During the past few months, a lot of tension has erupted among fraternities on campus, especially the fraternities of Alpha Tau Omega, Pi Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Order. The three fraternities have lashed out at each other with verbal insults, T-shirts and parties.

The primary question I keep asking myself is “Why?” We are all students here who have different interests and see things differently. We are not always going to agree on everything, but that is what makes this university a great place to attend -- there is so much diversity. So why can we not respect each other’s diversity?

When we all went through rush, we heard the same thing: “Go where you feel comfortable.” I felt comfortable with the guys I met at the KA house. So the right decision, for me, was to become a KA. I hope all those who rushed chose the places they are now because of the same kind of feelings that I had. When you made your decision, you did not have to ask yourself, “Am I making the right decision?” You just knew.

So why should there be such negativity among people of opposing fraternities? I, for one, show no animosity toward people in different fraternities. You made the right decision for yourselves and I respect that decision. Why should you dislike me or why should I dislike you for your personal choices?

The answer to that question is that we should not dislike each other. Now I am not so naïve as to say that we are all going to be best friends with each other and get along at all times, because we are not. We are going to have conflicts with each other. But, at the same time, I, for one, will not instigate anything with anyone and try to start a fight.

You may think I am afraid or something like that, but when I step back and look at the things that have happened during the past few months, it is pretty ridiculous. And there is not one group of guys to blame for this. It is all of us. Each fraternity has had members who have said things to others to provoke them, and most of the time what has been said was very unnecessary.

The bottom line is that we are not in high school anymore. We are supposed to be mature adults who can reasonably handle any differences we may have, and once it is settled, that should be it.

I say this to all of us, my fraternity brothers as well as others: the longer we “run our mouths” to each other, the longer this will go on. College is intended to give us great memories that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. Do you really want to leave college thinking, “Man, I really hated those Pikes” or that you had to get into a fight every time you saw a KA or an ATO? I do not want my college experience to be like that, and I hope no one else does.

So I would like to make a challenge to each fraternity: Let the past be the past, start over and enjoy your college experience so that one day you can say that whatever group you chose to be part of helped you to become a better man and that you had a great time while you attended UTM.

Brent Harris is a junior Communications major from Martin.