The Lowell Sun from Lowell, Massachusetts • Page 14511

Fraternities becoming a thing of past By MICHAEL KNIGHT New York Times NEW HAVEN, Conn. One of Yale University's two remaining Greek letter fraternities closed its doors at the beginning of the fail semester. The other to close sometime this year, bringing to an end the slow and steady decline of fraternity life here. Trustees for both Delta Kappa Epsilon, which has closed, and Zeta Psi, the last survivors of the 35 fraternities that flourished boisterously in the IBM's and '30's are now negotiating the sale of their elaborate brick and stone houses on what used to be called fraternity row on York Street here. "It's been a very bad situation for fraternities; they're not the center of interest any more, at least not at Yale," explained Thsmas Ainsworfh, president of Zeta Psi, which he said has only two paid up members and one delinquent member.

"We just haven't been able to attract people. They don't seem to be interested any more. We'll close as soon as we can sell the building." Fraternities have been succumbed one by one Ln recent years, hard hit by debts, rising costs, declining membership, the admission to Yale of poor and middleclass student's unable to pay fraternity dues and the arrival of women students on campus. TWO OTHER GROUPS thai were once traditional fraternities have survived so far by dropping their Greek letter affiliations, admitting women and attempting to get away from the image of beer drinking fraternity brothers wearing beanies. Zeta Psi has been unable to admit women because its national organization prohibits it, while Delta Kappa Epsilon had allowed women to join, but only in its "little sister" category.

Trustees of both fraternities were reluctant tn talk about the closing. "We don't want any publicity at a time like this," said head of the Delta Kappa Epsilon trustees, as he compiled an inventory of the fraternity's furniture for an appraiser. "The students' and alumni would like to remember it the way it was." Both fraternities are attempting io sell their buildings, ipulent halls with bars, pool tables, fireplaces and wood paneling, valued at well over $100,000 each, to satisfy back taxes and set up pension funds for their two full time staff workers. "Yale is coed no wand the kids don't need this kind of thing," Ernest Huggins, the staff worker who technically holds the liquor license at Zeta Psi. "The kids Ihese days don't have the money for this kind of thing, and when they do have some money, they, spend it on a stereo set or a sports ear.

THE 11)0 MEMBERS who were in Delta Kappa Epsilon last semester are about $50,000 in debt, according to David Wells, last year's "We are up to our ears in debt," he said. "We owe. the city of New Haven tax debts, we owe operating debts, debts ever the years. The place costs us 520,000 a year to maintain, and imr dues are down to but many of the people of Yale these days can't afford even that kind of an expense." "A lew years ago the word fraternity had a bad name and we were trying to play down the image of the drunken jnck and build the fraternity into a gentlemen's club. I thought we had improved our membership and could improve it again this year with another year of grace.

But the trustees put tbeii foot down and said that's it. just couldn't make it any more." ANIMAL CRACKERS larns Doctorate Joieph Jamii Pelerin of Hawthorn Nabnaisaf and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pelerin, has earned a doctorate degree in dental surgery at the University of Detroit Dental School. He attended Wsstford Academy and St.

Anselms College in New plans to practice in the Greater Lowell area. Sept. 24, 1973 Page 29 imiimiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiriiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Singer dies NEW YORK Gram Parsons, the rock musician and former member of the Byrds, died last Wednesday in Joshua Tree. Calif. He was 27 years old.

The cause of his death was unknown, bat the Snn Bernardino County Corner said Parsons had died of "natural causes, pending an autopsy." Parsons had recently released his first solo album, "G.F. Gram Parsons," and had completed a' second album for release next, year. He gained prominence as a guitarist and singer with the Byrds, one of the top English rock groups of the 1950's. He left that. group in 1970 and spent several years with the' Flying Burrlto Brothers.

Since a motorcycle accidenl in 1970, he had performed only rarely in public, but was preparing to make a European tour with a group called Country Gazette. IIIIIIMlllllllllHIIIIItlllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllltlllllMll Llviag In Amarka A pair of "outsiders" begins to crack the shell of suspicion in a Texas spot By TOM GEDIHE EDOM, Tex. (UP!) Mr. Spot's been around town a long time, mooching meals off back door steps. He never took to people much until Doug and Sharon Brown came along three years ago with their new ideas and different ways.

Sharon began feeding the black and white mongrel dog every day. She patched him up once when he gat hit by a car, and saved his life when somebody filled his belly with poison. Now he spends his days lazing in the sun, right out Ihere where eveeybody can see him on the front porch of one if the arts and crafts shops run by the young couple and six of their friends. Mr. Spot was one of the first io accept the Browns in Edom, a tiny population 201 East Tesas community cut off by green blacktop roads and age.

