The Collegian Weekly: The opinion of The Collegian editorial staff
Transparency key in Greek relations. Panhellenic Council, Greek system should be forthright with truth to campus
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Opinion
As children, we learned that keeping secrets protects - and even enlivens - friendship. The essence of intimacy is knowing and guarding what others normally do not see.
Secrecy can, however, also damage as deeply as it protects. When people hide wrong, they only feed it.
Thus, The Collegian can't imagine why Panhellenic Council members and their adviser, Joanna Wiseley, refuse so often and completely to publicly convey accurate and precise information regarding Greek governance.
The Panhellenic Council governs about a sixth of the student body, and influences many more, particularly when mediating instances like this week's sanction of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. When the campus' three sororities jointly decide to place one house on social probation, and dozens of Greek students fear to openly discuss why, something is fishy.
Truth deserves no shame. National sorority rules about the liability of public statements by house presidents do not preclude honesty and openness.
If house presidents or Panhellenic members and Wiseley need to collaborate before releasing a specific statement of explanation, that's fine. But Greeks use campus facilities, require college staff positions and otherwise receive student funds. They impact independent students considering entering their system, especially when rule-breaking squashes such hopes. And such secrecy confuses and further alienates independents, who, like most people, suspect apparently mindless silence of corruption or foolishness.
Greek discipline is not a private matter in cases of such scale, for financial and social reasons. Kappa Kappa Gamma broke rules to which they have agreed, and deserve their penalty. As fellow students, their shame and strife becomes everyone's.
Thus, though we hope it rare, we all deserve to know the basic facts when similar events occur. The Greek system attracts partly because of its mystery; but mystery should not cloak transgression.
Secrecy can, however, also damage as deeply as it protects. When people hide wrong, they only feed it.
Thus, The Collegian can't imagine why Panhellenic Council members and their adviser, Joanna Wiseley, refuse so often and completely to publicly convey accurate and precise information regarding Greek governance.
The Panhellenic Council governs about a sixth of the student body, and influences many more, particularly when mediating instances like this week's sanction of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. When the campus' three sororities jointly decide to place one house on social probation, and dozens of Greek students fear to openly discuss why, something is fishy.
Truth deserves no shame. National sorority rules about the liability of public statements by house presidents do not preclude honesty and openness.
If house presidents or Panhellenic members and Wiseley need to collaborate before releasing a specific statement of explanation, that's fine. But Greeks use campus facilities, require college staff positions and otherwise receive student funds. They impact independent students considering entering their system, especially when rule-breaking squashes such hopes. And such secrecy confuses and further alienates independents, who, like most people, suspect apparently mindless silence of corruption or foolishness.
Greek discipline is not a private matter in cases of such scale, for financial and social reasons. Kappa Kappa Gamma broke rules to which they have agreed, and deserve their penalty. As fellow students, their shame and strife becomes everyone's.
Thus, though we hope it rare, we all deserve to know the basic facts when similar events occur. The Greek system attracts partly because of its mystery; but mystery should not cloak transgression.
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