The administrators who are dealing with the sweeping changes to the Greek system have professed the most admirable of intentions — the safety of students. But their decision to impose changes on the Tri-Council leadership shows a shocking and disappointing lack of faith in those students’ ability to take care of themselves.

Sun columnists, Julie Block, Andrew Daines and Munier Salem join Associate Editor Tony Manfred to talk about the stories and controversies that have defined their time in Ithaca in an epic, 10-part podcast.

Columnist Munier Salem '10 and Associate Editor Tony Manfred '11 talk joyless Greeks, potential pranks and much, much more.

Last week I walked out of the metro and had to cut through the Pere-Lachaise cemetery to get to my friend’s apartment. It’s a winding labyrinth of mossy graves and cobblestoned paths, possessing an eerie calm that seems to permeate the air itself, bringing a silky serenity to the graves of Jimmy Morrison, Wild Oscar and Freddy Chopin. It was drizzling twilight by the time I got to Pete’s place, and I looked out from his balcony to see Paris half-shrouded in fog and mist, all the postcard landmarks shimmering like ghosts in the sinking sun. I’ve been surrounded by these surreal images of gorgeous urbanity for a month now, and there’s one question that keeps coming back … What are all my super sick frat dogs doing right now?

When Greek recruitment comes to a close at the end of the week, what better way to celebrate the start of pledging than tuning into the season premier of Greek on ABC Family next Monday at 10 p.m.? Alright, alright –– I know you have pledge parties to run off to that night to get sloppy at, but the show is a guaranteed amusing pregamer! Especially for freshman new to Greek life, Greek is great at painting a surprisingly accurate and only slightly unrealistic picture of what you’re in for over the next four years.

Cornell’s Greek community converged to “outwit, outplay and outlast” each other in the annual Greek Week, which began Wednesday and ended on Saturday.

The theme this year was “Greek Week: Survivor,” and events included a carnival, various team challenges and a canned food drive.

Thursday’s carnival on Ho Plaza offered inflatable basketball, free popcorn and cotton candy and ladderball, among other entertainment, to members of the Cornell community.

A canned food drive was held throughout the carnival in conjunction with United Way. Over 3,500 cans were collected, according to Jessica Powers ’11, vice president of programming for the Panhellenic Council.

I don’t intend to rant about our hooking up culture, the idea of “friends with benefits” (has anyone besides parents actually ever used that term?), or how nobody dates anymore. All I want to do is point out that the music we listen to endorses this culture — a culture in which when two people are attracted to each other, they are expected to hook up, not go on a date. Please don’t be like, “What! I don’t do that.” I’m not saying that everyone does it. I’m also not saying that people didn’t randomly hook up in the ’80s, or the ’60s, or the 1800s for that matter. I’m just saying that today, the music we listen to adds to this culture.

Yesterday, the Multicultural Greek Letter Council held elections for the council’s executive vice president and vice president of finance. Although the MGLC had its first election of officers last Wednesday, yesterday’s election was meant to fill the council’s empty slates. President-elect Nicholas Diaz ’10 stated that the council “wanted to have the entire executive board elected before Thanksgiving break.”

By Jorge Rivera Marín

Re: Katie Engelhart’s article, “Hey There, Sister,” Opinion, Nov. 13.

By Kathleen Marie McDermott

I would like to commend Sun Senior Editor Katie Engelhart for making a series of necessary points about the Greek system at Cornell. One of her most astute observations was on the way in which most of us come to a diverse, liberal arts college only to almost immediately quarantine ourselves into comfortable social sub spheres. Many of us are guilty of this, not just those participating in Greek life.

With that in mind I’ll say that I have no problem with the individual sorority woman. There are many intelligent, capable, self-aware women in the system. I know some, they’re pretty nice! The problems with the system aren’t really visible in the individual sorority woman. The problems are visible in the group affect: