Freshmen aren't supposed to touch greek property until Oct. 1. But that doesn't mean they've followed that rule.
On move-in day, new students canvassed the campus knocking on fraternity doors looking for a fun time or a stray beer. And we can't blame them.
DePauw's social scene revolves around the fraternities. For students who have yet to make friends outside the residence halls and are still shy of their 21st birthday, fraternities are a partygoer's magnet.
But that's not all fraternities offer. They're also homes. Barring new students from visiting greek houses, at least during mid-day hours, only fuels that stereotype.
Freshmen view fraternities, like bars, as something they have to wait to enter. And just like a fake ID, they'll often make efforts to get around those restrictions.
We understand why the university, IFC and Panhel tell freshmen to wait. Dorm life offers a unique experience that you'll never be able to replicate.
We agree. But freshmen shouldn't be wholeheartedly excluded from greek property until October.
They should enjoy life in the dorms, bond with their peers regardless of greek affiliation and have a little patience. They should enjoy freshman year and everything DePauw has to offer.
That includes greek houses.
Still, these restrictions are in place. And it seems freshmen simply don't know the rules, or more likely, they choose to blatantly disregard them. For those who don't know, the repercussions can be steep. Freshmen caught on greek property before Oct. 1 may be kept from going through recruitment. Fraternities with freshmen on property face fines of $1,000.
But enforcement, based on fair and equal punishment, is lax at best.
Frankly, for a school that's been predominantly greek for so long, this uncertainty is a little ridiculous. Admittedly, the system was switched up dramatically in the late 90s, moving to the current delayed formal recruitment schedule. But that's no excuse for a half-hearted approach seemingly absent of any consistent enforcement procedures.
Sure, some fraternities have received punishment from the Interfraternity Council, but they aren't the only ones welcoming freshmen. It's become an unspoken part of the recruitment process. Following the rules now makes it harder for houses during formal recruitment second semester. Freshmen are more acquainted with the rule-breaking houses.
DePauw should instead adopt a less restrictive approach to greek life. Allow students to explore fraternities as homes, not frat houses.
At the same time, let's get our policies straight and settle on a solution we can all get behind.