More Greeks than you’d think

Dear Editor,

Carrie Underwood. Joy Behar. Kevin Costner.

What do a singer, a television host, and an actor have in common?

All of them are Greek.

As an active member of the Greek community, I was appalled at Ben Breier’s article in the Daily Kent Stater about the upcoming USS elections. Besides having incorrect facts, the editorial speaks ill of a community here at Kent State that has truly enhanced campus life.

What community puts on one of the biggest philanthropy events on campus, resulting in thousands of dollars to better a charitable organization?

What community consistently invites well-known entertainers to Kent State’s campus, drawing over 1,000 students and filling the capacity of the ballroom?

Are you sensing a pattern? The Greek community at Kent State has worked tirelessly to make sure this campus is “the place to be.”

I have an issue with a person who makes an assumption about an entire group of people because of a particular individual’s actions. I also have an issue with a person who criticizes instead of taking the initiative to make the difference himself. Mr. Breier’s editorial talks about Greek members of the Undergraduate Student Senate and their inability to complete their platforms while in office. Though I may or may not agree with their accomplishments during their terms, I can say at least they took the initiative to better our campus community.

I urge the Kent State community to draw their own opinions on Greek Life instead of using one person’s conclusion. Why are there 10 Greeks running for Undergraduate Student Senate? It is because of their desire to better our university, not only for the Greek community, but for everyone.

Please vote for the best candidates, Greek or not on March 14. I hope that one person’s column will not discourage anyone from voting for a particular person because of his or her Greek affiliation.

By the way, Toga parties are so out of style.

Beth Bloom

sophomore integrated language arts major

Column was inappropriate

Dear Editor,

I would like a chance to respond to Tuesday’s column, “The Perfect USS Platform.” I understand that this was an opinion piece, but I would appreciate a chance for an opposing opinion to be heard.

Although this article was written by a journalism major, it is evident throughout the article, that responsible journalism was not on the top of the author’s priority list when penning this column.

The article obviously supported Preston Mitchum, who I agree is a “more than qualified candidate,” but it also seemed to put down all of the IOU ticket, without supporting arguments with any sort of evidence, or even mentioning a name on that ticket, other than Katie Hale. The only evidence presented is personal opinion, and seeing as I have no idea who the author is, I hope you don’t take offense when I say that I do not value your opinion too strongly.

It mentions that some of the IOU candidates are members of Greek organizations, but you seem to forget that these candidates also hold positions in ACPB, Allocations Committee, Financial Management Organization, and numerous other campus organizations.

The article also states that “toga parties and belligerent behavior” are a focus of fraternities and sororities. The article didn’t make mention of the thousands of community service hours logged each year, the countless campus leadership positions held, and the tens of thousands of dollars raised for numerous charitable organizations every year thanks to the efforts of Greeks.

If you look at the numbers, you would notice that 88 percent of the people running for senate are Greek. Can you really get so upset with them, when there are so few non-Greeks choosing to run in an election that is open to anyone? Also, it seems to have slipped your mind that Mr. Mitchum was a member of this so called Greek ticket last year, and just like the other senators, “played giddy-up on the Greek pony all the way to their senate seats.”

This article is in no way intending to knock on Preston, who I personally believe is an extremely strong candidate. This is more of a plea to students not to fall into a narrow-minded, ignorant way of thinking.

Also, to quote the column, “Greeks work the system in order to rally several people to vote for them, regardless of their previous qualifications.” Is that not how our bipartisan American government system works? It is not always the most qualified person that is the most successful. It may not be fair, but this is how the world works. It is also the ignorance of things like this article that perpetuate the negative stereotypes placed on fraternities and sororities, so on behalf of the Kent State Greek Community, I extend the author a resounding, and completely sarcastic, THANK YOU!!

Mike Melfi

junior finance major

Want to win an election: get the most votes

Dear Editor,

Oh my Gosh! The secret is out. Now everyone knows how Undergraduate Student Senators gain their positions. They secretly plot and continuously succeed on “working the system.” They go about campaigning for USS in such a horrible way, what with getting people to vote for them and stuff just because they are networked with a large group of people. What makes it worse is that they always win just because they have more votes then anyone else. That’s just not fair!

One’s gotta love the college student spirit of claiming what is fair and what is not. Who would think that getting a large group of people to vote for you because they are in the same general organization would actually work? Oh wait, isn’t there some sort of government election that runs the same way? I think its something like voting for somebody because they are in your.what was it? I remember it was something about some sort of *blank* allegiance. Oh well it’ll come to me eventually.

I can’t believe that once again the same article has come out in the Stater, lets whine because the Greeks are organized and can rally all together for the same cause; whether that is for philanthropic fundraising events such as Delta Zeta’s Lipsync and Songfest, or voting for fellow Greek students who only wish to help make Kent State a better place. The organization and networking skills that students gain by being in a fraternity or sorority while they are in college is one of the biggest reasons for going Greek in the first place. By being Greek, every fraternity man or sorority woman has the chance at being in something that is bigger then themselves, both locally on campus and nationally with their respective chapter.

