Kudos to Chancellor Herman of UIUC

My undergraduate Alma Mater is heavily influenced by Greek life (eg. fraternities and sororities...not people from Greece). It was nearly impossible to meet someone in one of your classes who was not part of or at one time was part of the Greek community. In fact, student government elections were basically a joke since it came down to voting on either this Greek or that Greek, with student government policies heavily favoring the advancement of the Greek life.

So, it is really shocking to see a chancellor at another university sending a mass criticism of the Greek life to the student body. And, being a silent observer of the activities and antics of the Greeks at my university, I have no problem agreeing with the opinion in Chancellor Hermon's e-mail. It follows (all emphasis mine):

Dear Students,

Many of you may be aware of an event known as Rush. It is my objective to warn you of the potential downsides of Greek organizations. I advise you to not succumb to the aggressive recruitment tactics used by these organizations. It has been my concern over the years, that the Greek culture of alcoholism and lack of respect for the community degrades campus life. These organizations present themselves as prestigious, yet are discriminatory, serve to perpetuate social inequality, especially with respect to the opposite gender, and promote a lack of diversity. Many students have expressed concerns with regards to safety on campus, particularly due to Greek culture and behavior. It is my hope that a student's experience on campus strengthens one's individuality, but the Greek system emphasizes the group above all, without cause or reason. This is detrimental to the purpose of universities.

I hope that you will consider wisely.

GDI Chancellor Richard Herman

Wow. I have no additional commentary, since he wrapped up my sentiments precisely. I know several people who were Greek, and they were cool. But I also have met my fair share of Greeks who fit the xenophobic, close-minded type expressed in the chancellor's e-mail.

Consider his e-mail a general overview of my perspective as well.