Page 12 - 1913 November - To Dragma

TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 17

than "showing off". Let the pledge-day be simply the first day upon
which anybody may be asked and let it be generally known that the
fraternities do not bind themselves to choose upon that day,
that there is no imputation of being left out on a girl's part, or of
being unsuccessful on the fraternity's, i f the offers are not given or
the lists filled until later, when acquaintance is better founded.
Especially in those institutions that have Sophomore or late pledge-
day, all rules against honest friendly intercourse should be removed.
I f it is necessary, have it announced by Pan-Hellenic to the student
body, that a fraternity girl's friendship for a new girl need not
involve either her fraternity or her friend, that it is bad college
etiquette to discuss the fraternities with a fraternity member before
a certain date, and bad ethics for the fraternity member to do so.
Remove all these absurd, unnatural barriers to just plain human
"getting acquainted." This would save unfairness, artificiality and
subsequent mourning.

Of course, some people may still be disappointed. I n all life, in
or out of college, we are sometimes disappointed about not "being
asked" on occasion. I t may not be abnormal that life begins its little
similarities at college. But i f the undergraduate body is brought to
realize that a fraternity is only a group of people, that there is noth-
ing superior or apart about it in our minds, that any girls who
wish to may form one for themselves,—I think the trouble will soon
be reduced to a minimum.

A l l this implies perfect fair-play on the part of the chapters
themselves. They should respond to that need,—or they deserve
to perish. And Pan-Hellenic is the police department.

I I I . — I t is claimed that fraternities break up friendships.
I can only reply that they need not do so. They did not injure
mine I know. Our whole class, Barnard '98, fraternity, non-frater-
nity and rival fraternity women,—is bound to this day with hoops of
steel. And any friendship so easily broken will surely break soon
from one cause or another.

As a matter of fact, among the many college women, in or out of
fraternities, with whom I have talked on this subject, I have not
found one who did not have close and undisturbed friendships in
other "camps".

I believe that this charge does not hold to any appreciable extent
and could never hold as concerned a worthy and real friendship.

I V .— I t is charged that secrecy is an evil. I n some minds it arouses
suspicion, they say, and in others it covers us with unduly tempting
mystery.

As to the first, while to unformed youngsters in the high school