CDT - Traditional Greek System Gives Way to Individualism
The call of individualism or "doing your own thing" has apparently killed the traditional fraternity and sorority system on many college campuses.
Faced with recruiting problems, Greeks at the University recently placed an "obituary" in the Daily Collegian, conceding that "the traditional Greek is dead" and asking students to "meet the new Greek."
"As of this moment. it's more or less survival of the fittest as far as fraternities here go." says James E. Martorelli of Syracuse, N.Y., vice president of the Interfraternity Council and a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
Despite the recent lean recruiting years, Penn State, with its 48 chapters, is the home of the nation's second largest fraternity system.
But facts point to a big change in the traditional Greek system, especially number-wise.
Seven years ago, 32 percent I of the undergraduate men all Penn State were fraternity men, less than 20 per cent are fraternity men today.
Sororities have been losing members at a faster rate. In 1961-62. 38 percent of the female undergraduates at the University were sorority girls; in 1971-72 only 16 percent were in a sorority.
What happened?
"Students everywhere have been caught up in the 'do your own thing' way of life,” says Rhonda K. Egidio of Irwin, president of the Panhellenic Council and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, "and' joining a fraternity or sorority would be perceived by some as going against the norm."
The president of the Interfraternity Council, William L. Lear of Vandergrift, agrees.
"This trend toward individual! thinking has been very evident to me, especially since the late' 1960s." says the Theta Chi fraternity member. "The 'rah', rah' Greek image looked like it was going out of style on the ,campus."
Mr. Lear and Miss Egidio stress that today's college student is often afraid of being "labeled" and is refusing to join any organization at all that might brand him as a certain type of person.
And, admit the Greek leaders, there was a time when one could almost tell to what organization the "traditional Greek" belonged by looking at his clothes or hair style.
"We were forced to become more introspective and evaluate what we were doing," Miss Egidio says. "And we admitted to ourselves that Greeks sometimes have been slow in recognizing changes in student attitudes and life styles."
A major problem facing the Greeks in their new effort to attract students is that students are going elsewhere for things previously offered exclusively by fraternities and sororities.
For example, a move toward apartment living at Penn State its hurting fraternities, Mr. Martorelli says.
Of the 14,876 undergraduate men enrolled at Penn State during the Fall Term, 8,386 lived in off-campus housing, including fraternity houses.
It's often difficult, Mr. Martorelli says, to convince a man of the advantages of fraternity house living when he can have his own apartment.
Linda C. Higginson, director of residential life programs at the University, points out that today's residence halls, too, offer social advantages previously available only in fraternities and sororities.
To meet the Greek crisis, Greek leaders list six changes which, they claim, should help to breathe new life into the program:
—"Hell Weeks" or other periods of hazing have been outlawed.
—Some "irrelevant" ritual have been eliminated.
—Individual Greek organizations no longer compete against each other: its cooperation, not competition.
—"Rush," the recruiting period, is now totally informal. The "hard sell" has been eliminated and, although a student might not be accepted by the organization he wants, this is now less and less the case.
—The Greek of 1973 is an individual first, a Greek second. Greeks, too, can "do their own thing." In fact, Miss Egidio spoke out against the Homecoming Queen tradition at Penn State, long a highlight of 'sorority activities.
—Service roles have been given new emphasis.
It's still too early to evaluate the success of the campaign. But after the Fall Term, sororities reported a seven percent increase over last year in pledge class enrollment. Fraternities pledged 372 new members, about average for the past few years.
It seems clear, however, that the "traditional Greek" is indeed dying.
"Being a sorority girl just isn't the magic key to success or getting dates here anymore," one coed says. "It's not for me. But I have a good friend who is a sorority girl and she loves it. Some like it, some don't.
"But then. that's what is great. We all finally have the choice."