relax panhellenic recruitment rules
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Opinion
I'd give you a birthday present, but I couldn't buy you one. I like you, but you have to leave my house. And so do all of your friends.
These things may sound mean, but they are all things many Hillsdale College Greek women have to tell potential new members because of recruitment rules. Panhellenic Council limits sorority women's involvement with freshmen women - such as prohibiting gifts, gatherings without another sorority member present or taking more than four freshmen women out in public - in order to avoid any bias or other potentially unfair situations that could lead to them making the wrong rush decision in January.
These are actually a relaxed version of Panhellenic rules of the past. Two years ago, freshmen could not borrow things from sorority women or even ride in the same car with them without a woman from another sorority women present. We commend the council for making these changes, but think they could do away with a lot more of the stiff restrictions.
Men, on the other hand, can rush in the fall. Fraternity members can give freshmen gifts, and invite them to their off-campus and even their Greek houses. And their recruitment seems to work just fine.
Why should Panhellenic Council's rules be so strict? Since Hillsdale College values individual self-government, we think its sorority system should trust freshmen women to make the right choice without needing such overbearing rules. For the same reason, it should trust its sorority women to know the difference between right and wrong when recruiting potential new members.
After all, independent women and freshmen get the chance to form normal, natural friendships, and we think freshmen should have the same chance with our campus' sorority members. Although meant to create a fair recruitment, such strict rules really aren't fair for anyone.
These things may sound mean, but they are all things many Hillsdale College Greek women have to tell potential new members because of recruitment rules. Panhellenic Council limits sorority women's involvement with freshmen women - such as prohibiting gifts, gatherings without another sorority member present or taking more than four freshmen women out in public - in order to avoid any bias or other potentially unfair situations that could lead to them making the wrong rush decision in January.
These are actually a relaxed version of Panhellenic rules of the past. Two years ago, freshmen could not borrow things from sorority women or even ride in the same car with them without a woman from another sorority women present. We commend the council for making these changes, but think they could do away with a lot more of the stiff restrictions.
Men, on the other hand, can rush in the fall. Fraternity members can give freshmen gifts, and invite them to their off-campus and even their Greek houses. And their recruitment seems to work just fine.
Why should Panhellenic Council's rules be so strict? Since Hillsdale College values individual self-government, we think its sorority system should trust freshmen women to make the right choice without needing such overbearing rules. For the same reason, it should trust its sorority women to know the difference between right and wrong when recruiting potential new members.
After all, independent women and freshmen get the chance to form normal, natural friendships, and we think freshmen should have the same chance with our campus' sorority members. Although meant to create a fair recruitment, such strict rules really aren't fair for anyone.
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GZA
posted 11/05/09 @ 2:27 PM EST
The unfairness of the rules notwithstanding, it also must be understood that people will break them anyway, or at least find alternative ways to send the same messages (i. (Continued…)
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