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Editorial: UA greek system should heed Dartmouth's warning

The nation's greek system is on the rocks.

Some universities have seen a recent degradation of fraternity life into a separatist, rich kids' club of binge drinking and social hobnobbing.

The University of Arizona's Greek Life has seen its first backlash toward house misbehavior with the eventual relocation of all alcohol-related parties to off-campus locations.

Dartmouth College took the hardest line yet by voting to eliminate all university charters from the greek system last week. This essentially means the houses can exist, but without any university backing or involvement - a tactic usually reserved as a punitive measure.

Dartmouth faculty made the vote, citing an incorrigible system that detracts from the entire academic atmosphere. Dartmouth felt the greek system was not worth saving, because of racist, wealth-based standards and interference with education.

While UA Greek Life is far from the train wreck that Dartmouth's apparently is, the system is in need of some well-thought-out self-reform in order to escape the disastrous fate of the latter.

The greek system is traditionally one of excellence, high standards, academic performance and social bonding. By joining a fraternity or sorority, a student should hope for greater involvement in the university community, and an experience of personal growth and maturity to remember forever. These are all admirable and worthy goals for an academic institution to strive for.

Unfortunately, too many contort these tenets by seeking only the social club atmosphere, coupled with alcohol use and child-like competition with other houses. The aspects of service and performance are then pushed to the margin, becoming a chore rather than a purpose.

The UA greek system must actively move toward inclusiveness and involvement in the community, and weed out the unfortunate newly forming traditions of separatism and even criminal activity.

This reform must happen from within, or the future ultimately holds a situation similar to Dartmouth's, where the university - fed up with lack of self-accountability - pulls the plug.

Although this seems to be the only ultimate power the universities will exercise upon greek life, it is hardly a solution. Instead, the college simply washes its hands of the problem, like a bad mother to a delinquent child.

The UA has only one house currently lacking charter, based on party violations - Zeta Beta Tau, a fraternity that is doing remarkably well with its own informal rushing. It's not hard to imagine why someone would rush a house with no university-based accountability.

It's impossible to say what the future holds for Dartmouth, but the UA's fraternities and sororities need to safeguard themselves from self-destruction, and embrace the admirable qualities originally associated with fraternity.

Otherwise, we most certainly will see a university filled with ZBTs and a greek system removed from the university community and academic life altogether.