunk tanks at work picnics where employees can get "revenge" on their bosses? (And by the way, according to the logic of this article that must mean that the bosses have previously "HAZED" the employees... we should ban bosses too!). Or should we ban the crew team from throwing the coxswain in the lake after winning a regatta?

That is all this incident was. I hate to break it to all of you eager cynics out there looking for an excuse to pan fraternities, but it is the truth. Sorry if that isn't exciting tabloid news.

And, lets wait to pass judgement until the UW, the student org office, SigEp nationals, etc. pass (actual) judgement.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 10:14am):

I wish the articles of the Badger Herald actually represented the opinions of most students on campus, but unfortunately they only represent the views of a small clique on campus completely aloof from the everyday student. ginger.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 10:43am):

2:41 AM

If they weren't of the disgusting variety, nobody would care. But they were.

How can you possibly compare hazing to jumping in frozen Lake Mendota for charity? Maybe they should have had buckets of crap dumped on their heads to raise money???

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 10:57am):

What has caused our generation to be so overly sensitized to ANY sort of pain? Why must we continue to protect ourselves in this little bubble, pretending that having a shit-like substance on you is the worst form of punishment.

Timothy, you, as many others in our generation, have clearly been sheltered in your life and it has not served to help you. We cannot survive as a nation if we produce a set of young people whose biggest fear and ultimate demise comes with that of a silly hazing ritual. I truly believe our generation needs something radical to happen to us so that we can actually face challenges, overcome them, and become better for it. What we truly need is a military draft so that people like little Timmy here can experience the REAL danger that people our age our facing everyday. When you waste space on the editorial section trying to make sure that wealthy college kids (who choose to enter the hazing situation under their own volition) do not suffer ANY sort of humiliation, you are insulting the thousands of men and women who experience pain everyday in our wars.

This is another example of the wild sensitization our nation is undergoing, and for someone reason that is even misdirected. Tim here does not write or care about protecting the lives of our troops, but the feelings of our students.

Boo-hoo, grow up. People are poor, homeless, parent-less, diseased, uneducated, etc. and your concern is over the mindset of a few frat boys. Its a pity.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:01am):

Instead of petty personal insults, why don't the previous commentators make a rational defense of the Greek system? You only prove this author correct with your display of immaturity.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:02am):

If that was the case, then this “irresponsible and immature” incident would not have been a tradition, as Mr. Miesen acknowledges.

You think a senior majoring in english would know how to use proper english. If that were the case...its called the subjunctive. suprising this kid made it through high school without knowing that.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:23am):

"Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:01am):
Instead of petty personal insults, why don't the previous commentators make a rational defense of the Greek system? You only prove this author correct with your display of immaturity."

Really? There have been countless rational arguments on here. You selctively choose to single out the ones that perpeptuate immaturity. Yet such comments are occuring on both sides of this debate.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:25am):

Tim Williams, you are a sad little man who will forever try to hide behind his words. Your miserable sheltered existence will get you nowhere in life. Enjoy your perpeptual virgnity...you've earned it.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:30am):

I assume that if anyone involved in this or the Sigma Phi Epsilon organization feels the event was out of line, they will take care of it. Outside of that, the best thing to do is make sure people who this doesn't affect can't cause any problems for the frat. Its members ought to be free to do to themselves whatever they want.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:31am):

As a proud alum of both UW and the Greek system, I can honestly say that in the bigger scope of things, this greek/anti greek rhetoric is useless and has no weight in the REAL WORLD. In college there will always be the pro/anti-greeks, and none of you are going to change minds of the other side. You will only give yourself headaches trying to make your point/counter other arguments.

If everyone just minded their own business you would all be much happier. Smug articles like this, where someone who clearly has no experience in the greek system is passing judgement on others will only serve to cause greater separation of the various entities on campus. It is easy for someone to criticize that which they do not know.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:05pm):

The action was gross and hypocritical. It is not the same as dumping gatorade on a coach or jumping into a frozen lake.

