LETTER: Groups have a right to represent

To the editor:

     If you could think of a word to describe Utah State University, what would it be? Would it be safe? Would it be boring? How about diverse? I would like to think that Utah State has some diversity running through its veins. With Nov. 19 this year being diversity day, I would sure hope we are diverse. We have students of all different races and ages, shapes and sizes. We have students from every religion and sexual orientation. We also have students that belong to different affiliations and groups, one of those groups being the Greek system. For those who don’t know, there are eight different fraternities and sororities at Utah State.

    I found the recent opinion column, “Dear Sigs, get the Ep out of Section F,” to be incredibly offensive. Not only did the article attack the Sigma Phi Epsilon men, but it attacked the Greek system as a whole. The author praised the Greek community to then turn around and in the same paragraph call the Greek community elitist. Not only was this statement very untrue, but it was a huge contradiction to the aforementioned “praises.” The Greek system has nothing to do with being better than anyone else, but it has everything to do with wanting to get involved and make a difference. Any house on Greek Row is a collection of individuals with similar interests at a similar stage in life.

    The Sig Eps at the Utah State versus Weber State basketball game have been in attendance at most Aggie games. They have very fairly earned their spot in Section F. As stated in the recent article, the Spectrum is OUR HOUSE. That means that it is also the Greeks’ house, the STAB’s house, the Black Student Union’s house, the Service Center’s house, and the Asian-American Student Council’s house. We all have a right to be ourselves and represent ourselves there. By saying anyone of these groups is not allowed, or in the wrong, to represent their colors is like saying Wild Bill can’t dress up to distract the other team because he isn’t conforming to the rest of the student body. The Sig Eps flying their flag along with the Utah State flag was merely a showing of support and love that they have for the basketball team and Utah State.

    The Spectrum is about the unity of all students, no matter what their background or affiliation. Just because we are Aggies does not mean we have to conform to an expected norm. We have a right to individuality and we have a right to express that individuality. My final question is this: if the flag had been blue, would it have been an issue? Or, is this a deeper-rooted prejudice that was taken out on the members of Sigma Phi Epsilon?

Meaghan Fors