It is appalling that people would have to write the university based on student behavior at a supposed fundraising event. This is just another situation in which the SMU Greek system looks bad due to the choices of a few members.
To act in a way that not only causes a person to write a letter to SMU, but that forces the vice president of student affairs to take out an advertisement in the campus newspaper to address the problem is unacceptable. Ed Board has slightly more sympathy for the disruptive students on spring break, but even with that being said there is absolutely no excuse for anyone, even the richest of SMU’s students, to be that rude and inconsiderate. Even if students are kicking back and relaxing on spring break, behaving as less than human is unacceptable. You are adults – try and act like it, even when in Mexico.
As for the Phi Delta Theta Casino event, it is sad to see people who are supposed to be raising money for a good cause completely undo all of the good they could have done by acting immature and abhorrently disrespectful. We are not blaming the problems solely on the Phi Delta Theta chapter; there may have also been students in other Greek houses and unaffiliated students involved, in addition to members of the host fraternity. But because of the actions of a few, the entire fraternity, Greek life and SMU are being received in a very bad light.
It is very similar to the situation at this year’s Sing Song talent show, in which a different fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, was not allowed to perform because of members showing up drunk, and drinking while they were there. The members of the fraternity, for some inexplicable reason, were allowed to stay and watch the show, causing even more problems from the upper balcony.
But this is an issue on campus that keeps reappearing and has to be addressed. Ed Board commends Dr. Lori White for writing a letter to the student body and printing the two letters she received. The first step to fixing the problem is addressing it. And kudos to a member of the administration for publishing these letters for all the world to see; a risky PR move rarely seen at this university.