They were buckets filled with substances that society deems not to be put on humans.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:08pm):

11:02

There are at least two mistakes in your own post. Smarty pants.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:13pm):

Props to 9:33am, couldn't have worded it better myself.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:19pm):

11:02, I like your grammar lesson, but www.bartleby.com disagrees.

"'If Clauses' - In practice, of course, many people ignore the rules. In fact, over the last 200 years even well-respected writers have tended to use the indicative was where the traditional rule would require the subjunctive were. A usage such as If I was the only boy in the world may break the rules, but it sounds perfectly natural."

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 1:05pm):

What is the Badger Herald's fascination with this story? First of all, let us assume it was shit in the bucket. Who cares? If people want to spread shit on themselves I think we should allow it. Frankly, it probably wouldn't be the strangest thing you'll see on that street over your college career.
That being said, it probably wasn't shit. I'm not in the frat system, but I would be shocked if it was. Everyone knows, when dumping shit on someone use the BACK YARD! duh. I'm sure (that just like me) the Sig Eps follow this rule.

I think we should expect more from a newspaper. They splash an unfounded and malicious story on the front page, then their ed and cartoon depts have a field day. Here is the kicker- since this is the end of the year they'll never have to print a retraction if the story turns out to be fiction (which it most likely will.)

And Tim, you're a supercilious, self-satisfied, humorless ninnyhammer. Your numerous buncombes suggest a microphallus. Have a nice life, you Cacafuego.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 1:13pm):

Greeks pinhole Non-Greeks.

Non-Greeks pinhole Greeks.

Right now, my nod goes to the group that isn't pouring shit on each other. Just sayin'.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 2:02pm):

"If the contents of the bucket were not of the disgusting variety, what makes it any different from the celebrations of sports teams involving buckets of cold gatorade?"

Except that it's not gatorade, it's POOP.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 2:59pm):

Has anyone answered WHY anyone would want shit dumped on their heads? It kind of reminds me of the rhetorical question, "if everyone else jumped of a bridge..."?

If anyone ever dumped feces on me, I would flip out and try to destroy the dumper. It's safe to say that a "friend" who dumps poo on you is not a friend at all.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 3:46pm):

ASM is working out nicely, GDI's.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 5:02pm):

In this situation if it was a bucket of gatorade it would be boring as hell. People in other countries beat each other with sticks as a puberty ritual and people let it go because it is cultural. If you are not part of this culture then why do you care?

This fraternity has seniors that run for a position knowing full well that they will be the ones to "take the bucket" from new actives at the end of the semester. Obviously they do not look forward to having probably pee, paint, packing peanuts, dirt, or whatever is inside it thrown on them, but in reality it is their choice. They put on swimsuits and goggles and bend over outside awaiting probably the grossest moment of their life, and then they go take a shower. There is never poop in the bucket, there is never blood in the bucket, and there is never any other type of bodily fluid not previously listed. If you don't like the fact that it is done, then don't watch it happen and write a sensational story about how you know every single fact about it.

If being awarded Presidency of the United States meant that after four years you had to "take the bucket," would that stop anyone? No. Unless of course if you don't like politics. I have had a bird poop on me when flying overhead, and that moment was more embarrassing and the contents of the poop much worse than the contents of this bucket.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 5:30pm):

I see what you are saying, even though it is a little out there, because when compared to something like say...the sweat (pee) content of the workout benches and machines at the SERF could be deemed just as nasty. Nobody is dumping sweat on me at the SERF in the form of a bucket, but I sit down on the machines by choice. In reality if you hate the Greek system you are going to freak out about this entire ordeal, but it does not affect you in any way other than changing the weather on the news to coverage of a fraternity.

Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:31pm):

Ha Ha to whoever said Ginger.

