Boise State offers opportunities for disabled workers to gain work experience.
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An Arbiter staff writer discuesses the benefits of living on campus.
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Boise State softball has a chance to win the MW title in their series San Diego State.
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Oliver Rice Freshman Computer science
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“It seems like they’re involved in the community and stuff. I’ve seen them doing the Relay For Life and whatnot; I’ve seen them all participate at least, I don’t know if they put it on. It seems like they have fun. I think it’s a larger thing at other universities; it’s a lot smaller here at Boise State. I’ve seen it up at U of I and they have a lot larger groups.” “I think they try hard to promote everything that they do and sometimes it works, but some of them seem like they’re slacking a bit. Other than that, that’s really all I can say. I kinda get the idea it’s a bit more organized because the parties here really aren’t anything big but I always see the frat people dressed up going to their meetings and stuff.” “I don’t know when it all originated but I want to say it’s a staple in college life and universities because it, because you (go) to a community colleges I don’t know if they have fraternities or not but if you (go) to any major university they have sororities and fraternities. From what I’ve seen (Boise State is) a little bit different because in my COMM 101 class there’s been two people who’ve talked about their fraternity and their sorority; they’re really into volunteering and doing a lot of that. Yes they party and have their fun times but I don’t think that’s what they mainly focus on.”
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What is your perception of Greek life at Boise State?
Chris Santini Sophomore Communication
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May 8, 2014 • Issue no. 62 Volume 26
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Catherine Tippets Sophomore Enviromental health
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Boise State Greek life does not hold closely to the stereotype of plastered frat parties and sexualized sorority socializing. Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Chi are striving to change stereotypical perceptions of Boise State Greek life. “It’s too bad people get that view,” said Miranda Allen, senior Alpha Gamma Delta member. “That’s the last thing we want; that’s why we’re doing our best and working against the stereotypical Greek life.” Allen went on to explain the sense of community in Greek life. “We want to be the Greek life that people see around
the community, see as a positive and I think we’ve proven ourselves and done a good job at it so far; I’m interested to see where it goes after I’m gone,” Allen said. Boise State’s Greek life seems pretty tame compared to universities across the country. Unlike Boise State, U of I’s Greek life has been negatively mentioned in recent news. In a February 2014 Atlantic article, about a dozen recent Greek life related accidents were described in shocking detail: blown out sphincters as a result of ass bottle rockets, serious paralyzing falls from fourthstory decks and physical or emotional trauma from hazing initiations. At U of
I, a sorority student went up to a third-floor “sleeping porch,” with one of the brothers, rolled to the side of the bed and fell 25 feet to the cement ground, suffering serious brain damage. John Rhoda, senior Sigma Chi member, said while Sigma Chi does not haze their pledges, he is aware of other fraternities across the country who do. Rhoda said hazing takes away from brotherhood and the experience of being in a fraternity. One argument for hazing Rhoda addressed was hazing building comradery among the pledges and the active members in a fraternity (or sorority). Rhoda said he does not believe that at all. Rhoda highlighted haz-
ing in Greek life. “One of them was my best friend and he went to a southern school and he joined a different fraternity; he was telling (me) some of the things he had to do and that he didn’t consider it hazing, like he said he had to do 100 pushups every time that he failed a test. He’s like ‘Well that’s not hazing; that’s conditioning’ …one of the arguments I’ve heard coming up has been that hazing will draw your pledge class together and it’s something that (they) can unite in… that you’re all going through some terrible event together,” Rhoda said. For Rhoda, hazing and its negativity should be countered with ‘why can’t you
build comradery in a positive fashion?’ According to Allen and Rhoda, one potential reason for Boise State Greek life’s lack of legal trouble is due to many of the sororities and fraternities being newly established on campus. Rhoda said one characteristic of “animal houselike” fraternities is their older establishment on their campuses. These ancient established Greek life houses could also explain traditions of hazing initiations. Rhoda hasn’t been to U of I, but doesn’t think the Greek life is the same. “I think that maybe because the fraternity and sorority life up there has
