Message from the Grand President

The last two weeks have reaffirmed how much our alumni and friends believe in this Fraternity’s values.

When our University of Mississippi chapter found their way onto recent headlines, our alumni stood up and shared what SigEp means to them. The support of our base and proud history will always speak louder than the actions of those who carelessly tarnish our reputation.

Now that all the facts are known, I am writing to make sure you know what happened, what we’re doing about it, and how you can help.

What happened?
After learning that three freshmen members of their chapter were responsible for desecrating the James Meredith statue on the Ole Miss campus, our University of Mississippi chapter quickly voted to expel all three men, turning over their identities to university administrators and investigating authorities.

What we’re doing about it.
This is a defining moment for SigEp. We began challenging negative Greek stereotypes in 1901 and continued to lead the way when we first invited members of all races, creeds and religions to join in 1959. This incident serves as a reminder that there is still work to be done to make our campuses and Greek systems more inclusive. Once more, SigEp has the opportunity to lead the way at The University of Mississippi and on campuses across the country.

As we continue to respond to the incident with our Mississippi Alpha alumni and chapter leaders, we have communicated actively with media to correct the narrative about what happened and how SigEp intends to lead moving forward.

• We were the first to release a statement about the incident and the chapter’s swift action.
• Mississippi Alpha’s chapter president spoke with a local paper about the opportunity SigEp has to lead the Ole Miss campus.
• While in Oxford, CEO Brian Warren sat down with a local CBS affiliate for an on-camera interview to help correct the narrative and defend SigEp’s values.

Before we move forward at Ole Miss, we must also look inward to understand how three students responsible for these actions could gain entry into our Fraternity. Mississippi Alpha’s alumni-volunteers and Fraternity staff are asking this question and others as they conduct a review of the chapter’s operations and membership.

CEO Brian Warren, Fraternity Operations Director Seth Irby, and Past Grand President Steve Shanklin were all in Mississippi last week to begin this process. They met with the university’s administration, our AVC and the chapter.

The chapter’s officers and volunteers have demonstrated a commitment to improving all aspects of the chapter experience, including the process by which the chapter evaluates and recruits new members.

Until we can assure you that the chapter’s membership will represent the best of SigEp, we won’t resume operations at The University of Mississippi.

How you can help.
SigEp continues to lead as the premier collegiate Fraternity, but it is moments like this that remind us we’re not perfect, and we have room to improve. We need more of our alumni and friends mentoring chapter members and leaders, whether it is with your home chapter or the one nearest you.

We certainly can’t control the actions of each and every member, but we can help guide our chapters as they create environments where, as U.G. Dubach, Oregon 1913, said, “it is easy to do right and hard to do wrong.”

I encourage all alumni to consider volunteering with a local chapter or to become a mentor with your own chapter today. I am sure you will find it, like I have, a rewarding experience.

For more information, please contact the district governor responsible for your area of the country.

Fraternally,


Phillip A. Cox
Grand President

Ole Miss SigEp chapter took same-day action to kick out freshmen members

A report in the Nashville "Tennessean" newspaper says the MS Alpha chapter acted swiftly and decisively when they learned three of their members were involved in the James Meredith statue incident.
Based on this report It looks like the chapter did everything they could to take proper and timely action. The full investigation will still be needed, but lets hope the chapter itself is soon cleared from the cloud of suspicion and back in full operating order. 

Ole Miss Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter took same-day action to kick out freshmen members | The Tennessean | tennessean.com:

Written by

Therese Apel

(Excerpt)
The president of the Mississippi Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon said the very day that chapter members knew the people responsible for the desecration of the James Meredith statue on campus were in their own midst, they voted to kick them out of the fraternity.

"I learned about their involvement on Wednesday afternoon. By Wednesday night, the chapter had voted to expel all three, and we reported the information to the university and authorities," said SigEp president Jeremy Smith in written answers released by the fraternity's national headquarters

Smith, of St. Petersburg, Fla., said members of the brotherhood were "offended and outraged" at the knowledge that the three students who tied a noose around the neck of the Meredith statue and draped an old Georgia flag which features the confederate battle flag on it were SigEps.

"That three students who previously identified with our fraternity could do something like this has been a humbling experience," Smith said. "It has forced us to reconsider the process we use to evaluate new members and the assumption that this kind of behavior couldn’t occur in 2014."

On Friday, SigEp's national headquarters suspended the chapter indefinitely, citing a need to do a top-to-bottom review of the recruitment process in order to ensure that members who espouse racist beliefs would not be able to slip through the cracks and join the fraternity in the future.