Anonymous (May 9, 2008 @ 4:05am):

You admit your comment to be a gross generalization, yet still write it--

"...incidents like this simply confirm the cynic’s view that the Greek community is incapable of conducting itself with any semblance of maturity, except when ticking off their community service hours."

Where on earth did all of this hatred come from?? I'm not sure why you think that you can stereotype thousands of people who you don't even know, but its honestly pretty lame. I'm not sure which disgusts me more--the "bucket" incident or your article. Where are the guys who got the sh*t dumped on them? Why don't they write an article if it's such a big deal? If they want to spend their time getting stuff dumped on their heads, who cares? I would think that you are too high and mighty to even bother defending their poor souls, after all....they're part of the greek system.

You should just go out and have a few drinks, take the edge off a little buddy....

~alum who was never part of the greek system, just thinks that you should mind your own business ;)

Anonymous (May 9, 2008 @ 7:34am):

Sweat is not pee, buddy. I see how you're trying to rationalize this, but you can get hepatitis from feces. Urine is technically sterile, because it is a blood filtrate.

Anonymous (May 9, 2008 @ 7:36am):

The greek system is good because it corrals all the lamest people on campus in one place and lets the normal students live our lives free of STDs, violent drunks, white reggae bands, near beer, and people from the suburbs of Chicago. The same applies for going out-- instead of having to deal with the frat/sorority crowd at the bar, I can go out knowing that you all will congregate at Brats, the Angelic, or the KK and plan accordingly.

Anonymous (May 10, 2008 @ 3:32am):

I'd just like to point out SigEp will accept any old bum. You can knock on their door and say "Hey, I wanna join" and that's that.

Anonymous (May 13, 2008 @ 4:17am):

FYI, not all Greeks "pay a lot of money to live with each other." There are several Greek lettered organizations that do not have houses and that do no pay large amounts of money for membership dues [a concept not to be confused with Paying to get in]. Greek lettered organizations are selective in nature and thus one must apply/rush first and then once their membership has been confirmed, they are required to pay dues as a membership duty.

Now, in regards to all the hasty and disgusting generalizations made about Greeks in this column, I will just say that some of the Nations most accomplished and respected citizens were Greek. When you make these generalizations, you make it to include ALL GREEKS. That is, not only the ones on the Pan-hellenic council or IFC (so called white greeks), but all of the NPHC greeks(african american based greeks) and all of the Multi-cultural Greeks. When you make these comments, you generalize nearly 10% of the student population on this campus. Regardless of what one house, or one incident that may have occurred, please do not stoop to the level of name calling and bigoted generalizations. At that point you become no better than the alleged hazers. In fact, what you become is a person no better than a racist or sexist or any of the numerous groups of people that believes they are better than someone else. Greeks do not believe they are elite. YOU give them that title because you don't understand the Greek System or why one decided to become Greek. YOU do not understand the values and philanthropies and services and friendships behind the Greek system.YOU do not understand what it means to be Greek. So until YOU decide to become a little more open-minded, stop making hollywood based stereotypes, and start learning to focus on the issue at hand, come back and talk to us.

Anonymous (May 13, 2008 @ 7:34am):

"In fact, what you become is a person no better than a racist or sexist..."

Ahhh haaaa haaa!!! That's hilarious. Yeah, because people get to choose what race or sex they're born as, just like the popped-collar Greeks are natural born douche bags.

Anonymous (May 13, 2008 @ 9:47am):

Tim, did you burn down SigEp?!?!?!?!

Anonymous (May 13, 2008 @ 4:20pm):

you're a ginger.

Anonymous (May 14, 2008 @ 12:50pm):

As an alum from the 80s who was involved with the Badger Herald, I find it humorous that they are writing such turgid material.

Tim, I believe you should spend a modicum of time meeting with fraternity members and getting to know a few before firing off such a broadside. It might assist your writing immeasurably.

Anonymous (May 14, 2008 @ 4:28pm):

The author bio does mention a "blaze of masterfully articulate glory"...

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