Editor, Daily Nexus,
Max Battaro is right on a number of things (“Isla Vista Has Lost Its Spunk,” Daily Nexus, Sept. 28). I was a freshman in 2000. I had to leave UCSB and am now returning to finish, and it’s a completely different I.V. Del Playa Drive used to be so crowded that Sabado Tarde and Trigo were slammed with people from Thursday to Sunday. A degree from UCSB told employers you could get things done regardless of your environment. The locals didn’t cause most of the problems; it was the dumbass friends visiting, and that’s who was most likely to run afoul of the I.V. Foot Patrol.
While I’m not surprised the feminists hate fraternities — even if they don’t know anything about them — someone needs to step up and defend them. I am a Fiji (Phi Gamma Delta). We were kicked out of the UCSB-affiliated Greek system by that dick Stefan Franklin in 2003. In the 12 years we were on campus, we raised over $100,000 for the Surfrider Foundation and the children’s hospital, organized county-wide blood drives and brought bands like Sublime, Blink 182, 311, Goldfinger, Face to Face, Strung Out, Save Ferris, No Use For A Name, and many more to I.V. All the greek houses do similar things. Nobody is slipping date rape drugs to anyone. Seriously, don’t you think that would be pretty big news if it happened? I.V. HAS lost its spunk. People should be more demonstrative against the I.V. Master Plan, the I.V. Foot Patrol compound and being charged with assault for throwing water balloons. This is our town. A student may be here for four to six years, but the student body has been here and will be here much longer than that guy going through my patio for cans and anything that’s not bolted down.
I disagree with the idea that employers appreciate us going to a school with a party reputation. All of my graduated friends have said that every time they apply for a job they have to defend the fact that they attended this university. Nevermind how much research or hard work we do here – from the outside we’re just a bunch of couch burning partiers. While you might remember the good ol’ days in IV, they remember the Halloweens with no flood lights and fewer cops. Sounds great, right? Not so great when people you can’t even see are constantly… Read more »
Wow, look at this article about how beneficial to our community FIJI was.
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=5638
You are right! Frats are an excellent part of IV culture.
holy shit. thank you for posting that jww.
wowProps to jww for doing some research. The last part of that research ends with Belsky admitting to be on mushrooms and body boarding at dawn. He did that on his own, it was obviously not a fraternity sanctioned event. But yeah, we did get in trouble for that. I thought we were on the tame side, to be honest. Joining a fraternity is voluntary and everyone had a great time most of the way. I almost shouldn’t respond to chirpatyabird’s hyperbolic comment (and I didn’t need to look it up) but I can’t resist. If your friends are having… Read more »