University of Virginia Library

Independents Shun Greek System

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

Photo by Saxon Holt

Four years ago, if you were
not a member of a fraternity,
you were effectively cut off
from the main 'social' life at
the University. All parties of
any distinction were held at
the frat houses; all jobs and
offices in student government
and student publications were
held by frat men except for a
few rare exceptions; both
political parties (student
government) were
fraternity-run.

In general, all student
activities outside the classroom
were controlled by one or
more fraternities. The situation h
changed drastically during the last
four years, but basically fraternities
have not.

Fraternities at Virginia are no
longer a viable institution. They
have lost nearly all their power.
You don't have to be a frat man to
get ahead in student government,
get a job on the newspaper or
yearbook, or any of the other
numerous student organizations.

A few fraternities require three
black balls to cut a rushee, some
two. But the majority of them still
require only one. This
'pick-and-pluck' system has lead
many people to label some
fraternities on the grounds as
racist. This is very true. Granted it
takes only one or two bigots in a
fraternity to exclude black rushees,
but isn't the bigot a 'brother' of the
rest of the brothers?

Fraternities are no longer
necessary to provide you with a
ready-made social life. Over 500
women entered the University last
year, and many more this year. The
monastic existence that fraternities
flourished in has ended.

What fraternities do offer is a
multitude of bills, and duties, and
work, and requirements. They
return very little more than what
you can gain outside their control,
except for a few letters from a dead
language.