One of the most rational and educational ideas offered since Select 2000 arrived on campus recently was stymied by two SIUC administrators.

In conjunction with the SIU School of Law, law professor Leonard Gross, the chairman for the Southern Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, scheduled a panel discussion that would have allowed student leaders, lawyers and administrators to discuss civil liberties issues within the nine-part Select 2000 initiative.

Designed to improve the greek systems of four pilot schools, Select 2000 seeks to make chapter houses alcohol and substance-free, and requires greeks to maintain higher grades and perform community service. The implementation of the initiative on campus has been denounced by SIUC greek leaders and student governments.

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The National Interfraternity Council the body that designed Select 2000 was contacted for the discussion, but a representative was not made available to serve on the panel. Invited administrators Nancy Hunter Pei, director of Student Development; and Katie Sermersheim, assistant director of Student Development; flat-out refused to take part in the effort, claiming an NIC representative should be on the panel. Pei further begged off participation by saying, I’m not trained to debate legal issues.

As a result, a valuable plan to educate everyone involved with Select 2000 on the SIUC campus was canceled. The panel discussion, scheduled for this week, would have been a healthy way for administrators and students to debate Select 2000 in an open and controlled forum. Administrators should have realized by now that the best way that Select 2000 can benefit this campus is through full education.

Being untrained to debate legal theories does not make it right for administrators to prevent others from doing so because everyone could have learned something from that discussion. It is a shame that such a valuable opportunity did not materialize.