University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Separate Sororities

In response to your editorial of
February 17, "Fraternities," we, as
members of the "lone sorority"
here at the University, feel that the
article was extremely opinionated
and failed to bring out any positive
aspects of fraternity and sorority
life.

Concerning the lack of academic
productivity to which you referred,,
over one third of our members
are presently on the Dean's List of
Distinguished Students. We believe
that a sisterhood of college women
founded on the highest principles
and chosen from the top moral,
social, cultural, and intellectual
levels represents the zenith in
unified feminine achievement. Such
a sisterhood challenges the finest
facets of character and personality
to the greatest attainment possible
for the individual and for the
college institution. Our sorority is
the vibrant, living embodiment of
this ideal. We believe that sorority
membership gives those participating
very definite and real values.
To us, a Fraternity is a design or
pattern for living by means of
which each member develops a
richer, fuller life. We further believe
that the qualities of friendship,
scholarship (out reason for being at
the University), activities, social
and personal development, organization
and improving standards are
values to be found in our sorority.

Contrary to your article, we feel
that fraternities and sororities
should exist separately here as they
do now and will in the future. As
women of this University and
members of this sorority, it is not
our intention to provide for coeducational
living, but to obtain an
education and constantly to be of
the highest caliber morally, intellectually,
and socially, and to continue
the high standards and ideals of our
sorority throughout life.

We do not believe that the
"mutually exclusive sorority or
fraternity be laid to rest." The idea
of communal living is absurd!

Mr. Ralph Main's recent statement
that students who have lost
their roommates enjoy certain
options in obtaining their own
roommate or in keeping their room
as a single comes as a happy
surprise. But you will pardon me it
I admit to a bit of shock at reading
such a blatant contradiction between
Mr. Main's announced policy
and his actual endeavor to move
every single graduate student out of
the McCormick Road Houses, often
against their will, into the
Alderman Road Houses.

When my roommate moved into
the Monroe Houses at the beginning
of this semester, I asked Mr. Main
to allow me to keep my room as a
single. His answer, in light of
yesterday's statement, is confusing.
"Since we have several students in
the basement of the McCormick
Road Houses waiting to transfer to
the Alderman Road Houses, we will
not be able to allow students to
rent doubles as singles." Where
were your options then, Mr. Main?

And where were the options of
two law students in my suite who
were forced to move out of the
McCormick Road Houses even after
they made it very plain, even to Mr.
Main, that they didn't wish to
move? That hardly signifies long
lists of students "waiting to transfer
to the Alderman Road Houses."

The truth is, that Mr. Main has
run his office like the task master of
a chain gang, ordering students to
move who did not wish to move
and reserving his favorite word for
any students who wanted any kind
of a change in dormitories, "No."
Such unreasonableness has been our
exasperation since the beginning of
the year, and it's about time the
students began to react.

Your gallant attempts to help
preserve the grass on the Lawn
seem to be failing. I would
therefore like to offer my modest
proposal. The simple solution is to
cover the lawn with Astroturf.
Immediately great cries of cost will
arise from the masses. My plan
would be easily financed by the
HEW appropriations with the support
coming from the Democratic
"spend it when you don't have it"
leaders (Misters Kennedy, McGovern,
et al). The cost should not rise
much over one-half million dollars
(a minuscule sum when added to
the $19.7 billion price tag).

Possibly there is Astroturf squirrel
food to insure a sufficient
supply during the winter for our
furred friends. Not to mention the
possibility of Astroturf trees.

Please check into these matters
for me. I suggest that you start with
George, Ted and Eugene.