2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Member of Greek community responds to "A Heartbroken Rhody Fan"
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
02/29/08 - To the Cigar, As a fan of the University of Rhode Island basketball team and Vice President of New Member Education at my sorority, other Greek members and I find ourselves hurt and annoyed after reading the letter "A Heartbroken Rhody Fan."
It was full of negative accusations about Greek members not being supportive enough at the URI men's basketball game against St. Joseph's University, and claims that our so-called lack of school spirit was a factor in our sad loss.
This letter was very misleading. The Greek system is very supportive of URI men's basketball, as well as other student organizations. It saddens me that a freshman on campus has such negative views on our school's Greek members.
We work hard to try to eliminate the stereotypes given to our group of students. In the last week alone, our Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council won 13 awards, the most in the Northeast.
We hold positions on our Student Senate, are members of various sports teams and are even mentors to fellow students, just to name a few. The accusation that Greek members have a lack of school spirit could not be any further from the truth.
At any one basketball game, most of the student sections are filled with cheering and chanting Greek students wearing URI apparel. I, for one, have frozen standing in lines to obtain a coveted seat in the student section for games, and even have friends in fraternities and sororities who have camped out to purchase tickets.
The only difference at this game was that while supporting our men's basketball team, we were also showing our pride for our Greek organizations by wearing our Greek letters. In addition to current Greek members being supportive fans, the basketball game against St. Joseph's was an alumni game, where many Greek alumni attended to support their alma mater.
This showing of URI pride by both current and graduated Greek members seems to prove that Greek members are active fans. Also, Matthew Potter's statement that 90 percent of the Greek students who were at the game were "terrible fans" is incorrect and ridiculous. Being someone who was sitting in the Greek section, I experienced the pride coming from the Greek students. We were standing for a better part of the game, starting chants, doing the wave, and yes, even doing "spirit fingers" during free throws.
It was full of negative accusations about Greek members not being supportive enough at the URI men's basketball game against St. Joseph's University, and claims that our so-called lack of school spirit was a factor in our sad loss.
This letter was very misleading. The Greek system is very supportive of URI men's basketball, as well as other student organizations. It saddens me that a freshman on campus has such negative views on our school's Greek members.
We work hard to try to eliminate the stereotypes given to our group of students. In the last week alone, our Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council won 13 awards, the most in the Northeast.
We hold positions on our Student Senate, are members of various sports teams and are even mentors to fellow students, just to name a few. The accusation that Greek members have a lack of school spirit could not be any further from the truth.
At any one basketball game, most of the student sections are filled with cheering and chanting Greek students wearing URI apparel. I, for one, have frozen standing in lines to obtain a coveted seat in the student section for games, and even have friends in fraternities and sororities who have camped out to purchase tickets.
The only difference at this game was that while supporting our men's basketball team, we were also showing our pride for our Greek organizations by wearing our Greek letters. In addition to current Greek members being supportive fans, the basketball game against St. Joseph's was an alumni game, where many Greek alumni attended to support their alma mater.
This showing of URI pride by both current and graduated Greek members seems to prove that Greek members are active fans. Also, Matthew Potter's statement that 90 percent of the Greek students who were at the game were "terrible fans" is incorrect and ridiculous. Being someone who was sitting in the Greek section, I experienced the pride coming from the Greek students. We were standing for a better part of the game, starting chants, doing the wave, and yes, even doing "spirit fingers" during free throws.