Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
On-line edition: www.dailyemerald.com
Going to a sorority barn dance can
definitely bring a tew surprises when it
comes to the greek system
When I came to college I was dead set against the
greek system. Not in general, that is, but just for
myself. I try not to stereotype, but I don’t like to
party every weekend wearing Abercrombie &
Fitch. So imagine my surprise when I found myself at a
sorority party a week ago Saturday.
My next door neighbor, Ginger, invited me to attend
her sorority’s “barn dance,” as soon as she got her bid.
For the greek-impaired, “bid” means that she was asked
to join. She’s an Alpha Chi Omega. Various greek houses
host such “barn dances” around this time of year, but I’m
sure the Alpha Chi’s was the best. I figured a party
planned that far in advance must be quite the “to do” so I
said sure.
You must be wondering by now, as I was, what exactly
a “barn dance” is. Well basically, it’s a dance in a barn.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? And yet, that’s not what I
thought it was. I figured that we would party at the sorori
ty house and there might be hay on the floor. Perhaps a
scarecrow, but that was pushing it.
Before I get into the details of the event, there is one
thing you should know. There is a custom in the greek
system that goes along with the bam dance called “tap
ping.” Being a theater person, I assumed that I would
strap on my tap shoes and do a few good box steps.
Wrong. Tapping is the way that the girls announce to
their “sisters” who their date is by tackling him to the
ground. This would take a very long time if all the “sis
ters” didn’t assist in the tackle after about three seconds
into the attempt.
Back to the dance. We started out the evening around 5
p.m. at the “pre-funk,” or pre-function. Ginger and I and
about 15 other couples piled into a room at a local motel
for an hour and a half or so and ate pizza and talked and
watched the first part of the UO / Arizona game. It was
great.
Everyone there was very happy and talkative. We
couldn’t judge each other by our clothes because we
were ajl dressed ridiculously in overalls and flannel and
other barn attire. This allowed me to socialize with all
sorts of people that I wouldn’t be able to in my normal
clothes.
There was one fellow in particular who was just over
joyed. His date coincidentally must have been named
“Date,” seeing as that was all he called her and she re
sponded every time. I thought that was funny.
Around 9 p.m. everyone going to the dance gathered
in the US Bank parking lot to load into the buses that
would escort us to the barn. Instead of “Hail to the bus
driver,” the girls sang their merry sorority songs along
the way.
All the while the dirt road caused the car to bump like
so many Honda Civics.
We got to the barn, and much to my surprise, it was a
barn. There were horses corralled on one side and hay
bails stacked to the ceiling, and a broken tractor sat lone
ly outside the doors.
A number of security guards dressed entirely in black
told us the rules, which included instructions not to pee
on the electric fence. In the midst of it all was a DJ. There
wasn’t hay on the ground, just wood chips. That would
V/
have to do.
I danced the night away to the beats of “Footloose,”
Jay-Z and Master P, among others. And boy, did I “make
’em say uhhhhhh.” To make the night even better, they
had Coke! Not Pepsi but Coke! That is something that I
have been missing since I got here, but that’s another sto
ry.
There were only three problems that occurred: 1. The
music was stopped short twice when two individuals „
were swinging from the rope attached to the rafters. In all ,
fairness, though, I was tempted to do the same thing. 2.
The dust from the wood chips got in my lungs and made *
me cough a lot. And 3. It ended at 11:15 p.m., which is far J
too early to stop dancing.
Despite the few hindrances, I recommend the bam
dance experience to everyone. It was loads of fun, and it’s
very organized and safe.
Mason West is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. His views do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald He can be reached via e-mail at
mwest1@gladstone.uoregon.edu.
Letters to the editor
Rules of the road
The letter to the editor “Tickets have no
basis” (ODE Oct. 28) provides an opportu
nity to make available some information
that people should know about bikes on
campus. By state law, bike riders have the
same rights and responsibilities as car dri
vers. Same roads; same rules; same fines.
Below are two rules that are not statewide
but do apply to our campus:
1. Do npt ride your bike on the sidewalk
— except in designated areas. You should
think of applying this rule off campus, too.
If you absolutely must ride your bike on
sidewalks when you are off campus, by law
and for everyone’s safety, ride at a walking
speed. In addition, both car drivers and
bike riders need to do a much better job of
respecting pedestrians’ rights.
2. Only lock your bike to a bike rack.
This is for your bike’s security and out of
respect for others and the environment. In
order to optimize the available parking at
bike racks, please do not use them for
long-term parking, except at residence
halls. This is especially important in high
demand areas such as the library and near
East 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street.
Signs are one answer, but it is not possi
ble or desirable to list on a sign everything
that is or is not permissible. As an alterna
tive to often unsightly signs, this informa
tion and more is available on the OPS Web
site <http://safetjnveb.uoregon.edu>, in a
brochure available at OPS, by calling me at
346-5425 or by e-mail at
bikes@oregon. uoregon.edu.
David Niles
UO Bicycle Coordinator
Letter missed the point
The letter that appeared in last Tuesday’s
Emerald (ODE Oct. 19) completely misses
the point about student fees. Spies couch
es his desire to silence groups with whom
he disagrees with a lot of hollow rhetoric
about free speech.
Our fee systems works because it allows
for student opinions and programs that
stretch across political, social and cultural
spectrums. Spies suggests that cutting the
funding for these groups will actually help
them “contribute to the market place of
ideas.” Cutting funds to this group will si
lence them all.
Student fees pay for intercollegiate ath
letics, the Outdoor Program, the Multicul
tural Center and all of the other student
groups that contribute to the market place
of ideas Spies would like to gut. The fees
don’t endorse a viewpoint, they create a fo
rum for different viewpoints to exist. On
this campus, fees pay for the widely differ
ing viewpoints of die Commentator and the
Insurgent. Without funding, the presses
would stop and we all suffer when censor
ship silences vigorous debate.
But Spies believes it is an affront to have
any of his fee dollars go to a program he
may not like. Using this logic the Universi
ty should offer tuition refunds to students
who are troubled by a biology professor
teaching evolution instead of creationism?
In a University everyone is challenged by
new ideas, some we may even find offen
sive. Having confidence in your beliefs
means you don’t shy away from those that
oppose you. I thought that was why we
were here.
Ray Suit
Business Administration