3 Arguments to Save the Greek System--and 3 Arguments to Disband It.

The Greek system at Chico State is in a fight to stay around. In Orion postings and letters to the editor, people propose both keeping and getting rid of the system. And there are valid arguments for each.

Before I go any further, let me explain I don't have a stance on whether the Greek system stays or goes. I honestly don't really care either way.

Now, the Greeks at Chico have both redeeming and retracting qualities. So, first, here are three arguments for keeping the Greek system:

Disbanding the Greeks creates more trouble. The most troublesome fraternity around Chico for many years has (or, I guess it's more of a "had" now) been Chi Tau, which was kicked out of the Interfraternity Council and lost university recognition years ago for repeatedly violating the school's alcohol policy. After being kicked off campus, the fraternity just changed its name and started acting independently. If the university were to kick all Greek organizations off campus, you could have a lot of new Chi Taus running around Chico raising hell. And that would be one gigantic headache.

The university will lose out on the positives. When Greeks operate the way they are supposed to, the system is a real feather in a university's cap, with community efforts and philantrophy. That's why the elimination of the Greek system is (or should be) a last resort for the university. Without a Greek system, there is no chance whatsoever for Chico State to reap the benefits of a Greek system that's actually functioning well.

Punishing the many because of the few? There are hundreds of students in the Greek system. The stupidity has been done by a few dozen. Most Greeks wouldn't fathom forcing friends to drink gallons of water, chugging vodka like it was water, getting behind the wheel of a car with cocaine in their system, strangling a newborn, or inviting porn stars in their house with cameras rolling. It would seem strange to allow the actions of a few to punish such a large number.

Now, there are also very valid arguments for eliminating the Greek system. Let's look at those:

Greek philantrophy isn't that great, once you think about it. You're essentially having to twist arms to get the philantrophy to really occur. And the philantrophy being done in Chico's Greek system is really marginal. In MySpace discussions, there is boasting going on about an $800 canned food drive and $2000 raised for Ronald McDonald House. Sounds great, but let's look at Greek dues. Can't find Chico State dues, so this may be off, but at James Madison University, Greek dues start at $125 a year, but most are more. So let's say all Chico Greeks pay $125 in dues, and there are (just throwing a reasonable number out) 800 members. That's $100,000 raised in yearly dues. True philantrophy would raise more money than it costs. So $2,800 for a couple events isn't that big of a deal in the face of $100,000 in dues. Other campus groups do a much more noticable amount of fund-raising as compared with the money being poured into it, and don't create as much possible tarnish on the image of Chico State.

There is such a thing as bad press. And Greeks have contributed to a lot of it. And for more than just this semester. We're talking about this semester, last semester, the semester before that. All three of the past semesters, there have been deaths that are, in some form, related to Chico's Greek system. That's not "isolated incidents." That's a track record.

One bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. Sure, only a few Greeks have been perpetrating the negative incidents. But, are they exceptions to the norm, or just the most prominent symptoms of the disease? Why not play it safe and make sure more diseases don't pop up under the university's watch?

So, there you are. Three arguments for the Greek system, and three arguments against. Take it from here.