A recent University of North Carolina graduate faces attempted murder charges after he allegedly drove a sport utility vehicle through a popular campus gathering spot Friday, clipping and scattering startled bystanders.So, what does that have to do with Sig Ep? In simple terms, we have an opportunity to build bridges. The TN Kappa (UT-Martin) chapter has sponsored programs that speak in this vein. Their "Writing on the Wall" project has won awards for raising awareness. They also have sponsored a forum on Faith in the Face of Disaster.
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The FBI joined the case because [Mohammed Reza] Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims," said agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington. "The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this."
More chapters should sponsor forums, seminars, lectures, or similar activities to address the need for understanding cultural and religious differences without stereotyping and scapegoating. That would reinforce the positive publicity we have garnered recently in Time Magazine and on the Today show. If a few chapters 'sponsor tolerance' we could begin to change the general perception of fraternities as havens for elitism.
Individual chapters should not wait on HQ to get ahead of the curve. They won't. They are too busy trying to keep the train on the track, as it were, to seriously think about this kind of innovation. The Regional Directors who visit the chapters must concern themselves with chapter accounts, risk management profiles, and manpower levels before image building (See: "Mazlow"). One chapter decided to quit their Interfaternity Council over a clash between traditional rush and the "continuous recruiting" policies that HQ encourages. Where were the National guys while this was happening?
Individual chapters can make a difference. Remember, one of our most effective tools for recruiting and gathering positive press - the Balanced Man Scholarship - was started at one individual chapter before it was reborn as a national program. The ubiquitous "Red Door" began at one chapter and then spread to all the rest.
Sig Ep has worked very hard to increase diversity and tolerance within its own ranks. We were ahead of the mainstream in dropping racial and religious barriers to membership. We encourage chapters to broaden their membership profiles. Let's take another step and show how the "Brotherly Love" principle applies in real world situations.
