Column: Fighting Moneta's repression

"Romantic escapism." Waste of Time. Superficial. I never would have expected these terms to be used by school officials in describing a student-initiated project. Unfortunately, these are the words used by Larry Moneta and Sue Wasiolek to criticize an undertaking that is exactly what this campus needs. To come out so strongly against the off-campus reorganization of SAE and Kappa Sig is a sign that Duke University no longer cares about those who choose to not simply fall in line.

Warning freshmen about off-campus fraternities in such an outright manner as these two did is a disgrace. These two groups are fairly playing the hand Duke has dealt them. Only they did not accept failure. They chose to create their own college experience and diversity, rather than have it force-fed to them by the powers that be. Moneta would not have been happier had the fraternities accepted the punishments they were being offered, losing pledge classes and fading silently from the scene. Instead, they did what should be expected from students of this so-called "institute of higher learning." They beat the system, and now it appears that the system is running scared.

Two years ago, several of my friends and I accepted our bids to Phi Kappa Psi, having received threats of sanctions, yet not fully aware of what was at stake. Less than a week later, the Annual Review Committee took away our housing, and all but led to the dissolution of Phi Psi. The Interfraternity Council had no problem taking the $40 fees from the 30 or so of us who accepted bids and then dropped us like a bad habit. We were shell-shocked, and while our friends in other fraternities were all pledging, we were left feeling betrayed. I only wish we had half the vision that the members of Kappa Sig and SAE have now (and they will be known by those names no matter what they are forced to call themselves). Before we knew it, it was April, the school had taken our bench, and we juniors were handed the fate of being the last Phi Psi class on campus, if you could even call us that. The school, I'm sure, was ecstatic. The first step in its goal to kill the social life at Duke was complete, and there would be no formidable response.

That was until SAE started what I hope becomes the norm at Duke--their own rush, separate from the rules and regulations of the IFC. Adding Kappa Sig this year is the next step in turning the tables on people like Moneta. Not only is it a great effort to continue tradition despite major setbacks, but it also finally shows the administration that we will not stand back while they attempt to have us fit their mold of a Duke student. It is the school's worst nightmare that the fraternity system which seemed to be given its last rites only a few months ago now has a system in place to not only survive, but also is out of the school's jurisdiction.

Last week Moneta wrote a guest commentary, writing about his vision for a "village." While it is easy to take credit for the extra beds now on West Campus, what changes have in fact been made to benefit us, the heart and soul of Duke University? Eliminating Trent as a residence hall? Must have been such a tough decision once you could house the population of a small country on West Campus. And let me tell you, the addition of Subway has made my life so much more "diverse." Moneta goes further, claiming that the move of the student nightlife off campus is due to the "growing maturity and sophistication of the student body." It couldn't have anything to do with the systematic elimination of any fun on campus, could it? And as much as it pains me to say, let's see the guest commentary Moneta provides after the first, and certainly inevitable, death due to drunk driving coming from an off-campus bar. Then we will truly see how beneficial this "village" will be. Moneta and Wasiolek should fix the problems that exist, before showing their fear of off-campus fraternities that have not even been given a chance to succeed.

Let me be the first to officially call for an apology from Moneta and Wasiolek to the members of Kappa Sig and SAE. Shame on you. If there is one thing this school should encourage, it is student initiative. To publicly not only oppose but also severely criticize these two off-campus fraternities' efforts goes against everything this "University" should stand for. It has worked at universities like Emory, and it will work here. I am making a public call to those fraternities and/or living groups who are being targeted by the school: join in with SAE and Kappa Sig. In the words of Rage Against the Machine, "take the power back." Show this school that you can do anything you set your mind to, and that you will not be pressured into the "village" image those we pay to run our University have for us.

Tal Hirshberg is a Trinity junior. His column appears every third Wednesday.