SigEp responds to desecration of James Meredith statue

Fraternity announcement: SigEp responds to desecration of James Meredith statue:

After learning that three freshmen members of their chapter were responsible for desecrating the James Meredith statue on The University of Mississippi campus, the Mississippi Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity quickly voted to expel all three men, turning over their identities to university administrators and investigating authorities.

SigEp’s CEO Brian C. Warren Jr. said Thursday, “It is embarrassing that these men had previously identified with our Fraternity. SigEp as a national Fraternity has championed racial equality and issues on diversity since 1959 when it became the first national fraternity to invite members of all races, creeds and religions to join its membership. For this to occur in 2014 is an insult to the legacy of James Meredith, The University of Mississippi community, and the SigEp alumni who fought for racial equality in the late 1950s.”

SigEp has indefinitely suspended its University of Mississippi Chapter and asked that the chapter cease all operations. The Fraternity staff is working with chapter and alumni-volunteer leadership to conduct an internal investigation. The Fraternity intends to conduct a comprehensive review of the membership to ensure members’ values align with those espoused by the Fraternity. "We won’t allow the actions of a few men to undermine the more than five decades of leadership this Fraternity has demonstrated in the fight for racial equality and diversity on our college campuses,” said Warren.

View the press release PDF.

'via Blog this'

3 booted from Ole Miss frat, SigEp chapter suspended

"We won't allow the actions of a few men to undermine the more than five decades of leadership this fraternity has demonstrated in the fight for racial equality and diversity on our college campuses,"
- Sig Ep CEO Brian C. Warren.

3 booted from Ole Miss frat, chapter suspended:

(Photo: Thomas Graning, The Daily
Mississippian/AP)

The Mississippi Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Ole Miss has been indefinitely suspended by its national headquarters, and three Ole Miss freshmen from Georgia have been kicked out of the fraternity after refusing to talk to police about a noose and Georgia flag found on the James Meredith statue on campus.

"Sig Ep has indefinitely suspended its University of Mississippi Chapter and asked that the chapter cease all operations," said a statement issued by the fraternity on Friday.

"The fraternity staff is working with chapter and alumni-volunteer leadership to conduct an internal investigation. The fraternity intends to conduct a comprehensive review of the membership to ensure members' values align with those espoused by the fraternity."

"We won't allow the actions of a few men to undermine the more than five decades of leadership this fraternity has demonstrated in the fight for racial equality and diversity on our college campuses," said Sig Ep CEO Brian C. Warren.

VIDEO: Feds investigate vandalism of statue at Ole Miss

The fraternity expressed shock and embarrassment at the behavior of the three.

"It is embarrassing that these men had previously identified with our Fraternity. Sig Ep as a national Fraternity has championed racial equality and issues on diversity since 1959 when it became the first national fraternity to invite members of all races, creeds and religions to join its membership," said Warren. "For this to occur in 2014 is an insult to the legacy of James Meredith, The University of Mississippi community, and the Sig Ep alumni who fought for racial equality in the late 1950s."

The three were declining through their attorneys late Thursday to be questioned by university police regarding the vandalism Sunday morning of the University of Mississippi's James Meredith statue, according to the university chief of police, Calvin Sellers.

Sellers said the University Police Department had gathered enough evidence by late Wednesday to bring charges through the student judicial process against two of the students, and both state and federal authorities were working in close coordination to determine whether criminal charges were applicable

Two of the students were those being sought by university police, but all three names had been prominent in the investigation, according to Sellers. He said the attorneys declined to make their clients available for questioning without an arrest warrant.

The university is satisfied that the three students under investigation are responsible for the statue's desecration, Blanton said. "Both federal and local authorities have done a very tough and thorough investigation and interviewed a lot of people to gather information," he said.

The FBI said Friday it planned to expand the investigation for potential violations of federal law.

The statue commemorates Meredith's 1962 entrance into Ole Miss, which marked the integration of the university. Meredith has declined to comment on the vandalism.

Therese Apel writes for the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

'via Blog this'

Montana Sig Eps Lead the Way In Diversity Project

Students see the ‘writing on the wall'
Andrew Dusek

For many students, words like “dyke,” “fag” and “kike” plastered in plain view alongside swastikas and other racial slurs may be shocking. But others say painting the words and literally tearing down symbols of prejudice help bring awareness to oppression.

