Introducing the Greek Archive! Maintaining Continuity, Consistency & Heritage
With disaffiliation from the University, comes the potential loss of 50+ years of rich Greek Life heritage and tradition. It might not be a perfect heritage…but it is rich. So interesting in fact that the topic of Greeks and “greek shenanigans” has been the subject of many an entertaining Hollywood movie. As a result, it would be a damn shame of the heritage of Bloomsburg Greeks would fade into oblivion. The Greek Alumni Association plans to make sure that doesn’t happen.
An old Year book photo from the Obiter. Legend has it, this house was abandoned, but the fellas made an appointment to be photographed here as to appear to be squatters.
What is Heritage? Tradition?
In College years, anything over five semesters old, might qualify as a “tradition”. This is both a good thing, and a bad thing about College and more specifically Greek Life.
It’s a bad thing because sometimes someone does something stupid…completely on their own accord, and someone else sees it, and repeats it, and with just a tiny bit of time…all subsequent students think it’s some kind of “tradition” as old as the organization itself.
It’s a good thing because just as easy as these false traditions can be started…they can be stopped. Fix the situation, and within a few semesters…it’s like it never happened. The memory of a greek organization is very short, without constant reinforcement.
How would one define a “real” tradition? Are they good things, or bad things that doom new students to the same behaviors as past students? The answer is “yes”.
Traditions (like most things) can be both good and bad. The tradition that make your organization proud, and that you feel comfortable talking about with anyone…are good.
Traditions that you have to talk about in hushed tones, or lie about, or can’t tell your parents about are most likely bad. These are typically “organization ending” activities that bring great shame and embarrassment if ever discussed publicly.
Who’s responsible for our heritage now?
So, now that there is no Greek Life Office at the Kehr Union Building, and the paddles have been taken down, and the display cases emptied, and the banners removed from the rafters, what can greeks expect in regard to venues for communicating their traditions to new generations of students? If the five semester rule holds true, in just a few more semesters, students who don’t go to parties might never even come in contact with anything “Greek”. And if they have no contact, how can they determine if it might have merit for them personally?
Heck, some of the students are so unsure of the landscape that they won’t even wear greek letters on campus for fear of persecution at the hands of the newly revised and more deadly, Code of Conduct. It’s not worth getting kicked out of school for wearing letters…so the smart/worried greeks don’t.
Compare Greeks visibility to years past…
Anyone over a certain age can compare this present day scenario with the days of a Kehr Student Union PACKED with Greek Student. Wall to wall greeks. All peacefully commingling and having fun together.
No alcohol,
no drugs,
no depravity.
Just lots of pinochle cards, book bags, and clothes piled everywhere. A perfect place to see and meet Greeks in neutral location, in order to make plans for your weekend “off time”. Where or when can students see Greeks today that isn’t a beer-soaked damp basement, dirty house, or crowded club? Is it any wonder the reputation of greeks is in decline, if these are the only venues in which we are allowed to exist?
When my daughter attended orientation at Bloomsburg University a few years ago, the OWLs were very informative on most topics. However, when it came to the topic of Greek Life, they had very little information. Most of what they said at orientation resembled rumors than a specific facts. The crowd had a lot of questions about Greeks, but most were not answered…for lack of information. My daughter and I wound up answering some new students and their parents after the orientation. This is no way to present a group that most polls and measures show as a factor in 40% of students decision to apply to a school…or not.
The Greek Archive
Send your photos!
Fill out your page!
The Greek Alumni Association is creating a place to preserve that heritage, the REAL traditions, and some of our photographic history. If Campus won’t show it…we will! We want students to have access to a gallery of photos that help capture your organizations history and “vibe”. We have created a folder for these collections and you can see it HERE.
Each organization will be given room for up to 20 photos and a few paragraphs to capture their essence and character.
These collections can be modified at any time, and will be posted for posterity.
These collections will hopefully be collaborations between your older and younger members to most accurately depict the history and traditions of your organization.
Organizations must keep the materials appropriate, and the Greek Alumni Association retains the right to define what constitutes “appropriate”. In broad strokes: things that reflect poorly on individuals or organizations, or Greeks in general won’t be allowed.