So let us get mad at students for using the advantages that they have chosen to possess and have others denied or showed no interest in. It’s definitely their fault for being so damn organized, and being able to network and communicate with others, what good is that going to do them out in the “real” world anyway.

Good luck to all candidates in the USS election, and a little piece of advice. If you’re running against a Greek nominee, you may want to campaign a little harder.

Christopher Trempe

proud member of the KSU Greek Community

Candidate’s column brings up interesting points

Dear Editor,

I was moved by Miss Hale’s column in the Stater on Wednesday. She brought up several valid points that should be addressed.

Yes, each year USS ends up being mostly Greek students. It happens. The Greek community, though it represents less than 10 percent of the student body, is “organized” enough to elect nearly anyone. This hasn’t changed.

It’s okay, I.O.U., I don’t mind a Greek USS. Kudos to those of you who have been elected. And let’s not kid ourselves – kudos to those we know will be elected this year. A word of caution though: it is not enough to be elected by a well-organized minority population of campus.

You see, as USS senators you’ll be expected to actually do something. Your predecessors have left a bad taste in the mouths of those who aren’t in your direct social circles. USS has done little worth noting for the undergraduate population over the past five years, or so it seems.

This year’s USS distributed 98 percent of its budget before spring semester. But I can’t recall an event that was worthwhile for a broad section of campus. I don’t feel I’m alone. As representatives of the 18,000+ undergraduate students, shouldn’t allocations have been more responsible with how those funds were used? Shouldn’t USS have been more critical of ACPB for failing to bring in meaningful bands and speakers?

Next year’s candidates are running the same way the primarily Greek tickets of the past have. They’ve banded together on a cleverly named ticket, and promised to change the quality of life for undergrads. It feels like the same election we’ve had for the past four years.

This year’s election is March 14, and each candidate has yet to outline a platform or agenda for next year. Even their I.O.U. Facebook group is lacking this information, which you would think the near 1000 members would want before just arbitrarily deciding to vote for students who will control over $215,000 in funds that come directly from their tuition. And you wonder why many undergrads think Greeks swing the vote.

This process has become commonplace to the point that in the undergraduate body there is an extreme absence of passion towards USS. We just don’t care anymore. Non-Greek candidates rarely win unless they run unopposed, and we’ve come to expect what USS has largely given us over the past few years. Nothing.

Each year the Daily Kent Stater and USS candidates encourage students to get out and vote. Each year voter turnout is awful. It’s because we know. We know who will win as soon as the candidates are announced. We know nothing will happen during the next year that will impact us in a meaningful way. But most importantly we know that running for USS isn’t about changing the quality of life for Kent State undergrads. It’s about resum‚ building. And I hope this year’s ticket, when (not if) they’re elected, will try to break the trend.

Michael Vaughn

senior English major

Renter’s Guide needs more substance

Dear Editor,

As I was glancing through the Stater yesterday, I noticed an ad for your yearly “Renters Guide.” I remember seeing the renters guide year after year, and then I remembered how it never changes from year to year.

The Do’s and Don’t of renting, ads upon ads upon ads. Aside of remembering how painstakingly similar the renters guide is, I wondered why you don’t include a very important section: Who NOT to rent from.

Last year I rented from a man I thought was the sweetest man in the world, only to come to realize that he is the scummiest of scum bag landlords. We almost took him to court twice and through student legal services we came to realize he has the most complaints and court cases of any landlord in Kent.

Also thanks to Portage county (who puts criminal records on its Web site for all to see) we also learned how many times he was taken to court, and let me tell you it was more than five times. So I asked myself why doesn’t the Stater include a section in the “Renters Guide,” so us poor college students don’t get screwed over time and time again. Thank-you for consideration.

Kelley Furey

senior communications major

Sorry Grey-ers

Dear Editor,

I am writing in regards to all those articles about the crowded lounges of “Grey’s Anatomy” lovers. I am writing in regards to the girls who re-arrange their studying around the one hour drama. I am writing in regards to the stereotypes that follow them. I am writing in regards to all the fun I made of those who had “nothing better to do then waste their time watching the most mindless, over-dramatic, unreal sequential television show ever aired.” I am so sorry.

It all started when I got strep throat. Having to stay in for three days, I was miserable, so my dearest roommate suggested she pop in Season 1 of “Grey’s Anatomy.” I refused at first because well, “I have standards.” But, I gave in.

Oh my god.

Two days later and seven discs in, I’m a foot from the television crying with Meredith as she copes with her mother’s Alzheimer’s while yelling at Christina for being outlandishly stubborn. Eight discs deep and I’m pissed at Alex for cheating on Izzy. Nine, and I’m loving Dr. Burke for arranging his books via the Dewey Decimal System (if you knew me, you’d know why). Ten, and I’m in search of my own McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey if you’re reading this I love you). Last disc, the end of season 2, I again hate every “Grey” lover out there because while they’re enjoying season 3, I’m writing a letter to the editor apologizing for my supercilious judgments. I am so sorry.

And to those pending to watch this mind-sucking, GPA-detrimenting, dreamy/steamy seeking drama series, DON’T. You’ll hate the brilliant, ruthless writers for making you love something so clich‚ so much.

Anna Carney

freshman exploratory major