El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-09
Tells o. u. K. Members that
Fraternities Have Bad Eff
feet on Pupils.

The frat" squabbIe in the Ell Paso
High school. although not completely
settled, seems to be a victory for the
school authorities, as eight Of the nine
members OF the Omega Epsilon Kappa
fraternity have signed pledges that
they viii withdraw from the frat"
while in school.
Wednesday night Prof. J. W. Curd Of
the High school, who is opposing the
frats in the High school, addressed the
members of the O. Z. K. fraternity at
the Y. n. c. A., explaining the action
he had taken and putting the two sides
OF the question in a better light and
doing away with a lot Of the hard feel
ing which had been caused by some
not knowing why the matter of eXClu-
sion Of the frats from the High school
had been brought up.
Mr.. Curd said that the matter Of the
existence Of "frats" in the High school
had been taken up because IL is easier
to get them out before they get a good
start in the school He said numerous
complaints have been made by parents
of members of the 'frats' and sOrOritieS
against the societies; that the influence
of the fraternities is not Of the best
The mother Of one Of the girls who
belongs to a sorority has complained,
he said, that she is unable TO support
her daughter in the manner required
of her with her daughter a member
VI q SOIOL anu the III > ll4DL-lEA mas
complained to the school board on ac-
count Of it. The parents OF several of
the boys, he said, have complained TO
him and members Of the school board
that the boys are spending more money
than is necessary on account or having
to keep up with other members OF the
"frats," and that their boys sometimes
do not get home until early in the
morning after attending a frat az
fair.
These complaints Of the parents, said,
Mr.. CUrd, have caused the school board
to take the matter UP and superintend-
ent CrOZier has instructed Prof Curd
to take action in the matter.
It is claimed that in the school the
'frats" have a bad influence and that
this scholastic year has been marked
by a lack Of united spirit IN the
school more than any other. In the
athletic circles especially, ii is said
this has been shown and the nOn-frat
members have been comp planning against |
Although it is not known that there
has been any solid frat vote in any OF /
these things, said Mr. Curd, 1t Is true
that the frats' influence was there in
other ways.
Girls Sorority Disbands.
The Omega Phis, a girls sorority, |
which has existed in the High school, Z
has been disbanded and all Of the girls
have signed pledges which have been
given to Prof. Curd that they have re-
signed from the sorority, and Mr.. Curd /
said the o. Z. +. frat" should not be |
allowed If the girls society is not, and /
so the authorities are taking action in I
driving il out.
The threat of the frat members to /
take the matter into the courts was
dealt on by Prof Curd, and although I
he did not sanction the move, as it in I
jured the name Of the school, he told 4
the members if they could find no other I
way of settling the controversy they 4
could take the matter in the courts, as (
they have threatened to, and settle the .
matter as the Denver case has been I
settled. In Denver, he said, the school I
won out in the courts. He instructed I
them on injunctiOns and Writs of man ]
damus so as to have them learned in /
the frat" affair to law. He said that /
whichever way the court decided, let if I
be final, and both sides abide by the I
decision of the court, and do away I
with further trouble in the matter.
Explains Own Position.
His own position in the affair was I
explained by Mr.. Curd, who answered /
some of the charges brought against ]
him by frat" members. The charge /
of his sanctiOning the frat" by at
tending their annual banquets was ex- |
planned by him. He said he accepted /
the frat" invitation to attend the ban
Quet as the guest Of the members, and J
did not think at the time that the !
members had the motive in view of /
holding his going against him when a /
Later he said he attended supper at a 1
members house, but did not think he Z
had been invited there for the same /
purpose.
1t is not expected that more trouble /
viii come from the affair, as all but
one boy have pledged themselves to /
give up the frat during school time /
Beginning the opening of school after