Students at the University of California–Merced have reportedly been told that they shouldn’t use the words “Greek,” “rush,” or “pledge” because that’s “appropriating Greek culture” and not “inclusive.”
According to an article in College Fix, students have been instructed to replace “Greek Life” with “Fraternity and Sorority Life,” “rush” with “recruitment” and “pledge” with “potential new member.”
“UC Merced Fraternity and Sorority Life recommends the use of the terms ‘Fraternity and Sorority Life,’ ‘Potential New Member’ and ‘Recruitment’ by fraternities and sororities on campus,” assistant director of student government and leadership development Steve Lerer told the College Fix.
“This recommendation is based on national trends and the inclusive language choices that have been made at many other campuses and national organizations,” he continued. “While our staff members in Fraternity and Sorority Life choose to use these terms and recommend their use to the local chapters, there is no formal requirement in place for their use.”
An anonymous student told The Fix that Fraternity and Sorority Life staff coordinator Richard Arquette started telling students last fall that the term “Greek Life” is inappropriate because it’s “appropriating of Greek culture, perpetuated bad stereotypes, and not an inclusive term.”
That is, of course, ridiculous. After all, if you’re concerned about “appropriating of Greek culture,” then you’re going to have to tell people not to use geometry or democracy either. Western civilization is built on the foundations laid out by Greek culture. Either we have to burn the entire thing down and start over, or — and I am a big fan of this option — start to chill the hell out about things that don’t matter.
#related#Now, The Fix did not include any quotes from administrators citing “cultural appropriation” as the specific reason for opposing the terms — just a comment from an anonymous student — but Lehrer’s comment that the terms shouldn’t be used because they’re not “inclusive” is stupid enough on its own. Fraternities and sororities are, by definition, not inclusive groups. They are, in fact, exclusive ones: Members — and exclusively members — pay dues to be a part of an exclusive group and participate in activities and rituals that belong to that group exclusively. And guess what? That’s completely fine. People are all different, and so every single thing is just not for every single person. That’s not a controversial idea, it’s a fact — and if you ask me, facts deserve a little more clout than this kind of blind adherence to social-justice dogma even when it makes no logical sense.