For the second time in a week the words “Rush” and “drug addiction” have been linked together. Whether it’s Oxycontin or cocaine, it’s our responsibility to insist that drug abuse is intolerable.

The most disappointing and disturbing part of the article was Alpha Delta Phi’s reaction to the news that one of their members was caught having serious drugs in their room.

The best the president could muster was, “The house as an organization has no responsibility for the actions that took place.”

It’s negligent and destructive for a group to pretend that their member’s actions do not represent and reflect on their organization in any way.

A fraternity is not an animate being. It is completely composed of the decisions and accomplishments of their members. This includes building or destroying their Greek reputation.

Is ADf upset because one of their members was in possession of highly illegal and addictive drugs? Or were they just miffed that they were caught?

Despite already being on probation, has the fraternity shown a willingness towards improving and obeying the rules and laws of the university and the United States? Or again, is ADf just aggravated because they feel it was wrong that they were searched?

Obviously, incidents like this portray the entire Greek community in a poor light. ADF’s flippant responses to serious problems just underscores a growing disenchantment with fraternities that many students of UR feel.

Instead of concern and an earnest want to help a brother with a possible addiction, the ADf stance is completely defensive and simply attacks UR policy. This is a sad trend from so-called leadership.

-christopher harrington

Class of ’03

Stop stealing

Over the weekend three pieces of artwork were taken from the Haven’s Lounge in Wilson Commons. My staff is very much disheartened by this event as we had worked hard all summer to renovate the room to create a comfortable, attractive space on campus.

It is our intent that all members of the UR community feel welcome in our building and view Wilson Commons as “their” space.

Keeping in mind this mentality, we would hope that anyone with information on the missing pictures would contact the Student Activities Office – 201 Wilson Commons, 5-9390, sao@rochester.edu – and help us return Haven’s Lounge to a space befitting the University of Rochester.

-AnnE-Marie Algier

Director, Wilson Commons and Student Activities



Letters to the Editor

URochester’s annual Senior Week always features a full lineup of celebrations for the graduates leading up to Commencement. The contemporary week-long fun is deeply embedded in the history of URochester culture, even though Senior Week and Commencement traditions have changed dramatically over time. Read More


Letters to the Editor

The first realization of my own age hit me in the months before I started college. I was helping my dad clean the small office he’d occupied in Rush Rhees longer than I’d been alive. The walls of which boasted childhood drawings that my sister and I had crayoned. Even though I was looking at my distant past, I realized I would soon be starting a new page of my future. Read More