been ingrained there for a hundred years and people back in the 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s got into a groove of ‘this is what happens in a fraternity’ or a sorority,” Rhoda said. “I think that because the Greek life at Boise State is so young and we’re still able to mold it we’re able to turn it into what we want and I can tell you that personally, I don’t want that, I don’t want the ‘frat life’ and happily we’re able to pass that on to the younger guys.” With this past initiation week, it is hoped these new brothers and sisters will continue to uphold values of leadership, merit and higher standards of academic and Greek life. page Design Jovi Ramirez/THE ARBITER
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Every collegiate athlete starts their career with four years of eligibility, which in some instances can be lengthened to five or six years by redshirting or receiving a medical pardon. All except one. Junior Garrett Patton, son of Boise State men’s tennis head coach Greg Patton, has been a part of Boise State tennis since birth. Garrett was born the day the Pattons moved into their Boise home just after his father accepted the position of head coach, and he’s been playing, shagging balls and learning the game of tennis ever since. Garrett graduated in 2011 from Boise High and spent much of his youth watching his father develop Boise State into a nationally recognized tennis powerhouse—Greg has won 15 conference titles in 18 seasons as head coach. Despite his strong family ties to the program, Garrett wasn’t a lock to attend
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Boise State after high school. Ranked as a top amateur in the country, Garrett had options. “At first I wasn’t planning on going (to Boise State),” Garrett told The Arbiter. “My senior year of high school I started to get really close to the team, even more than I had in the past, and he (his father) kept beating it into me how good Boise State was, and then he talked trash about all of the other schools.” Before ultimately choosing Boise State, Garrett was considering San Diego State, San Francisco, California and Santa Barbara. Keeping tennis out of their relationship has been key for both Garrett and Greg since the beginning. At home, the two rarely talk tennis and on the court Greg often relies on assistant coaches to work with “G-man.” When the Broncos were still climbing the national rankings early this season, Garrett clinched an upset win over No. 21 Clemson with a three-set tie breaker on court four.
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As much as Greg tries to be Coach, instead of Dad, on the court, this one was a bit tougher to separate the two. “When he was playing Clemson in our biggest match of the season I pulled myself far away from the court,” Greg said. “The thing is, he’s a thrill seeker. It’s in his genes to be fearless. Sometimes I feel that he does it on purpose to make the matches close at the end just so it comes down to his court because he has more fun. He loves the thrill.” Greg and Garrett’s relationship hasn’t come without its challenges, either. In 2012, Garrett was arrested by Boise police and was charged with five misdemeanors including public intoxication, possession of marijuana and resisting and obstructing officers. When Greg went to bail Garrett out of jail, Dad kicked coach to the curb. “I love him. Hey, you made a mistake you’re going to suffer—there’s going to be a lot of suffering,” Greg said. “The coach had to discipline him,
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Senior Garrett Patton has a national championship on his mind. the legal system had to discipline him and the father protected him. As a father, I didn’t kick him in the butt, I supported him. When it comes to family, I’m going to take care of my boy.” What came from Garrett’s incident was one of the best seasons of his career. Answering to coach and father was challenging, though. “It was tough,” Garrett said. “It was a nightmare. That was the season I improved the most. I had to step up and grow up and work even harder.”
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John Engel
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Patton Pending: father/son duo pursues life long goal
As a father, I didn’t kick him in the butt, I supported him. When it comes to family, I’m going to take care of my boy. —Greg Patton
Now, Garrett and Greg are contending for the first Division I national championship in school history side-by-side. “I truly believe more than anything that suffering creates greatness,” Greg said. “Most of the people in the world don’t use suffering to
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become a better person. Do I think Garrett Patton has greatness written all over him? I absolutely do; on the court and in life. Did he make a poor decision? Yeah, he did, but he grew from it. He’s a man now. I look at him as a man. He was a boy then.”
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