Thursday, May 10, 1990 Oregon Daily Emerald Advertising Supplement
Century-old greek organizations are alive and kicking
"It von arc being rushed b\ a fraternity,
do not let it cause you to go doicn town
ansi purchase it bigger hat
/rum ihe t 'mi mil- StuJcm "Ht'lle" ft >■ >1- 10 ”
University forefathers pro!'
ably didn’t realize advice
such as this would still be
applicable to students of the 1990s.
The specifics mat change with the
times—it’s doubtful people run out
and buy new hats to celebrate
rush but many of the sentiments
and philosophies of the early days re
main alive today.
In 1901, the l niversitv established
Sigma Nu fraternity as the first greek
organization to exist on campus.
Other fraternities quickly followed,
with membership at around 1 b peo
ple in each house. The first sorority
on campus, (lamina Phi Beta, re
ceived its charter in 1908.
Although many traditions and rit
uals of the early days are upheld by
modern grecks, it seems that the ex
elusiveness and supreme secrecy of
the groups was taken much more sc
riously in the beginning. In the 1914
edition of the University's Student
Handbook, the incoming freshman is
advised that “if the fraternities desire
your fellowship' they will ask you.
Until then, the details of their activi
ties need not be of any interest to
you and the less you ask about them
or comment upon them, as a new
comer, the wiser you are.
According to the PUt- Prudent
Hnndbtxrk, every student in the
greek system was assigned to an up
perdassman in his or her organiza
non. 1 he upperclassman was "direct
Member* of the first sorority <>o campus, Mamma I'hi lieta, pose i>/i the step* ot
their house in I'fOti.
Is responsible to the fraternity tor
the scholastic standing ot his room
mate and his success in school acttvi
ties," for tire first two years of the
student's college career. In addition,
no freshman ssas allowed to leas e the
fraternity or sororitv house on a
school night “svithout special permis
sion from an officer of the fraterni
ty," ai c ording to the public at ion.
As the l niversitv expanded over
the years, the greek system also eti
joyed healths grosvth. I'niversity se
nior >ue Bright, sc ho first attended
school here in the earls N40s, said
greek affiliation seas tremendously
svtdespread during her das as a soror
ity member.
"When I moved to hugene, 1 real
i:ed that every girl in high school
was focused nil going to College just
tor sorority life,” Bright said. "Very
tew of them thought in terms ol hi
reers, they went to school to find
someone to marry.’'
Bright, who was a member ol
( Mtmn.l Bln Beta, said she tell a deep
sense of sisterhood with the rest of
the sorority members, because there
were only about 4s member- and all
were required to live in the house.
"We were also required to partki
pate m many mx lal and m honl ,u tiv
ities, but it was easier to do that be
i ause scIhhiI w as a breeze back
then,” she said. "We lias.) a lot ol
California girls in my sorority be
i ause they i ouldn’t get into the t all
forma {k run»l) system.
“Oregon ye .in .1 country club back
then," Bright added "We IukI plenty
ot time ti' Jo 'Mickey Mouse
things.”
Bright Juln’t graduate Juring
those “Mu key Mouse" Jays, bei ause
she left sy hoot to join the Navy at
the Beginning of World W ar I After
getting married, raising ti family and
getting divori ed, she .ltd she tin.illy
found time to get Back to the l ni
yeroty to finish her degree require
merits.
Bright said she knows of tyyo
yeomen yy ho were sorority members
at the l 'diversity during its inception
on i umpus.
" I liev still talk about those days,"
Bright said "IhcyYe gone through
life Being old son >i ity gii h."
I he popularitv ot greek organiM
lions lontinued to groyy at a regular
rate until it reached a j'eak in the
early 1960s, when there ycerc JJ fra
tei nines and it' sororities on i.tmpus.
In the Into lM'Os, hoyyever, mem
Bership in the greek system dropped
dramatically, causing 14 houses to
i lose in the period ot six years. By
the fall of 1*470, only six percent of
the student body was involved in the
greek system. I he rising anti-estab
lishment mood anil sixial changes
during the Viet Nam era contributed
to the dei line in greek popularity.
.\ho, racial discrimination clauses in
house i barters added to the slump in
membership, according to an Oit.
31. 1*471 article in the Register
( hi.irJ.
Since that periixl of decline, the
Turn to HISTORY, I’u.y hfi
GREEK
LIFE
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