See the skinny guy with the ponytail? Yep, that’s Rodney. Rodney Ekstrom is the co-head of Student Activities at Plymouth State University. If a group of students want to start an organization on campus, they see Ekstrom first. He had a pretty laid back air about him, wearing jeans and a well worn plaid shirt. There’s something very approachable about Ekstrom.
The Clock managed to meet with him a couple of days after an administration meeting concerning the current quality of Greek life on campus. With only three recognized sororities and no recognized fraternities, the big buzz is the decision for PSU to bother keeping its Greek life. Ekstrom has some serious clout in influencing that decision.
The Clock: What triggered the moratorium two and a half years ago?
Ekstrom: We talked about it on Tuesday. There were a number of serious hazing incidents that precipitated a meeting among the administration. I’m relaying what Vice President Hage shared. Coinciding with that was the most serious hazing incident, the death of Kelly Nester. The moratorium was an expansion on Greek life
The Clock: So not just an end to Greek life in general?
Ekstrom: Correct. The Greeks existing could stay. There were some Greeks who were allowed to reapply, some had incidents grievous enough that they were not allowed to apply for rerecognition. That decision was made in fall 2003. It was a four-year moratorium. At the end, the administration was going to get back together and re-evaluate the condition of Greek organizations at Plymouth State.
The Clock: Why a moratorium as opposed to just slapping each student on the wrist or letting the authorities, Plymouth Police, handle things?
Ekstrom: I don’t think I could accurately answer that, that would be a better question for Vice President Hage. I can only speculate. I was not a part of the moratorium meeting. I started here in the fall of 2004. I had heard stories from the administration. The meeting on Tuesday was for members of Greek organizations who didn’t know what the moratorium was, what it meant. “We wanted to know”, “What are you guys doing?” It’s the midpoint of the moratorium, what’s going on? We need to know.
The Clock: What were the points that the administration wanted to address at the meeting on Tuesday?
Ekstrom: We gave a brief history of Greek life at Plymouth State, and that included in the mid-eighties we had as many as a dozen active Greek organizations with membership in the forties and all had houses on campus, or almost all. So, we’re down to three and they’re only sororities. Groups have lost recognition because of hazing, mismanagement of finances, national charters revoked, etc. Most recently, Iota Delta Chi (IDX) and Sigma Epsilon Sigma. Their charter was revoked for financial reasons, behind on payments etc. Sig Ep was the last remaining fraternity.
The Clock: What did you think overall of the meeting?
Ekstrom: It was sucessful in that we were able to get the information out, and people were able to hear the truth about the administration. The people in that room don’t make the decision, it’s the President’s cabinet. Hage said he would have a hard time recommending Greek life. If he had to make the decision today, he wouldn’t recommend it. After the incident last semester, IDX was uncooperative with following up with the administration. Bobby Jo Wilkins said Tuesday, “We understand college students will make mistakes, but the college needs to take an educational approach, however.” Yes, we got the info out, did people leave with a feeling of jubilation? No. People got a pretty harsh truth about where Greek life is heading.
The Clock: What was everyone else’s initial reaction? There were rumors that the girls were crying or unprofessional.
Ekstrom: I wouldn’t use the term unprofessional, some people were emotional. The news was very hard to hear, an uncertain future at best, or a future that the organization that they put a lot of effort and love into would be ending. It’s natural to be upset or sad.
The Clock: Do you think that this meeting will have any effect on Greek behavior, perhaps in the upcoming weeks?Ekstrom: I don’t really have a comment on that, I’m hopeful and I extended an offer to the current presidents at the meeting to help them set up goals and reach them. I followed up with an email. I hope they take us up on it.The Clock: Would you like to see Greek life continue at PSU? Do you agree or disagree with Vice President Hage?
Ekstrom: I agree with his decision, it would be hard to recommend it. Would I like to see Greek life continue? If it can make a turn to be more positive, then yes. I think the three remaining groups are shouldered with a lot of the burden of past mistakes. But I know that, I’ve had friends who were Greek students, and they had a good experience so I know that it can have a positive impact. There are many great leaders on campus.
The Clock: What do you think needs to be done to unite the remaining sororities?
Ekstrom: Regular communication between the sororities. They should take up the offers from me, Terry Potter, Bobby Jo, and Pam Wells from goal setting to recruitment to philanthropies. Pam and Terry were both Greek students, they have good experience. Bobby Jo and I have not had Greek experience but I think we can be helpful from a different perspective.
The Clock: How important do you think Greek life is in the grand scheme of the college experience?
Ekstrom: I think student organization is essential to vibrant student life, and positive Greek organizations are great contributers. But I think unrecognized groups that disregard the policies of the University that are there to protect the students do great damage.
The Clock: If PSU loses all of its recognized Greeks, do you think that there will be any negative repercussions, like increased truancy or a lack of enthusiasm to attend PSU?
Ekstrom: I do think there will be some negative consequences. Some alums will be disappointed. I do think there will be some students that equate the college experience with a Greek experience through their siblings or parents. But I don’t think a positive college experience requires Greek organizations, it requires positive and vibrant student organizations. I think if Greek life no longer existed as recognized by the University, there would be a transition period.
The Clock: Would it be acceptable if the unrecognized sororities and fraternities agreed to completely dissolve, and reform as brand new organizations with new charters with recognition?
Ekstrom: Vice President Hage answered a similar question, and his response was we need to remember why they lost their recognition. They lost it not becaue they failed to turn in a piece of paper to the administration, they lost their recognition because they violated the safety and dignity of another student. The violation was so grievous they lost their recognition. The University’s primary duty is to protect its students.