Negative Editorial in Washington Post
 

did anyone happen to read the editorial towards the back of the style section today 5/16 (titled "Schools like GMU...")? it started out praising public colleges, fine, but goes on to basically bash the entire greek system everywhere. i was stunned to read something like this in a respectable paper like the Post. did anyone else happen to see it? i would post a link here but i don't think it's on the online edition. anyway, it's pretty bad.

Enough is enough! I am so tired of all this negative publicity. People need to find something better to do with their time than filling newspapers with this stuff! You would think that Greeks are the root of all the evil in this world from some of the articles and editorials published recently. These haters need to find a life!

I wasn't aware of it, but I'll have to check into that...

Why are you all so shocked by this, when was the last time you read in the paper about a good thing about the greek system that wasn't written by a greek themselves, we are always gonna hear the bad stuff and the public won't hear the good stuff, all we can do is rise above it all, and keep trying for positive exposure, enough with telling us how shocked you are with what a newspaper wrote about us, cause that is what the public wants to hear, like it or not, bad news sells http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif chin up though we will make them see the light if it takes another 150 + years http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

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Edgar A. Hartling
Zulu and Constitution Contact
Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America - Alpha Mu Chapter
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia

I totally disagree zete! So if you read something bad about your particular org, your not going to be shocked? I think not, if I read any negative article or anything of the sort, I am shocked and disgraced, because I know not all greeks are bad, and most of do our fair share of good deeds. I think sometimes when we see the negativity, it reminds us, of just how some people think about the greek community, and I believe it makes most of work harder to be in that good light, and whether they acknowledge it or not we all know what we stand for, the good we do and who we are as individuals. And ever so often a group breaks through that negavite barriers and is seen in a A+ veirw http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
Good Luck to all, and Much Luv

i'd be shocked if something happened, not that it would be printed. i would be shocked to see the papers write something about greeks in a positive light. All i was commenting on was the fact the media is just looking so hard to try to find another little expose on greeks to make us look o so bad, i know we are great people in general and the few bad things get posted, i think that the media should sit down and realize this happens with any orgainzation, university, club, buisness, corporation, etc. there is one or two that spoil it for all, all i want is for those bad people to be singled out not the orgainzation or the whole greek system in general, cause if they knew how many we are and all the good we do, i think they may sing a different tune

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Edgar A. Hartling
Zulu and Constitution Contact
Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America - Alpha Mu Chapter
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Exactly what was that article about? Was it "my daughter didn't go to an Ivy League school, and look how well she did" or "fraternities are evil, especially on those Ivy League campuses"? If she had stopped to do some RESEARCH, she would have learned two things.
1). Both Bushes were members of Skull and Bones, not just the younger.
2). Greek systems at large state schools are much larger and hold a larger monopoly on campus life than they do on Ivy League campuses, Dartmouth being the exception.

People like this "closed-minded liberal" make me sick. Once I calm down, I'm writing the Post. Also, one must not forget that although "Ivy League" holds a certain cachet, it's only an athletic conference, like the SEC and ACC.

i completely agree! not only was the article poorly written--it was like 2 different articles pasted together into one, first trying to justify sending her daughter to a public school (at least it seemed like she was doing that), then bashing the greek system in general--but she sounded a bit wacko! she writes like she's just discovered this horrible new scourge on college life... fraternities... and they're not just at ivy league schools, they're everywhere! what i really loved was the part that went something like, "fraternity houses are places where women have been gang-raped..."--as an argument against the whole system. is she implying that rape would cease to happen in this world if fraternities were put out of business? this lady does not even make reasonable arguments, which is why i found it so surprising that she got printed in the post.

Actually, there probably are more good Greek stories than bad ones. Especially in local and college papers. Its just that major incidents are going to be picked up by National Media.

ABC group raises 5 thousand dollars for charity is not going to make the wire services.

But ABC group letting someone die from alcohol poisoning will . . . People like to read about that stuff more. It has conflict.


Just the way the world works http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Well Troops let us come to the realization when we do good it anint press! When we do bad it is NEWS! Can we get it throgh the heads of our new young members! More that likly not! That is why we are busting our collectivy BUTTS to try and help them! This may include any other Greek Chaters!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Can someone hook me up with a link? I looked on the Post's website and I couldn't find it.

Here is a link to the editorial:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fraternalnews/message/27

I'm so mad after reading this, I could spit. Thanks for the link Pnguin. The columnist goes on and on about greeks and how GMU is different. Then I go look at www.gmu.edu and realize they have fraternities and sororities like so many other schools. Is this woman saying that those folks at GMU are not like her daughter in that they were incapable of getting the education her daughter did? I don't get it. She sounds like someone whose daughter didn't get into an Ivy League School or a sorority, and so she's going to dump all over them now that her daughter is done with college and gone from GMU. What a bunch of crap she had to say.

Here's the link to the NPC response to that editorial in the Post.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group.fraternalnews/message/48

Booo! Boo on you, Judy Mann.

It all made sense to me when I read her phrase "I received a sort of lifetime achievement award from the American Association of University Women." If you want to know all about that august group, read "Who Stole Feminism" by Christina Hoff Sommers. Suffice it to say that I'm surprised Ms. Mann hasn't changed her last name to "Womann." http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif

If that group has somehow done a 180 since Ms. Sommers' book was published, please don't hesitate to enlighten me. From what I understand they are very steeped in the gender/victim feminism concepts.