Opposition to a dry greek system will be on tap at tonight’s Undergraduate Student Government meeting, where senators will discuss a USG resolution opposing Select 2000.

USG President Dave Vingren says the procedure by which the University approached the Select 2000 program did not actively seek student input.

The resolution calls for administrators to review the necessity of this program and to seek and incorporate expressed interests in the decision making process.

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Vingren co-authored the resolution with Joyce Newby, a Thompson Point senator; Nick Dodd, Interfraternity Council president, and Mike Echevarria, Inter-Greek Council president.

The Interfraternity Council passed a similar resolution Monday.

Select 2000 is a program that will prohibit all alcohol in on-campus fraternities by 1998. It also will require greeks to maintain higher grades than the all-University average and perform community service projects. It was developed by 26 national fraternities that want the program in effect by 2000.

SIUC is one of four pilot programs in the country.

The University is looking to control the social and extracurricular activities of students, Vingren said.

Vingren, a Pi Kappa Alpha member, said he is concerned about the process the University used to initiate Select 2000, not the result of the program.

Students were not asked if this was something they wanted to do, he said. They were not consulted.

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If this is being done in the greek system, what’s going to be done in the future?

Vingren said students’ decisions in social situations is part of a necessary maturing process.

Students enhance themselves by making their own decisions and putting forth their own initiatives, as opposed to simply complying with bureaucratic rules and regulations, he said.

The debate concerning USG’s resolution likely will be lively, because some senators’ opinions of the resolution are mixed.

Sean Henry, a University Park senator, said greeks’ complaints about Select 2000 are unfounded.

It seems to me that there is just a bunch of people whining because they can’t have alcohol in their frat houses, Henry said.

Brian Atchison, a College of Agriculture senator, said he opposes Select 2000 because it could harm the greek system.

By 2000, if this is implemented, it will take away the attractiveness of greek life, which is already weak these days, Atchison said. A lot of people look at the greek system as a bad thing, but it does a lot of good things for this campus.

Henry said that some greeks opposing Select 2000 may be exploiting USG.

Those people whose livelihood is drinking may be trying to use USG to get their point across, he said.

Atchison, a Delta Chi fraternity member, said, however, that he is not just furthering greek concerns.

I’ve talked to plenty of my non-greek constituents who are worried about the outcome of Select 2000, he said. They are concerned about what’s going to happen to their registered organizations.

Atchison said the University is trying to build a non-partying image for SIUC at the expense of the greeks.

I just think they are trying to get out front and make an example of the greeks currently here, he said.

In other business, USG will also vote on whether or not to support the amendatory veto of Illinois House Bill 923.

House Bill 923 proposes giving student trustees at Illinois universities a binding vote in their respective board of trustees decisions.

In July, Gov. Jim Edgar proposed a change in the bill in an amendatory veto of HB 923 that would remove student trustee elections from students at universities.

Student Trustee Pat Kelly has found this proposal unacceptable and is lobbying for an override of the legislation.

USG will meet at 7 tonight in ballroom D in the Student Center.