Page 12 - 1911 February - To Dragma

TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 83

THE ETHICS O F RUSHING

If you look in the dictionary under the word ethics, you will find
the following—a "Treatise in morals," and again, "the science of
moral duty, more broadly the science of human character,"—and
still further "moral principles, quality or practice."

To our generation we have such a liking for cloaking our ideas
with symbolism that we apply academic and philosophic terms to
our most usual and every day pursuits, and so general has become
this custom that frequently, if we are called upon to explain in other
terms just what he or she has just spoken, the idea behind the
challenged expression will be blurred and indistinct. Yet one might
legitimately ask a fraternity girl "what are the ethics of rushing?"
Should the question be put to a sophomore I often wonder just what
that useful and expressive little word "ethics" would convey to her
mind.

Assuredly all rushing should be and I make no doubt is subject
to an ethical code. The rapid and general growth of local Pan-
Hellenics would seem to point to a similar code for all. At the risk
of being written down as a hopless Philistine I am going to state
that I do not feel at all convinced that local Pan-Hellenicism is the
last word or even the best word on that very large and far reaching
question of intersorority relationship, a relationship which shows the
greatest tendency to become strained with the recurrence of the rush-
ing season. National Pan-Hellenics seem to have a decided place
and an effective field of labor, so bringing influence to bear through
governmental channels it can do much toward creating the desirable
intersorority atmosphere. But when it comes to applying the Pan-
Hellenic oversight locally upon this particular aspect of fraternity
life it becomes so hampering, and of so watch dog a character as to
practically destroy the atmosphere of naturalness, in which atmos-
phere can efficient and representative rushing be done. For rushing
is representative and individual, not in the material demonstration
but in the fundamental code underlying the material expression.

There are all codes of etiquette governing this demonstration, from
the fraternity which takes for its motto "all's fair in love and war,"
and descends to the weapon of the politician, "mud throwing" through
the varying graduations up to the fraternity which holds it treason-
able to speak any thing save praise of its opponents.. With my dis-
belief in this phase of local Pan-Hellenic jurisdiction I will credit
them with striving to bring about this last cited condition. But rush-
ing should be under as few restrictions as possible, and the societies
should place their own tone upon it through internal jurisdiction. In