Greek Week splits campus opinions

The chanting of Greek songs from marching pledges rings across Doane as Greek Week takes over.

The purpose of the week is to introduce new members, or pledges, to the traditions of their chosen Greek group, said Greek Adviser Katherine Randolph.

The traditions are secretive for each Greek group, but one tradition remains visible.

“We’re getting sore legs from all the marching,” said Bailey Peyton, a sophomore Chi Delta pledge, “but it’s still fun.”

Even though it is a busy week for the pledges, Alpha Omega President Mike Cochnar said that he thought his pledges were fulfilling their midterm requirements.

“Everything is going really smoothly this year so far,” Cochnar said.

The Greek Week is going as well as expected, said Delta Kappa Pi President Brett McFarland, and he thought everyone was doing a good job respecting everyone else.

“I think the respect will stay the same as the week goes on,” McFarland said. “The Greeks will get a little more considerate, but we also will have to stick together as well.”

But Gamma Phi Iota member senior Ashley Hollibaugh said that she thought independents were not showing respect.

“The independents are a little more out of control this year,” Hollibaugh said, “and a little more unacceptable to our group. But I don’t think anything is really that different other than that.”

Independents, or those not rushing any Greek group, are mostly upset with the separation between the Greeks and independents in the cafeteria.

“The segregation is really irritating, I feel like I’m being shoved into a corner,” said freshman Rachel Gibson. “It also freaks me out to see everyone dressed the same this week; it seems like a cult. I’m not saying that Greeks are a cult, just that Greek Week seems like one.”

However, the independents can sit in the other dining room, even with the separator.

“They can sit in there, but it is designated for the Greeks,” Peyton said. “We have to eat there, but the independents can join us, we’re not trying to separate from each other.”

While the separation is visible in the cafeteria, freshman RJ Jensen said that the secrets in his room are bothersome, but manageable.

“I respect my roommate’s decision to rush,” freshman RJ Jensen said. “It’s his decision who he can and can’t talk to this week.”

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2 comments

Ashley Hollibaugh

Sun Mar 21 2010 04:10

Kayla absolutely and completely misquoted me. I said there are independents every year that disagree with greek week and this year there were small instances in the cafeteria when some of these independents were just trying to prove a point. I under NO circumstances said independents were unacceptable to me or any other member of my group. That's just ridiculous. If anything GDI's were less out spoken this year than normal, and Gammas almost NEVER have issues with them anyways, not since I have been a gamma atleast.

meg kurtz - GDI2010

Thu Mar 11 2010 14:23

I am horrified by this article.

After spending hours of time preparing activities that ran Sunday through Thursday, quite a bit of money and seeing relations IMPROVE between Greeks and Independents this PAGE ONE article came as a complete shock to me.

Greeks and independents have gathered around the Green Desk and have written 82 letters to American Soldiers, 170 letters to encourage friends on campus and drew 75 pictures to take to Garden Square residents.

In talking with a few APEs and and Chi Delts, we've all agreed that things went more smoothly this year. There were evening activities that people participated in all week and Greek friends have commented, as I said, that things went more smoothly than usual.

As an independent the only thing that bothered me was when we were working out in Butler and that fraternity pledging there was turning the tv volume up to unreasonable level to cover their yelling. However, I also don't live on campus, so I can't say how other activities affected students.

Either Ashley Hollibaugh and the GPI had a specific incident that Kayla Tindle failed to follow up on or ...what? What did the rest of us that just survived this week miss? If you weren't rushing and took advantage of the games, Fake St. Patty's Day party, Chuck Norris' birthday party, Sunday Munch & Mingle we had a great time.

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