"No Means Yes"

On May 17th an article came out in the New York Times talking about the five year ban of Delta Kappa Epsilon at Yale University.  The article explains that the Fraternity had their pledges chant degrading things towards women last October, along the lines of "No Means Yes" and other ridiculous vulgarities.  The University issued severe penalties on the Fraternity and recommended to Delta Kappa Epsilon's nationals that the chapter be suspended for five years. Nothing has been released as to whether or not their Nationals will do so, but Doug Lanpher, executive director of DKE International thinks that although the actions were out of line the reaction is too excessive as it is, without the five year ban.


The rest of the article can be found: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/education/18yale.html

I understand the actions of Yale.  It is important to make a showing of the organization that is supposed to represent so many good things, but instead goes off and makes ridiculous mistakes like this one.  Lanpher already talked about how they will be doing a complete review of their pledge process which I think is important, and although the actions were completely absurd and uncalled for, a review of the pledge process is very necessary, but a five year ban might not be.  If DKE International is able to teach, especially the new members, that that is not what they are all about, a shutting down of the organization may be necessary for a year or two to allow them to rebuild and bring in Men whom will uphold their organizational values.  But a five year ban will cause the organization to completely fall through the cracks, and will prohibit DKE from coming back in full force, with a strong support system.  


The last statement is something I really have an issue with.  The last paragraph of the article is the last impression anyone gets from something they are reading, and something they are most likely to remember the best of all.  The last paragraph of the article reads this

"Presca Ahn, a 2010 graduate who signed the complaint to federal officials, praised the       university for making its actions public. “It’s good to finally see an exception to the impunity with which fraternities harass and intimidate women every year in their initiation rituals,” she said."

The first thing I think when I read that statement, at least as someone in a Fraternity, is that this person is not in Greek Life and more likely than not, has not met many, if any, men in Fraternities.  I know that lots of situations cause people to think that all those stereotypes must be true, but to go out and say what she said shows that she is not even willing to realize that there MANY Men and Women in Greek organizations that do not support the stereotypes and it is important for her, and all others to realize that.  

We as Greeks should hold ourselves to higher standards, sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.  But at the end of the day many people don't give us the chance to show them one way or another.

Of course I do not know her situation, but she also does not know ours.