This week, UM students and faculty have a chance to vent their frustrations and raise awareness for oppression by writing anything they want on a cinderblock wall located between the University Center and the Mansfield Library as part of the Writing on the Wall Project.

The event, which has been successful at other universities across the nation, runs from Tuesday through Thursday and paint is provided for people to write messages before the wall is torn down at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

The project, which coincides with the Day of Dialogue, was proposed by the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity as a way of “being open and honest about offensive words and prejudices” and starting conversation about diversity.

Tory Gustafson, communications coordinator for the project, said that the wall is an “in-your-face project” that confronts racism in an interactive way. Gustafson said students can express how they’ve been oppressed by writing offensive words on the wall and expressing their beliefs, racist or not. “Either way it’s going to come down,” he said.

At first many students were confused by the eye-level wall covered in crudely painted profanity, but soon realized its purpose. Freshman Pari Kemmick said that she was initially confused and surprised by the messages. She said it was really cool once she understood the concept.

Kemmick’s friend, Libby Fletcher, said that she felt uncomfortable because she’s not even able to say some of the words. “We’re not exposed to stuff like this very often,” she said. “I don’t even know what some of these words mean.”

Sophomore Ashley Richards said that she supported the event, but would not participate. “I find it odd that at any point in time it would be OK to write racial slurs,” she said.

Not all students were shocked by the messages on the wall. Michael Becker, a senior majoring in drama and dance, said it’s a way to boldly bring awareness to what people say. “Sometimes what you say can be offensive, even if you don’t think it is,” he said, pointing to a comment that read “Stop being such a girl.”

“It’s great,” he said. “I love it.” Josh Peters-McBride, Program advisor for Student Involvement and Leadership Development, said that the wall is a “sweet idea.” “It’s just a visual representation of all the oppressed feelings, emotions and words everyone carries around daily,” he said. “It gives people an opportunity to see that oppression is very much apparent in our daily lives.

Derek Duncan, vice president of Communications for Sigma Phi Epsilon, was glad to hear the positive reaction from many students, but said that everyone is entitled to an opinion. It’s important to be open and honest about prejudices and have conversations about them, he said. “There are thoughts we have and things we shouldn’t say, but we need to acknowledge these things and talk about them to get rid of them,” he said.

Duncan said that the wall was inspired by an online student affairs project and added that schools like the University of Florida and Kansas State University have done similar projects.

Tina Brown, student coordinator for the Day of Dialogue, said the committee was excited when the idea for the wall was proposed. She added that she wasn’t concerned about the controversy because the Day of Dialogue is open to controversial issues. “We know they will come up,” she said. Brown urged all students to check out the wall and “write whatever their heart leads them to write.”

Adina Kaliyeva, a senior from Kazakhstan who sits on the Day of Dialogue Committee, said she was surprised to see the word “foreigner” written on the wall in Japanese because it could be considered a bad word to some people. She also said that the wall is a diversity issue and something personal and individual to each person.

Kaliyeva said that her connection with others comes from reaction to criticism. “People can react to all these issues,” she said. “It’s like, I don’t want to see this, but in the end, it’s created to be destroyed.”
andrew.dusek@umontana.edu

Paper: Skit featured student playing Obama in blackface

CNN reports that a student at North Dakota State U. appeared in blackface as Barack Obama during a sorority(Alpha Gamma Delta) sponsored "Mr. NDSU" skit presentation. Horrors! Call the PC police! (Does it matter that NDSU is 92% white so that might be the only way to have a portrayal of "a man of color"?)

North Dakota State University is investigating complaints about a campus skit in which a white student in blackface portrayed Barack Obama receiving a lap dance.

The same skit, part of a charity fundraiser held at a campus theater, also featured a depiction of cowboys having sex with each other, witnesses told The Forum newspaper, which first reported the backlash Friday.

"We're trying to find out the right approaches for accountability, but at the same time try to heal wounds that have occurred and allow the campus to move ahead," Janna Stoskopf, NDSU's dean of students, told The Associated Press on Friday.

In fact, the description of the skit makes it sound offensive on a number of levels. But one wonders what, precisely, is the reason it rises to the level of national attention?

Paper: Skit featured student playing Obama in blackface - CNN.com

Further: A link to the original student newspaper article. CNN did not see fit to include that link in their story.

Former Duke Players Cleared of All Charges - New York Times

This is not exactly a fraternity story, but is fairly close. At least in the kind of responses it raised when it was first reported.

The Duke lacrosse team players who were accused of rape, 'sexual offenses', and kidnapping have been cleared of all charges. The state attorney general concluded there was no evidence to proceed with a case.

