FOLLOW US

Undergraduates and alumni reacted with shock and disbelief at the announcement of the $1 million annual tax.

Dr. Hecht’s original demand of $350 per year from every fraternity and sorority members would have netted her office a cool $2.5 million every year.

On Tuesday insult was added to injury.  The Greek alumni had insisted that no so-called Greek tax would go to fund Dr. Hecht’s employees.  On Tuesday, Dr. Hecht announced the anticipated hiring seven new employees in her office paid for with the imposed tax.

FSU will require a $150 annual tax on every FSU fraternity and sorority member.   According to university records, there are 7,111 fraternity and sorority members.  The new tax will add considerably more than $1 million every year to Dr. Hecht’s operation.

Response has ranged from shock to confusion to outrage.  Greeks point out that many members of these organizations work to afford tuition, and many others receive scholarships.  “If individual men cannot pay the tax, the university will expect the fraternity to make up the difference,” said one source. “We already pay fees to our national fraternity for insurance, dues and other financial requirements.  This tax will put some small fraternities out of business.”

Maybe putting fraternities out of business has been the plan all along.

The implication to Greeks is chilling: Sign this document and accept these financial and social burdens that will put you out of business. Don’t sign it and you can enjoy your indefinite suspension indefinitely.

Every FSU student and alumnus, Greek or not, should be terrified by the plans of Dr. Hecht. When she is done terrorizing the Greek community, we can only wonder, who is next?

We wonder if Dr. Hecht plans to initiate an exchange program with a North Korean university. FSU Alumni and donors should demand that FSU keep its lessons on authoritarianism in the Political Science and History departments and not apply them as living lessons to certain classes of vulnerable students.

USA Herald will provide ongoing coverage of this saga.  Stay tuned for further updates.