Fraternity and Christian Life
I had quite an amazing/fascinating/intense day today for many reasons... However tonight I will only get into one of them -I am a founding father of a fraternity at USC. Before visions of Animal House flash through your mind, it is a chapter of a national Christian fraternity, and there is a chapter here in colorado - at CU Boulder. I recently have been getting involved with the chapter in Boulder in the role of chapter advisor. Tonight was my first night. If you have been keeping up with the news, you know that a pledge of a fraternity died about two weeks ago from alcohol poisoning. Check out these articles.
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2004/09/29/news/news01.txt
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2004/10/11/news/news01.txt
So, for my first appointment, I accompanied the current active chapter advisor to a meeting with Vice Chancellor Ron Stump and all the other fraternity chapter advisors. The agenda of this meeting on hand is to discuss with the leadership of the fraternities how to solve the problem on hand of "over-consumption of alcohol". The university has proposed "deferred rush" as a helpful means to reach a solution. Deferred rush means that students could not pursue fraternity membership until their 2nd or 3rd semester in college, depending on what the university would decide.
It would end the existence of many fraternities, including the one which I represent.
Which is dry.
And the university seems to not care.
After two hours of discussion, Stump said that basically nothing he had heard had even impressed him and he was convinced that deferred rush was the answer. Even though every fraternity president, chapter advisor, and national leadership council at CU is strongly opposed to the idea, and even though deferring rush does nothing to tackle a cultural issue at the root of a drinking issue within a college community.
What an interesting conundrum. The fraternity I represent is dry. It is "doing" things the way the university would like to see. However we are a member of IFC (Inter-Fraternity Council), and subject to the same hammer being dropped. A deferred rush will hurt the Greek community and not solve a single issue. Fraternities will be backed against a wall and be worrying about chapter survival rather than alcohol education. There was talk this evening about dissolving relations with the university as an entire Greek system.
What is our role in this process? How do I as a leader of a Christian fraternity act with widsom and discernment in this situation? What kind of voice needs to be heard? How in the heck do I be used as influence in this overwhelming setting, and how do I even try to influence the correct decision? The core issue is a matter of character. Sure - if the Greek system all accepts Christ, you will see a steep decline in binge drinking. But we cannot legislate morality. And we also cannot legislate alcohol (ie The Prohibition). Change will only come from a shift in culture, and a shift in culture will only come from a change in values.
So again, what is my role?
posted by Devo @ 2:45 AM
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