I'VE WRITTEN for the past two weeks about secret societies, arguing that their tags have no place on Grounds and that tradition is an inadequate justification for the secret societies' prominence in the University community. I want to continue my inquiry and discuss another important reason, besides tradition, that I think these institutions are accepted and even admired.
There is a psychological quirk that makes the actions of these societies more compelling because of their secrecy. The secret societies in turn leverage the interest created by the aura of mystery around them to magnify the perceived scale of their donations as well as the perceived value of their recognition. Each new cohort at the University is indoctrinated into believing these groups have some independent legitimacy and importance outside our own fascination with them.
I've already discussed how the donations of the Seven Society have received an inordinate amount of attention given their minuscule size in comparison to the vastly larger quantities given each year by the general alumni community. But besides receiving hugely excessive credit per dollar donated, the secret societies also obtain outsized interest from the community in their official recognition.
Each year, the Purple Shadows crash the Honor Banquet and give their "James Hay, Jr." award to a student who has exerted himself or herself for the sake of the honor system. The Honor Committee even celebrates the award with a plaque in one of its offices listing past recipients. Honor Committee Chair Ben Cooper told me he thought the recognition of the Purple Shadows was meaningful and that its meaning was amplified by the secrecy of its donors.
Another example of the consideration given to secret society recognition is that organizations and individuals proudly advertise their recognition from the Z Society or the Seven Society. Institutions as diverse as Alternative Spring Break and Hillel have posted their Z Society recognition letters online.
I am amused by the perception that there is more recognition embodied in an award from a secret organization than from a public organization whose members are known. We should feel more honored receiving recognition from a group of people who are known than a group comprised of an unknown number of unknown individuals unwilling to put their names and personal reputations behind their praise.
I suspect the excitement around being recognized by a secret society has something to do with peoples' desire for unbounded flattery. A recipient of secret society recognition can imagine large numbers of potentially powerful people eagerly watching his or her organization's activities. A recipient of an award from the University realizes she was probably chosen through some official process by a known group of people. Secret society recognition is to recognition from a public body as a rose from a secret admirer is to one from the schmuck in section -- with a secret giver the recipient can imagine whatever she wants.
Even more amusing is that the secret societies are often praised for their secrecy, which is said to be chosen in order that their "good works" can be done in private and anonymously. This is just silly. Any individual who wants to donate money to the University anonymously can easily do so.
The ring societies -- the Z Society and the IMPs -- only chose to become somewhat more secretive in the 1980s. In earlier years they were well-known and the list of their members was published each year in the University yearbook. These groups chose to increase their secrecy to increase their prestige, not to live up to Kantian moral standards of selfless virtue. Members of secret societies have the opportunity to enjoy the diffuse respect for their organizations around campus which is only accentuated by secrecy. Individuals in the ring societies even get the chance to directly enjoy the prestige from making known their connections to these groups during college or after graduation.
And as for the true secret societies, such as the Seven Society and the Purple Shadows, the individuals who comprise these groups insulate themselves from criticism, and the organizations themselves are somewhat intimidating to criticize since one does not know who might become upset. This is doubtless of particular comfort to members of the odious Purple Shadows.
These groups gain by our own childish passion for mystery. We can begin to grow up by removing their tags.
Andrew Winerman's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at awinerman@cavalierdaily.com.
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