An independent investigation “showed clearly that there is insufficient evidence to proceed,” Roy A. Cooper, the state attorney general, said at a televised news conference. “ We believe these individuals are innocent.”

He said the accounts of the events given by the woman who made the accusations were so inconsistent that they were not credible. “She contradicts herself,” Mr. Cooper said.

The decision brings to an end a 13-month ordeal for the young men, two of whom were dismissed from Duke because of the charges.

David F. Evans, 24, of Annapolis, Md.; Reade W. Seligmann, 21, of Essex Falls, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., were initially charged with rape, sexual offense and kidnapping. One of two women hired to strip at the lacrosse team’s spring break party in March 2006 accused them of raping and assaulting her in a bathroom of an off-campus house.

The rape charges were dropped in December, after the woman changed a key detail in the case, saying she could not be sure what had penetrated her when she said she was gang-raped. The woman changed her story after DNA tests showed no traces of DNA from any of the three defendants or any other Duke lacrosse player on her body or clothes, while traces of other male DNA were present.

The case touched nerves of race, sex and privilege, both nationally and in Durham, because the accuser was a poor, black local woman and the students were relatively affluent, white out-of-staters. It also tapped into a debate about the off-the-field behavior of college athletes and the proper role of big-money sports on America’s university campuses.

There is lots more in the linked New York Times article, including a local prosecutor who was trying to win an election off the case, Political correctness gone completely off the rails, "poor black girl" vs. "rich white boys", bungled investigations, a "victim" who could not seem to tell the same story twice in a row, and a complete lack of forensic evidence. This tale has "TV Movie" written all over it.

As former Secretary of Labor Ray Donovan might say, "where do they go to get their reputations back?"

Too bad Don Imus has been gagged. I bet he would have some interesting comments.

Former Duke Players Cleared of All Charges - New York Times

Fraternity Banned for 15 Years for Hazing

OSU suspends fraternity for 15 years

STILLWATER OK -
An Oklahoma State fraternity has been suspended by the school for at least 15 years after six of its members were accused of beating a pledge with wooden paddles. The university announced the suspension Wednesday, the same day as the Alpha Phi Alpha chapter was suspended by its national office for five years.

"We wanted to come up with something we felt would send a strong message that this is not something we are going to allow," OSU spokesman Gary Shutt said.

One pledge was beaten so hard that muscle tissue was exposed.

Corrion Quentrelle Cox, 22; Lyall Storandt, 22; Jason Donel Taylor, 22; Mitchel McCowan, 21; Michael Dexter Combs, 20; and Joshua David Goree, 23, were each charged Monday with hazing, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 90 days in the county jail.

Hazing was banned in Oklahoma in 1990.Payne County District Attorney Rob Hudson said allegations involved a group of five pledges, but he chose to prosecute the six on behalf of one pledge whose injuries were most severe.

Associated Press
March 15, 2007


Attorney says OSU overreacted to hazing incident
By RICHARD GREEN, Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY --
An attorney for one of six Oklahoma State University fraternity members accused of paddling a pledge so hard that muscle tissue was exposed said the university has overreacted to the incident by suspending the organization for 15 years.

"I'm not condoning any bad behavior, but at the same time we have a system in America that is supposed to be based on a level of fairness," Ronald "Skip" Kelly, who represents Corrion Quentrelle Cox, said Friday.

Cox, 22, and five other fraternity members were charged in Payne County District Court on Monday with hazing, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 90 days in the county jail. Hazing was banned in Oklahoma in 1990.

On Wednesday, the national office of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity suspended the group for five years, while the university decided on a suspension three times as long.

"We just felt with the magnitude of what happened that we needed to send a strong message to this fraternity and all of our Greek homes that this is something that would not be tolerated," university spokesman Gary Shutt said.

Kelly, a former member of Alpha Phi Alpha, questioned the extent of the injuries that led to the criminal charges and said the fraternity has been unfairly criticized.

"These kids have been branded as the worst of the worst," he said. "It's been made to look like this is the worst thing that's ever happened.

"How could a fraternity get banned for 15 years for one mistake?

"In January 2006, a University of Oklahoma student was shot and killed at an Alpha Phi Alpha off-campus party in Stillwater. Those arrested in connection with the shooting were not members of the fraternity and were not university students.

Kelly said that even though the fraternity was victimized in this attack, the violence has been used to unfairly malign the group. He questioned whether the fact that the fraternity is a predominantly black organization has factored into some of the criticism it has received.

