With the recent suspension of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), the Judiciary of the Committee on Fraternities and Sororities has set a strict precedent for the start of the 2006-2007 academic year.
While some agree with the committee's strong response, many others feel that the punishment far exceeds the cause and question whether or not the board's decision will harm, rather than help, the Greek Life on campus.
Ari Allen, master of the Tufts chapter, has called the suspension "too harsh" and cites past incidences in which other fraternities or sororities suffered lesser penalties for infractions of equal or greater severity.
While Allen is quick to address these inequalities, he also inadvertently concedes that rule-breaking has become synonymous with Greek life on the Tufts campus over the past few years, namely fraternities and sororities engaging in hazing and possession of kegs while on social probation.
Unfortunately for AEPi, the organization of a formal while on social probation is the latest in a series of incidences in which rules are simply disregarded. In November 2005, not one but two incidences related to alcohol consumption incriminated the fraternity.
The social probation imposed upon AEPi by the Judiciary of the Committee on Fraternities and Sororites was seen as a slap on the wrist; the fraternity was punished according to the infractions committed, but was still allowed to function for both the benefit of itself and its members, as well as the University.
Fraternities and sororities have the potential to be an incredible force on campus and in the surrounding community.
Their emphasis on community service and philanthropy makes their existence on the Tufts campus not only important but vital to the greater Tufts experience.
Yet, it was the choice of AEPi, and not the committee, that resulted in their suspension. Continued infractions placed the fraternity's character into question, and breached a required level of trust between the fraternity and the administration.
The Jelke Report, released last September, addressed this gap between "a shift in fundamental values for the Tufts Greek system" and the continued need for Greek Life on campus.
AEPi, as well as other fraternities and sororities on campus, cannot continue to flout the rules and regulations which have previously protected their integrity as student organizations.
Without a strict response, the Judiciary of the Committee of Fraternities and Sororities would slowly allow these organizations to shift their initial focus on goodwill and a sense of brotherhood.
In many ways, the strict enforcement of University standards is the best that the administration can do to ensure that fraternities and sororities alike continue to serve the Tufts community in a positive and constructive way.
The rest is up to the members of Tufts Greek life to decide. While many may feel strongly that the punishment is too severe, the survival of the chapter ultimately rests on the degree to which members accept personal responsibility for their actions.
Only then can members of AEPi move forward and come back stronger than ever.
