University of Virginia Library

In regard to your editorial of
Thursday, September 25, I would
like to submit to you and hopefully
to the reading public of The
Cavalier Daily my duly "expected"
reply. I write this letter more in my
capacity as a fraternity member,
however, than as President of the
Inter-Fraternity Council. Although
my opinions are personal, I consider
that they may represent
fraternity sentiment to some extent.

I must admit that I am prejudiced
in favor of fraternity life. I
have found it to be a very pleasing
and rewarding experience for me,
and for this reason, I often find
myself overstating the case for
fraternities. These are my limitations,
and I hope an interpretation
of my remarks will take them into
account. As I now state my
limitations, I cannot help but
wonder why you have not seen fit
to state yours.

I am sorry indeed that you have
allowed personal grievances to
creep into your judgment on a
matter which so greatly concerns
the University Community. The
social life of the student body of a
University is a very important
matter which concerns the happiness
of all. For this reason, I am
disappointed to note the unconstructive
nature of many of your
remarks. These seem to be the days
of dragon slaying. This is a very
honorable trend as long as the
slayers maintain their rationale and
do not become Quixotic. I am sure
you will agree that there is neither
time nor place within a dynamic
intellectual community for the
slaying of wind mills.

I am certain also that you will
agree that the fraternity system
which you criticize contributes
greatly to the University. Although
fraternities can only partially fill a
vacuum of organized social life
here, you seem to express disdain at
the fact that they do not completely
fill the void. These seem to be
wasted words - unconstructive, in
that their intent is merely to
destroy what we already have
rather than attempting to construct
an alternative social system which
might augment fraternities. Fraternities
admit their shortcomings of
not providing a social outlet for
everyone; this is not their intended
function or ambition. Instead, I
would invite you to use your
influence and words in a constructive
manner. Certainly, you must
agree that the happiness of future
students at the University is more
important than airing personal
grievances that either you or I
might have.

On the point of racial discrimination,
I am partially in agreement
with you. I think that if you are
willing to study the matter, you
will find that many fraternity men
share your feelings. There may,
indeed, be prejudice among individual
members of fraternities, but I
am certain also that you will find
equal incidence of prejudice within
the whole student body. Such
prejudice, however, will never be
successfully "legislated" away. Prejudice
is a problem which we all
must deal with personally. We are
enrolled in the University to learn;
the process of overcoming prejudice
is simultaneously a process of
learning. There is a realization of
the problem of prejudice from
within the system and steps are
presently being taken to overcome
the problem.

In closing, I would question
your motives and your fears:
"Don't Rush, Don't Pledge." What
are you afraid of? First-year men
today, more than ever before, are
endowed with an intellectual inquisitiveness,
as well as a sturdy
measure of critical judgment. You
advise them to waste these capacities,
to hold the "prejudices"
which you personally hold, and to
commit the "unforgivable sin" of
bearing a closed mind which you
accuse people in fraternities of
bearing. In this sense I believe you
have compromised any confidence
which the first-year men might have
in your reasoning.

I would invite all first-year men
to use the capacities with which
they have been endowed. Fraternities
are nothing more than the sum
of the individuals involved. Progress
can only come to the system by the
blossoming of progressive ideas
from within. The progressive beliefs
which today's first-year men bear
will be the ideals which will be
embodied within the system tomorrow.

Rush.

Use your own intellect.