FOCUS: Looking to the future?

With the release of its 21st Century Report, the Greek community may soon see overarching changes in its system The InterFraternity Council, Bicultural InterGreek Council and Panhellenic Council recently released their preliminary draft of the Greek community's 21st Century Report -- a plan that calls for an "Ivy-League Greek System." The plan emphasizes academics, community and University service, sensitivity and increased interaction between the three umbrella organizations. Students, faculty and administrators have reacted to the new plan with enthusiasm. The final draft is scheduled to be released this fall. IFC President and Alpha Epsilon Pi brother Josh Gottheimer said he expects full implementation within two years. The report aims to move the Greek system "in line" with the changing University by mandating changes for Big-C, IFC and Panhel, according to Gottheimer, a College junior. "We're working on a system that's going to be strong with the University in the future so we don't have to worry about being threatened," he said. "If we were to do nothing right now, we would be in an imperiled stance." Gottheimer explained that campus environments around the country are changing, and many Greeks nationwide worry that universities no longer want fraternities and sororities to be a prominent aspect of student life. The plan will ensure a healthy relationship between the University and the Greeks, he said, because it focuses on issues that "the University feels are important." Faculty and administrators, including University President Judith Rodin, Provost Stanley Chodorow, Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum and English Professor Robert Lucid have already endorsed the report. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski fully supports the plan, as well. And Greek community members have generally reacted well to the report, though there is some opposition. Pi Lambda Phi President Dante Skidmore, a Wharton junior, said he voted against the plan because it will not be enforced by all the houses. He explained that the plan will draw a lot of attention to Greeks and that they run the risk of failure. Pi Lam is the only house that voted against the plan, according to Gottheimer. "It has a lot of good ideas and good intentions, but they key thing here is [to] follow through," Skidmore said. "If we put ourselves on the spot, we're raising the guillotine above our heads." But Chodorow said he believes current Greek leaders are committed to implementing the plan and that enforcement will become easier with time as the mandates of the plan become tradition among houses. And Chi Omega sister and Wharton junior Deedrea Defoe said many sorority houses already followed recommendations in the plan before its release. She called implementing the report a matter of "coordination," rather than installment. "I think that in principle, it's a very good idea in the sense that Greek systems all over the country are needing to change to the new expectation that's placed up on them," Defoe said. "The 21st Century Report brings out the best of what the Penn Greek system has to offer." Alpha Epsilon Pi brother Roman Krislav, a College junior, praised the report for its initiative. "The 21st Century Report is a beautiful way for the Greek system to evolve with the University," he said. "It's sort of a compromise between what we have now and the college house system." Rodin validated Krislav's claims, saying that the goals of the plan are "very much in line with the overall goals of the University." "With this plan, the Greek system emphasizes its intentions to strengthen its own community and its relationship with the larger Penn community," Rodin added. The 21st Century Report mandates a minimum of two hours of community service per active IFC fraternity member each semester. Big-C and Panhel reaffirmed their commitment to community and University service in the report as well. The plan also implements minimum grade point average requirements for the IFC --EBig-C and Panhel already formalized academic standards prior to the report's drafting. Each umbrella organization will recognize its member house with the highest cumulative GPA each semester. And the IFC will grant $500 to its recognized chapter. Every Big-C, IFC and Panhel chapter must interact with a chapter from each of the other two umbrella organizations every semester. And the Big-C is taking steps to increase cohesion between its chapters as well. Reikofski said he believes people are often overcritical of the Greek system because they are an "easily identified population on campus." "There are alcohol poisonings going on in the residence halls and off campus," he said. "There is hazing that goes on in athletic teams and ROTC and other organizations on campus. There are weaknesses in organizations across campus, but the Greeks are the ones who have the fingers pointed at them." Gottheimer said some Greek members do and will break rules and "slip up," but people tend to focus on the negative and ignore the positive aspects of the system. "I think people are almost envious of all we have to offer our membership," he said. "Maybe they just want to find the negative side instead of believing how much we do and how much we do well." And Reikofski said that the "same fingers" that point at Greeks for mistakes don't recognize fraternity and sorority members for their positive accomplishments. "They don't point to the amount of community service that is done," he said. "They don't point to the grade point averages and scholastic support programs withing the Greek system -- they don't point to the quantity and quality of student leaders."

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