University: Frats Must Admit Women (1 Viewer)

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]Hmm, turns out men can be part of "Womanist House":[/SIZE]

http://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/housing/program/womanist_house.htm

Womanist House exists as a safe space for students who are committed to the issues of Wesleyan women, regardless of race, class, sex, sexual orientation, or cultural background. Within and outside of the house, the members of the Womanist House work to promote awareness of and dialogue about women's issues in the greater Wesleyan community and Middletown. Womanist House respects and supports its members whether or not they feel comfortable with the label "feminist" in recognition of the fact that feminism comes in many forms and that it does not speak to the experience of all women as it currently exists.

 

[Moe.]

There are two residential fraternities at Wesleyan according to the article. They are the only ones impacted by this. Find something better to complain about.

So it's not the principle but the number of fraternity members affected that matters? Based on that rationale, you would be opposed to this action at a university with a strong fraternity presence like, say, the University of Georgia?

And if we're concentrating on the number of people adversely affected, do you think there are more guys in those two Wesleyan fraternities who would prefer to remain a men's club or more Wesleyan women clamoring to become members of those two fraternities but who have been excluded against their wishes?

Regarding principle vs. number affected, from the article:


Peter Smithhisler, the chief executive of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, said any school that dictates what type of organizations students can join is "inhibiting fundamental principles of freedom of expression and freedom of association upon which our country is premised and upon which it functions. It is essential that fraternities be allowed to decide for themselves if they wish to offer co-ed membership."

This would never happen at Georgia. It's freakin Wesleyan. Settle down. As somebody else already mentioned, Ted Mosby. That's what we are dealing with here.

 

[rockaction]

I don't think the argument along the lines of "It's Wesleyan, so what's the big deal? They're already progressive" is a very good one. It would take a long, long time to explain why, but I'm not sure that a progressivist environment is well-served by becoming increasingly intolerant of self-selection and self-determination.

And using the term "freedom of association" as a justification for this is weird. If anything, this is a way to stunt freedom of association in its truest sense, rather than in its political one.

I can say that these frats off of campus are really almost incredibly toothless and considerate compared to other Greek systems and houses. I remember them letting my friend and I (both non-students and non-members) tap their keg in their common room so that we could drink more at their house when nobody else was there. They were not anything close to stereotypical. You're talking about a bunch of non-bros and genial people, for the most part.

Regardless, I've been on the tours of Wesleyan's graffiti basements, been in what I call this little "pocket of anarchy" in Middletown, CT. The basement tour is impressive. It's not something I can speak of too much (I'm clearly a tourist in a strange land) and If they want to run their university this way, that's how they'll run it. I bet the students adjust. I just disagree with it. I think in order to be a fully realized university, there should be some masculine separation -- if this is what the students ask for. Wesleyan needn't be a complete progressivist charm school with the appropriate modern manners. It's always weird to me when the overthrow of in loco parentis buts up against the values of those who fought so hard to overthrow the concept.

But enough of that. This is the University, where (and I tried to find the link, but couldn't find it) MGMT, as students, played an all-night dance party that consisted of nothing else but playing and re-mixing Boris Pickett's "The Monster Mash."

Even a political "right-winger" like me can enjoy the thought of that.

 

[rockaction]

eta* Just so people don't think I'm being hyperbolic, for anybody that cares (which I wouldn't unless I lived there.) http://wesleying.org/2010/04/20/activism-or-terrorism-the-chace-firebombing-twenty-years-on/

"And so it’s out of this spirit of general social unrest that certain students viewed the bombing as an understandable if not legitimate response to administrative disregard of widespread student concerns"

That line pretty much sums up these student activists.

Reminds me a bit of this.

"Rather, the firebombing reflected the bitter spirit of social unrest and student/administration tension that hung like a dark cloud over the long spring of 1990."

The long spring of 1990 . No wars (No Gulf yet, IIRC), no full-on recession, no anything. Just a long damn spring. Such tenure problems. So crazy. *sighs* Yeah, I get it's written as endemic but...

Can you all even imagine? This problem in 1990?

I love the Wezzys. Yeah, I made that up.

 

[ghostguy123]

People who want to join a club that is traditionally 100% comprised of the opposite sex are just the worst type of people.

Call me crazy, but wouldn't it be much more prudent to just establish a sorority there?

 

[ghostguy123]

Eventually they're going to stop being polite, and atart being real.

hahahahahhhha

 

[ghostguy123]

Not exposed at all to exposed? No, that's stupid.

I think if women join frats they will be around drugs and alcohol consumed in greater quantities with more frequency than they were previously.

Sure, that's possible. It's also possible that the presence of women may change the behavior of the fraternities, at least to some degree.

Not for the better. And especially not if this is being forced.

I hav a strange feeling the highlight movie reels going on in my head about how this could turn out.............probbaly aren't based in reality, and this is just gonna be horrible for lots of reasons.

 

[Fariq]

At Mississippi State they have a new rule that women must admit farts.

 

[parasaurolophus]

"Peers for queers"