Police have said they've been called to break up fights at some of the events put on by the Alpha Phi Alpha.

Shutt said the 15-year suspension was based on the hazing incident, not past situations.

Five university pledges were allegedly subjected to hazing at meetings between Jan. 23 and Feb. 11. Prosecutors filed charges in connection with the one pledge who was most seriously hurt.

Shutt said the injuries this pledge suffered were serious enough for the young man to seek medical attention. Police have said muscle tissue was exposed on one of his buttocks.

"There is no doubt in my mind that this was a serious injury," Shutt said. "Police have investigated this. There is a lot of evidence, photographs. This was a very severe beating that this student received.

"In addition to Cox, the other defendants are Lyall Storandt, 22; Jason Donel Taylor, 22; Mitchel McCowan, 21; Michael Dexter Combs, 20; and Joshua David Goree, 23.

Two Stories on MLK Party at Tarleton State (TX)

‘MLK Party’ deemed offensive
By SARA VANDEN BERGE News Editor and DOUG MYERS Managing Editor
Stephenville Empire- Tribune (Texas)January 24, 2007

A group of Tarleton State University students, including members of a popular fraternity, chose to “celebrate” Martin Luther King Day by throwing a “MLK Party,” complete with buckets of fried chicken and 40-oz bottles of malt liquor wrapped in brown paper sacks - symbols used to negatively stereotype black culture.

Party-goers also donned afros, carried fake guns, and dressed in gangster attire. One student even came dressed as “Aunt Jemimah.”

Now, a core group of black students are taking action.

Donald “D. Ray” Elder, president of Tarleton’s NAACP chapter, said he is deeply offended by the overt display of racism among his fellow students.“This happened on our campus. It didn’t happen on the East Coast or in the Deep South,” Elder said. “It’s happening right here in Stephenville, Texas. This is how regular students are celebrating Martin Luther King Day."

The party apparently took place last Wednesday. By Thursday, word of the soiree had spread and pictures began appearing on at least two Web sites.

Exactly who hosted the party is still not known.

Elder claims it was sponsored by Lambda Chi Alpha, a university-sanctioned fraternity, but members of the fraternity dispute that claim, saying that while some members may have attended, the fraternity did not act as the host.

TSU President Dr. Dennis McCabe expressed concern with the situation in a prepared statement released late Tuesday.“We are very disappointed to learn about this very unfortunate incident and are investigating it fully,” McCabe said. “We will use this as a teachable moment to help our students understand the importance of civility on and off the campus.”

McCabe will be “issuing a letter to the university community addressing this issue early Wednesday morning,” said Dr. Wanda Mercer, vice president of student life.

Meanwhile, Elder said he was first made aware of the situation by two students, then began doing his own research. He found photos from the party posted by two Tarleton students on Facebook, a networking Web site popular among college students.

Appalled by what he saw, Elder said he sent an e-mail to fellow student Jeremy Pelz, who is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and who posted the pictures.

He said Pelz quickly apologized and removed the photos from the site, but only after Elder downloaded them onto a disk.

Elder then gave the photos to Tarleton officials and asked them for help.

Pelz said Lambda Chi Alpha did not sponsor the party, but when asked, he refused to disclose who did.

However, Pelz said he is sorry for turmoil and pain caused by the situation, and that if he could take it all back, he would.“I didn’t mean any disrespect and I didn’t want to be offensive,” Pelz said. “I have definitely learned from this experience.”

Pelz also encouraged an African-American friend of his to contact the Empire-Tribune.

Tracy Williams, a 2006 graduate of Tarleton and former roommate of Pelz, said he never saw any signs of racist tendencies in his friend.“I am African-American and we are great friends,” Williams said. “I’ve been to these kinds of parties before and I think they are fun - I’ll back him (Pelz) 100 percent.”Even so, Elder said he plans on addressing Tarleton’s Student Government Association about the situation when it meets at 5:15 p.m. today.

********
January 25, 2007
Tarleton deals with MLK controversy - Forum reveals wounds remain
By DOUG MYERS Managing Editor and SARA VANDEN BERGE News Editor

White Tarleton State University students who took part in a Martin Luther King Day “celebration” that offended many black students continued to apologize Wednesday for their actions.

But black students, who attended Wednesday night’s university forum called to attempt to heal wounds associated with the issue, made it clear that a simple apology just isn’t good enough.


“Whoever went to the party, this is your consequence,” Sarah Bodden said. “You may want it to go away, but ... you’ll just have to sit and listen to us (complain) about it for a while.”

