Admin Bans Freshman Greek Life

More than a year after President Tilghman intimated the possibility of an full-on Greek ban, a few months after the residential and social life working group released their much-discussed report, and with the images of vigorous student/administration debate fresh in our collective memories, the U. has finally announced a policy change. It's a two-pronged ban: freshman are forbidden from affiliating with Greek organizations, and members of the other three classes are forbidden from conducting rush for freshman. (Meanwhile, the university will continue to withhold official recognition of Greek organizations.) The ban goes into effect in fall 2012, so the upcoming school year will be business as usual. In a letter to returning students, Tilghman justified the decision as an attempt to recenter student life around the residential colleges, the Street, and the "shared experience of essentially all undergraduates living and dining on campus."Yet the most interesting ramification of this new policy -- exactly how the administration plans to police something as wide-ranging and hazily defined as "rush" -- remains to be seen. Later in the letter, Tilghman explained her intention to form a new committee this year, which will seek

to consult widely with interested students; to think carefully about precisely how the prohibition should be described and enforced, and about the penalties that would be imposed for infractions; and to bring forward its recommendations by early in the spring semester so they can be discussed by the broader University community prior to adoption.

The letter also manages to somewhat awkwardly shoehorn in details about an upcoming campus pub, which, although promising, is profoundly benign news, and probably the only one of the working group recommendations that could be deemed completely uncontroversial.... so we'll stick with the controversial stuff. To gauge the Greek response to this announcement, The Ink spoke to Jake Nebel '13, one of the students most deeply (and publicly) involved in the Greek conversation with the adnimistration. A member of the AEPi fraternity, Nebel spearheaded the Princeton Greek Council and drafted a pro-Greek petition that gathered over 700 signatures.He first characterized the news as "bittersweet," in that the ban itself was disappointing but there was still a whole year to contest the policy.  Nebel added that the ban did not seem to be in line with the conversation carried out between the Greek Council and the administration late in the spring, noting that although the Council (which features representatives from 14 fraternities and sororities) never adopted an "official line supporting any particular policy," they made clear their opposition to a ban on freshman rush.Nebel also worried that this would exacerbate the oft-cited "pipeline effect" between some Greek organizations and particular eating clubs, because sophomore rush would necessarily occur much closer to bicker season. He believed that most Greek organizations would push for freshman spring rush as a possible compromise. On the whole he seemed unsatisfied with the university's decision: "I do think it is wrong to suppose that Princeton freshmen are not mature enough to make important decisions for themselves. Social self-determination is important for students to have and to develop."The status quo holds for at least another year -- Greeks won't have to restrategize until the class of 2016(!) hits campus. But those who skimmed Tilghman's letter may have missed this ominous tidbit: "The Trustees are strongly supportive of the recommendations, and, if necessary, would be sympathetic to taking even stronger steps." This ban may not be the last, or most radical, installment in the fraught saga of Princeton's Greeks.