Young people leave town after schoof and art is a Norman Rockwell drawing from the front of a Salurday Evening Post. "PEOPLE WERE suspicious of us at first," said Suzanne Ray, an "outsider" who drives 20 miles from Tyler every day to make jewelry as a member of the Edom Craft Community. "They'd never seen anyone make a living this way." There were rumors in Sunday School about "those hippies," about wild drug parties and goodness knows what else. "They would have been just as suspicious of a herd of kangaroos living in the field out there," Sharon said. "You know, just anything different, they weren't used to." Sharon and Doug Brown opened the Potters Brown shop to sell Doug's pottery and pretty soon some more artists moved in and they all got together and held a fair last year.

IT WAS SO successful they're doing it again Saturday and Sunday, featuring paintings, sculpture, batisk, macrame. prints, photography, weaving, leather good.s furniture, knives, jewelry and glassware. Artists will be coming from as far away as Georgia. The first fair "sort of polarized people," Sliarun said. "People who thought wc were sort of okay came to our defense and are really behind us now.

"That's just one of the things about this part of the country, and I guess everywhere in rural America," she said. "People just don't accept outsiders right off. You've got to prove yourself." Doug and Sharon finally felt they had been accepted when their neighbors voted them into the volunleer fire department the one with I lie truck that was used In the Korean war. "1 really feel like 1 have an identity out here," Sharon said. "Even if some people are suspicious, they know I'm alive.

TUMBLEWEEDS Craft center accepted When Doug and Sharon Brown, she's shown working on jewelry, moved to Edom, Texas, there were rumors in Sunday School about hippies" etc. They felt ac Your Horoscope By JEANE DIXON TUESDAY, SEPT. 25 YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY: Finds you redefining your goals, striving for simpler, more meaningful daily living This should be your year of stronger faith. Material affairs will require quiet concentration and conservative approaches throughout the year, with particular emphasis in the first few months. Relationships thrive, despite many distractions.

Today's natives generally see both sides of any issue, but will sfav with their own convictions. ARIES "(March 21 April 19): A friend puts you next to a good thing, if you let him. Financial matters improve. Moderate habits are the optimum, and there's a limit on Ikiw ar you follow outside advice. TAURUS (April 20 May 20): In romance, be venturesome, Careerwise, impractical offers are interesting, with possible ramifications into feasible projects.

Your efforts should be strictly for your own benefit, GEMINI (May 21 June 20: What seems like "luck" is merely your latent gifts for dealing with people with a little help from extended sensory perception most nf us have more than we realize, CANCER 21 July 221: Life follows a path roughly parallel but not quite the same as your normal routine; although you may de precisely the same chores, your view of them is altered. LEO (July 23 Atig. 22): Schedules and appointments become confused, with little lasting ef eepted, however, when their neighbor! voted them into the volunteer fir feefs. It's better to see the humor of the situation. Think twice about changes you've 'planned.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 Sept. 22): A little extra effort increases your earning It's a great day tor trying new tools, new systems. In an embarrassing situation, try to persuade all: to keep calm, LIBRA (Sept. 23 Oct.

22): At the moment, all things tend to dwindle a bit in your estimation. Be careful not to accidentally discard something vou haven't yet used or figured out how to' use. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): Your chosen friends and organizations arc all on cloud nine today, over something that eludes precise evaluation.

Go along for the ride but not the illusions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You have: no trouble in saying all the right things, except that under the surface a current is running the other way. Recognize this, and tell things they rcallv are.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19) If something' is complicated, it probably shouldn't be made a main issue. Leave technical matters to specialists, hut get a second opinion in doing so. AQUARIUS (Jan.

20 fub. 18): The bold front, the pretenses of today fool nobody but those who attempt them. Be direct; playing no games with anybody's schemes. Your own are susceptible to mischief. PISCES (Feb.

19 March 20): It's a fine dijTfoi general getting acquainted, for fall stori nd likely estimates; but not for firm contracts, definite promises, large purchases. Save money. Vh is IT FAULT I WAS rPfl 1 1 CmoMB, WHILE 'maTmOlPll MORS ILLY AMBLER 1 Ml I Wv II rtii 1 i '11 "bW HAL, I WANT YOU TO (STA 1 I CLEAN BOOM? WHAT'S I WHAT'S VOfclS WITH IT IH WBCNS CK O'SHAY B.C. HJ "HE 5AVE.PM.V LIFE, AN' PONT6ET ME LbUT AH PONT I Lw'a to UKfc A COiY Be HERE fT IS WE DO 2 BONER'S ARK yes 0P i cvep pEAcr, ALL THE fctoORlMGS' WERE TWiEM0lJT I GOT "OUR tJWAE OH THE WWTlMS LIST4 JACKSON TWINS rf ftA I Wf WON, XET A BIT EU3GH? NEVEB ASAIN SIX 3Xil OUT7HS KCkAf I 1 IN VMF. WA5 CWS WrfHOUTA ns mv sewte tpa'VBLiLraNe, veye Awondb? SftfeP Sto save alo up heee telephone ts too I "THE TKWE AflDUT" THE 5lWX flBTT VpjL TH A WYAM tCf DEDCATEP TO MUCH FDg ANY GlRfj WHERE THE CBVTB4J.

HAVf IT IS A OMJSE.