A thorough reading of the article published in Thursday’s The Daily Campus yields only one conclusion: Greek leaders on SMU’s Substance Abuse Task Force are certainly doing their utmost to secure the Greek community’s continued existence on campus.

Notice I did not say “right to exist” on campus (See the SMU Student Code of Conduct – Section 5.01: “Fraternities and sororities derive their recognition through their invitation from the University President to establish a chapter on the SMU campus. It is the continuation of that invitation that legitimizes their existence at SMU.”)

Clearly, Greek life is not as permanently ingrained in campus culture as some would have you believe, as evidenced by the departure of numerous organizations from our campus over previous decades, and most recently seen in the closing of the Beta Theta Pi house (soon to be the temporary home of Residence Life and Student Housing).

I am compelled to respond to the article published yesterday because I am concerned that members of the Task Force seem to have lost sight of its original aim. These individuals claim they are well aware of their charge to “research and recommend improvements to current policy,” “not to implement change that will shatter Greek life as we know it.”

However, in writing this article and seeking to reassure an understandably nervous Greek system that they are steadfast in their commitment to defend it, they have established themselves as advocates for the Greek system, not simply representatives of it. How can we be sure that they will discharge their duties on this Task Force with requisite objectivity, rather than engaging in a frenetic scurry from chapter to chapter, reassuring Greek members and assuaging growing fears and concerns regarding a complete shutdown of Greek life on campus?

Certainly, one may argue that simply being a part of the Greek system obligates them to speak in favor of it. After all, what rational person would want to bash a facet of our campus culture that they are involved in?

However, it is no secret that Greek life has some serious issues to resolve, not just related to alcohol and drugs, and excusing or attempting to diminish the severity and imperative nature of such issues is irresponsible.

By assuring members of the Greek community that their beloved organizations are safe from the ever-widening scope of the Task Force’s investigation, a few members are placing themselves in dangerous territory. This is simply a guarantee that they cannot make.

Despite the obvious lack of final authority to make such a declaration, their public statement in yesterday’s editorial column neglects several things: Nowhere in their article do they acknowledge that Greeks have a disproportionately large hand in contributing to the number of alcohol and drug incidents on campus, nor do they do much more than cite a few obligatory statistics which traditionally attempt to draw one’s attention away from the obvious flaws in Greek systems nationwide. There is simply a feeble plea for students to voice their opinions in an open forum, for which, as we have seen in more than one instance campus-wide, attendance should not be expected to overwhelm anyone.

As a member of a Greek organization myself, I applaud the Task Force for including so many student members that represent the Greek system. Administrators see the value of those voices and I am certain they intended for those “Greek leaders” to have taken a stand before now within their own chapter and to have begun making changes. Alas, little can be shown as evidence of such actions.

As far as the allegation that the Greek system will close altogether: As I am now in my senior year, I definitely want to return to campus in the coming years and visit my fraternity house and see all of the positive changes that will undoubtedly take place there.

I will assume that SMU’s forthcoming changes regarding drugs and alcohol will have made a significant impact on the lives of my brothers as well as those in houses campus-wide. This is simply a conjecture based on my hope for what the Task Force will bring to bear with December’s recommendations. In the meantime, what do we do? Just sit idly by and continue doing what we’ve always done?

Where they were silent, I will say what some would not: every Greek man and woman needs to stand up and become an active part of the solution to the problems on our campus-TODAY.

Yes, having representatives on the Task Force is a step in the right direction, and having a panel discussion last Friday with a few hand-picked members of the Greek community certainly makes one think that houses are taking an interest in the Task Force’s mission. But when each house and each brother and sister takes it upon him or herself to put down the bottle, needle or rolled dollar bill and say to one another either, “I need help” or, “I know you need help and I won’t let you do this to yourself anymore.” That is where the solution lies.

This is not a novel concept. It’s called being a friend, a brother, a sister, a mentor and a lifesaver.

But where is the passion to start making changes now? Passion and pride are what make Greek organizations some of the most intriguing groups on any campus. The ever-present barrage of brightly colored, letter-emblazoned jerseys and the tongue-in-cheek “frat tees” show how proud Greeks are about their affiliations.

Why not be proud enough to take a stand? If having a beer is what fraternity and sorority life was based on, those crests and shields adorning chapter house doorways would feature beer steins and kegs rather than swords, arrows, crowns, keys, hearts and crosses.

A fraternity shirt I once saw pretty much summed it up for me: Greek life is nothing more than a catchy slogan spelled in Greek letters that translates to “Get drunk.”

Encapsulated in time, constantly gazing with grave expressions in photographs hung on chapter house walls, the founders still speak through the words of ritual and the guiding principles which form the basis of each Greek organization. Aspiring to lofty ideals and a pledge to uphold “service above self” are what once made organizations like ours worth joining.

What would those long-departed men and women say about the current state of affairs in which their Greek-letter organizations find themselves?

I am certain they would remind us of our obligations to society and to our school, impressing heavily upon us a need to speak out and take steps within our own chapters right now to stop what we know to be a major source of grief for many people affected by tragedy.

Rather than speaking out defending our Greek chapters and their flaws, let us acknowledge we have a problem and work together to find a solution. Maybe then we won’t have to “defend” ourselves anymore at all.

About the writer:

Brooks Powell is a senior political science major.He can be reached at [email protected].