FRATERNITIES, SORORITITES EMBRACE NEW PRIORITIES

National attention on problems associated with college fraternities and sororities has prompted changes in the Greek system at Southeast Missouri State University.

Following the 1993 hazing death of Southeast student and fraternity pledge Michael Davis, membership in Greek organizations -- particularly in fraternities -- declined on campus.

This year, that trend seems to be reversing.

"This year numbers have rebounded," said Jennifer Bertrand, Southeast Panhellenic Council president. "In fact they are higher than the have ever been."

In 1994, the male fraternities accepted fewer than 100 new members. This year, they accepted 209.

Lisa Fedler, director of Greek Life at Southeast, said the fraternities and sororities at Southeast have placed a new emphasis on standards of behavior.

Fedler said members must be aware of potential problems they'll face on campus and how best to deal with those problems.

"Things have really changed since I was an undergrad," she said. "Southeast students take a more proactive role today. The big focus is getting back to basics, back to the basics of our founders. Are we living up to those?"

Returning to the Greek community this year is the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. In 1989, Southeast's Sig Ep chapter's charter was revoked by both the university and the national fraternity following a videotaped date rape incident involving members.

"At one time we had a very, very good chapter here but basically we had some guys doing dumb things," said Clayton Funk, expansion director for the national office.

Sig Ep waited until all its former members graduated or left Southeast before attempting to revive the fraternity.

Funk said the way Sig Ep does business is different from the traditional fraternity mindset. Not only is hazing banned, so is the longstanding practice of pledging.

"In a traditional fraternity, initiated members monitor and weed out guys they don't like," Funk said. "Then once they are initiated, there is nothing expected of them."

Sig Ep follows what it calls the "balanced man" philosophy. The goal is to help members become "scholars, leaders, gentlemen and athletes," Funk said. More and more fraternities in recent years have followed similar programs to counteract the negative image of fraternities.

"A lot of guys aren't joining fraternities anymore because they don't want to go through the traditional B.S.," Funk said.

The current philosophy requires dedication to continuing improvement. Those who fail to do so are kicked out.

"In keeping with our national mission, we want members to be a better person by the time they leave," Funk said.

Many fraternities that retain the ritual of pledging do it correctly and without belittling new members. But too many don't. Hazing, Funk said, is intended to be a binding experience, but accomplishes that goal in a destructive way.

Fedler said that at a meeting Sunday for new Greek members students were dumbfounded that people would allow themselves to be subject to abuse as part of a hazing ritual.

"Students are very in tune to why we do not tolerate hazing," she said.