Not Funding Greeks Perpetuates Divisions

I am writing in response to the very ignorant letter written by Dennis Reardon in response o the True 2’s efforts to obtain funding for the Greek System here at Boston University. I am sure Mr. Reardon was pulling for the Truant slate so that he could get his precious cable TV, which is obviously clouding his brain with antique notions of what being a brother or a sister in the Greek system — especially the Greek system at BU, means. Mr. Reardon writes and I quote “I think what we need to do is focus our efforts more on improving worthwhile clubs and organizations that are doing community service and bringing people at BU together with our undergraduate fee.” This is one of the most largely promulgated misconceptions of the Greek system here on campus. One of things each chapter prides itself on it it’s dedication to the community. Last September the Greek system sponsored a day of service (open to the entire BU community might I add) in which over 300 students cleaned up the disguting banks of the Charles river. Last semester the sisters of Alpha Phi raised $4700 in their “Jail and Bail”, yet another event open to and actively involving the entire student body. Also last semester, the brothers of Lamda Chi Alpha collected more than 200 pounds of food to send to the homeless and hungry. This past February, the sisters of Gamma Phi Beta raised over $4000 for Special Olympics of MA by plunging into the icy cold Atlantic Ocean. This past week in fact, the brothers of Zeta Beta Tau raised over $600 to support the families of our troops overseas.What has your student organization done to benefit the community Mr. Reardon? Are you even in one? In respect to the idea of hazing … trust me when I say that greek life at BU is completely different from your idea of Greek life as portrayed in “Revenge of the Nerds and “Animal House”. No chapter on campus hazes any of its members. Why would one want to hang out with or call a group of people brothers or sisters if they embarass or beat the living hell out you? Maybe you have acceptance issues Mr. Reardon and that’s why you feed into this nonsense. I don’t, I never did, and that was not something I expected nor experienced when becoming a sister. Lastly, I would like to inform you, and all of campus for that matter that the IFSC on campus is the largest student organization on campus and we do NOT get funding of anytype for anything we do. Our upcoming Dance Marathon ( gee .. ANOTHER campus inclusive event — what is this school coming to!?!) is completely funded through our fundraising efforts and our IFSC dues. In addition, with the exception of the STudent Union and Programming Council, the Greek System sponsors in one way or another a vast majority of our campus events. With all the above being said and true, I find it extremely difficult to see how alloting funding to one the most active student groups is perpetual of division among the members of the student body. In no way are the members of the Greek system exclusive to their own. Almost all of my closest friends are not members of the Greek system, and even within the Greek system, I find that members in other fraternities and sororities are often the people I turn to when I am in need. I understand that you are a freshman Mr. Reardon and perhaps have yet to experience the full throttle effects the Greeks have on campus. I urge you to come to Dance Marathon next weekend and see what it’s about. Come find me, I’d be more than willing to fill you in on all the other great things we do!

Melissa Coughlin Gamma Phi Beta Sorority President CAS ’03

melcogs@bu.edu 617-254-8675 (home) 617-638-5643 (work until 830pm)