Sanguine et Purpure: Trouble in the Greek system at Montana

Greek recruiting at Montana is not doing well. Recently the Phi Gamma Delta chapter closed for lack of membership.

Last year UM fraternity Phi Delta Theta was closed due to low membership. The problem was the same for Phi Gamma Delta, founded in 1987. The fraternity had problems recruiting members for the past two years, said Joe Menyhart, a one-year Phi Gamma Delta alumni.

Now five fraternity houses and four sorority houses remain on campus.
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The hopes of reopening the house will never be met unless the Greek system as a whole improves, said Menyhart.

“I would say that in under two years the entire Greek system on the University’s campus will be shut down unless some major changes are made,” he said.

The houses need to strictly enforce alcohol policies and stress scholarship and community service, he said. Without these, the whole system “is one big wasted party and the houses become a dump.”

The Greek community on campus needs to reorient itself with the values that they have committed, said Emily Yaksitch, UM Greek Life adviser.
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“Once we do these things we can get outside the typical stereotypes of fraternity guys and sorority girls,” she said. A more positive light will then be shown on the Greek system and more respect will be earned within the community, she said.

In Sigma Phi Epsilon, the largest fraternity on campus, these problems are already beginning to be addressed, said member Matt Ryan.

“We are really stressing good grades this year,” said Ryan. There are also members who have been put on social probation for house violations and this is taken very seriously, he said.

“The guys on probation are not allowed to drink during the week,” he said. “They must also improve their grades and turn in regular performance reports.” If members do not meet the standards of the house, they are not allowed to participate in any social events, he said.

Though partying may be a problem, it is a common problem among many college students regardless of whether or not they are in a fraternity, said Ryan.

Jacobson said once the system strengthens as a whole, the Greek community will be much more appealing and recruitment should become more successful.

“Recruitment has been falling due largely to an overwhelming anti-Greek attitude on campus for the past three to four years,” said Jacobson. The Greek system is only recognized for errors that are made and not for achievements, he said. Once the current problems are addressed, recruitment will hopefully increase, he said.