Dissent: Fraternity not the problem

For the second time in two semesters, a fraternity has been kicked off the IU campus by its national organization. \nAnd for the second time in two semesters, we don't agree with the decision.\nDespite the stereotype that fraternities are composed of binge-drinking, womanizing alcoholics, the Alpha Sigs, like all fraternity members, are just average guys.\nAverage guys who were kicked out of their house just one day after classes started.\nThe brothers of Alpha Sigma Phi deserve better than to be evicted from the house they rushed, signed, pledged and activated with. These guys are not the problem. The system is.\nThe completely arbitrary interests of the local and national chapters, neither reinforced, nor opposed by IU's own interests, paint an unambiguous picture of the IU student community. \nA college-town atmosphere promotes an assortment of social and nighttime activities. The reality is that most of these include alcohol. Students in every college town force-feed themselves with the "ideal" collegiate experiences, which seemingly must include drinking.\nThis eviction makes one wonder what the national organization's interests really are. It should seek to create a cohesive, working group of people who are educated and involved in the community. Drinking doesn't foster this concept, but neither does removing members from their house. \nWhere are these guys supposed to go? It is the beginning of the semester and these students have no place to live. It is certainly difficult to concentrate on classes when they don't even have a place to study or store books, meaning the national organization has, at least temporarily, compromised its members' educations.\nThe men of Alpha Sig need to be punished, but is kicking them out of their house a proper way to deal with the situation? Absolutely not. \nThere are other more constructive ways to discipline IU's chapter. The Alpha Sig Nationals should be likened to overbearing parents who are so lacking in parental skills they merely discard their children into the streets.\nIf all the people who drink on this campus were removed from their respective residences, the dorms would be empty, landlords would be bankrupt and the greek system would have trouble existing. The problem is not the people. The problem is the system.