The Student Association Finance Committee has recommended a budget of more than $3,260 for the InterFraternity Council/Panhellenic, the governing bodies of the greek system. This budget is double the amount approved last year.

Perhaps that’s because the number of greeks in the SA has nearly doubled since last year. They now have a majority of the Senate and a majority on most SA committees, notwithstanding the fact they comprise only 10 percent of NIU’s population.

One of the expenditures approved by the finance committee is $1,000 for rush brochures. These brochures are quite nice. They have fancy, shiny covers and contain photographic ads for the greek system. They will be mailed to all incoming freshmen for the purpose of acquainting them with the greek system, and, as it was put, so the greek system can “perpetuate” itself.

Supposedly, the system won’t “perpetuate” without these brochures—which makes one wonder how the system has survived for so long without them.

There was also an allocation for $131 for display ads in The Northern Star, advertising rush. All other SA organizations have been told the SA will fund only classified advertising. That is, when they get any advertising funds at all—many don’t get a cent.

The excuse given for this inequity is that new students coming in don’t know to look in the classifieds for information on rush events. Well, every other SA organization can make the same argument—new students don’t know to look in the classifieds for information about the Gay/Lesbian Union or the Black Choir or the John Lennon Society, either. But the SA doesn’t finance display ads for them—or classifieds, for that matter.

Participation in the greek system is restricted—unlike all other SA organizations (with the exception of honorary groups), which are open to everyone who wishes to join, with no prejudgement about whether they “belong.” The “bid” system by which the greeks choose their members should make them ineligible for any SA funding, since they have a “right of refusal” of anyone they don’t think will “fit in.”

The Senate still must approve the finance committee’s recommendations. But it should come as no surprise to anyone if it turns out that 90 percent of the student population ends up having their student fees go to activities that benefit them in no way whatsoever.

It’s time to redistrict Greek Row and equalize SA representation.