Have you seen Animal House? That’s exactly how I picture Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Dec. 4, 2009 fundraiser at the Overture Center: awesome. According to a letter sent to the fraternity, the Dean of Students and the coordinator of Greek Life and Involvement, the fundraiser — or party as some are calling it — was out of control, lewd, disgraceful and totally fun. The director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra even made a disapproving comment. And if the director, who I am assuming is not a raging partier, disapproved, we can be sure that Madison students would have loved AEPi’s par-tay. While even the worst accounts of the event make it seem like a great time that raised money for a good cause, it signals the time is ripe for fraternities to sever their ties from the regulations and groups to which they are accountable.
AEPi seems to be one of few groups on campus that believe students, not administrators, city officials or a Greek committee should decide the way students spend their party time. Instead of crying about their “suspension,” which prohibited them from throwing social parties, this fraternity decided to make the best of it. Sure, their efforts may have included at least one bottle of wine, but at least they were using their desire to have some fun and help others. This seems to be a first attempt at shaking off the unnecessary rules and restrictions on fraternity events.
Rather than welcoming this display of independence and student autonomy, Madison gave AEPi a rather harsh rebuke when this story broke. The responses in the newspaper may have been harsh, but the comments online were downright nasty. Some commentary blamed the newspaper for giving so much attention to what they deemed a regular occurrence. But we are trapped in an endless cycle of fraternities getting crazy, being punished, and then working to repair their image. Reading about AEPi’s party makes it clear the getting crazy part of this cycle is not the problem. The true problem is the Greeks’ need for approval.
We should not be surprised fraternities are skirting their own self-imposed regulation system. By giving themselves the veil of legitimacy that comes from a regulatory board and university affiliation, the Greek community is trying to lead the wild campus life while still maintaining its image and standing with Madison.
The fact that our fraternities are trying to appear legitimate while still having wild parties is not news. What should surprise us is the lack of student support for what sounds like an amazing party. This group of students managed to raise $2,000 for charity while only losing $80 from a $1,500 deposit. If the party was really destructive, I would have expected more of the security deposit to have been forfeited. Seeing that it wasn’t, I can only assume AEPi knows how to throw a party that not only raises money, but also allows students to blow off steam.
The rest of the Greek community needs to take a lesson from the Overture Center party. Sure, you are going to face criticism, maybe even hate. But just because some students and faculty will not support your actions doesn’t mean you should stop. The rest of campus doesn’t care what the director of the Overture Center or the Greek advisory board thinks about us; neither should the Greek community. The time has come for the Greeks to shed their self-imposed regulations and start making their own decisions. I’ve got news for you: Madison doesn’t look to you as shining beacons of modesty and good will. We need a Greek community that helps to keep the administration and city officials in check and has a raucous good time doing it.
Instead of groveling to the coordinator of Greek Life and Involvement or the Dean of Students every time someone puts you on probation, stand up for student autonomy. We need a force that will tackle the issues ASM is incapable of dealing with. Our fraternities and sororities are perfectly situated to bring power back to the students on issues related to parties and drinking. They are organized, energetic and understand student needs. We need someone to organize a protest of the University’s eminent domain claim that will close Brothers Bar and Grill. I’m certain the director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra would have a disapproving comment if you derailed the music hall that will replace Brothers, but the students would love you for it. But it will be impossible for the sororities and fraternities to act while they are handcuffed by their own system of regulations that leaves them accountable to the University.
Saving Brothers is just one example of the great number of causes our Greek community has ignored while trying to stay in the good graces of the UW. The time has come to follow in the footsteps of AEPi and start looking after our campuses unmet social needs. Instead of worrying about double secret probation, try being campus leaders in an area where there is no effective student direction.
Andrew Carpenter ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in communication arts and psychology.
