RE: No more res 'rush' for Greeks
Our friendly neighbourhood director of student affairs, Ryan Flannagan, has stated that due to an issue of fraternities and sororities rushing on campus, members of Carleton’s Greek community will be permitted to wear Greek letters in residence when visiting friends or getting food, but will no longer be allowed to “congregate” in large numbers.
Let me first begin by stating that my comments here do not represent the Greek community, nor my respective organization. The administration may find it hard to believe, but the Greek community isn’t simply one giant amorphous blob, thinking and acting as a single unit. It’s made up of a collective of freethinking, independent individuals.
How dare you, Mr. Flannagan? I recall you having absolutely no problem with Greeks congregating in residence when we helped move thousands of new students in during orientation week, one overstuffed cardboard box at a time.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees me the free rights of expression and association. Unfortunately, Mr. Flannagan, despite what you and other members of the administration may believe, this document supersedes your authority, even here on campus.
I couldn’t care less about the new restrictions on rushing in residence, which I honestly believe are actually very reasonable. However, hearing the audacity of an administration that clearly sees their students as pawns on a campus chessboard boils my blood.
Had the same comment been made vis-à-vis an ethnic or religious group, club or sports team, the issue at hand would be one of basic human rights. However, because it involves the Greek community, the administration expects no outcry from us dumb “frat boys” and “sorority girls” with the funny looking letters on our shirts.
They are clearly mistaken. It’s one thing to ban the questionable practice of “dorm storming,” but quite another to dictate where I can be and with whom while on my own campus.
I am not an animal, a gang member or some social deviant. I am the same as every other student, not some fraternity extremist you can just lump into one faceless group and marginalize. I am Greek, but more importantly I am a student.
This is my campus and, while here, I will wear what I want. I will “congregate” anywhere I want, with whomever I so chose and in whatever numbers I see fit. I will not be subjugated because of my association with an organization whose founding predates that of the university.
Stay in your office, Mr. Flannagan, lest you should have to see one of us roving gangs of dangerous Greeks being unruly and illegally congregating where we shouldn’t be.
Do us a favour and leave student affairs to the people they actually concern: students.