Bodden was one of a number of black students who went to the microphone to express dismay with students who participated in a “MLK Party.”The party featured buckets of fried chicken and 40-oz bottles of malt liquor wrapped in brown paper sacks - symbols used to negatively stereotype black culture. Those who attended also donned afros, carried fake guns, and dressed in gangster attire.

Photographs from the “MLK Party” were posted on Facebook, a networking Web site popular among college students.

Jeremy Pelz, a TSU student who attended the party and one who posted the pictures, was the first to stand up to the microphone late Wednesday to face criticism and apologize for his actions.“I am not a racist and I hope you accept my apology,” Pelz said. “In no way did I intend to discriminate toward Martin Luther King.”

“We do accept the apology, but we do not accept the fact that it was unintentional,” Elder said. “We were expecting, ‘I’m sorry. We didn’t mean it’ ... If this was not meant to harm anybody, why was it a secret?”

Tracy Williams, an African-American 2006 graduate of Tarleton, said he started the “MLK Party” three years ago and accepted any blame that might be given.

“If you want to pin the blame on anybody, blame it on me,” Williams said. “... This was not a Lambda Chi (Alpha) Party. This is a party I started.”

University officials continued Wednesday to investigate the party and exactly who hosted it remained unclear.

Dr. Wanda Mercer, TSU’s vice president for student life, said university officials “just found out about (the party) yesterday” and that they plan on investigating “it fully.”

At one point during the forum, intense words flew between black and white speakers on opposite sides of the packed room, prompting Williams to say, “I honestly think this is getting out of hand.”

Mercer even had to intervene, saying, “It’s not dialogue when everyone is talking and no one is listening.”

“I seem so emotional because I am so emotional because we seem so divided,” Chai Read-Walsh said.

At a time when the university needs to become more diverse, Read-Walsh asked, “Who’s going to want to come to school where they have parties like this?”

Meanwhile, TSU President Dr. Dennis McCabe cut an out of town visit short to attend the event. He told the room full of students and faculty that he was “hurt, angry, and appalled” by the recent events.“We are about creating a culture of excellence for our students and we have tried to live up to that. And for the most part, we have,” McCabe said. “But this recent event has called into question the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. - and that’s why I’m angry.”

McCabe encouraged the student body to deal with their anger in their own way, but asked that they “choose a path of healing and understanding.”

Before the forum began, Mercer said the mood on campus has been calm despite the anger and frustration many of the students are feeling. She said rumors of fighting or violence on campus were completely false.

“People are definitely talking about the situation and that’s a good thing because it gets people discussing the tough issues,” Mercer said.

Sing me a Rainbow

"We have every mixture you can have. I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."
- James G. Watt; Secretary of the Interior, 1981-1983

A number of chapters seem to have seriously embraced the idea that Sig Ep is a place for anyone. These chapters, to be sure, seem to be more heavily concentrated in the far West (CA, WA, OR, AK) and Northeast than in the Deep South or Midwest. Still, there is real progress, especially when compared to the time I was in school (mid 70s - Southern). The proportion of "brown faces" rather than distinctions (latin, black, oriental, mid-east, etc.) is more appropriate because concentrations will vary from place to place. Certainly there are still chapters where there are no “brown faces” at all but that number is dwindling. We can see that at CLA and Conclave.

In contrast, the "Public Face", as embodied in the leaders and staff at pretty much every level, is very pale. Now, this should not be too surprising, since the people assuming leadership roles now are more or less my peers. There is a shallow pool of "Sig Eps of color" that are close to my age. However, I do not EVER recall a black RD, and I'm not too sure about Orientals or Hispanics - maybe one here and there. It would seem that some effort might go into making that part of the structure, at least, reflect the non-discrimination principles that we have codified into our national by-laws.

Note: One of our contacts told me there had been one black RD, but he did not finish his term. This merely illustrates the point that a token presence is no better than none at all.

The Ruck Experience and the Quest to Greece are leadership identification and training exercises. You should expect to see those people in 10-20 years stepping up in the Fraternity. Do we see diversity there? If not you have to wonder if some outstanding potential leadership is being missed. Let me say that I do not for a minute believe there is any systematic willful discrimination taking place. Rather I think that it is a case of laziness. The RDs and DGs look for leaders to recommend for special training. Applications are sent in but the future leaders they 'see' just happen to be people who look like them.

An aside - in 2001 in DC My wife and I were sitting near a man from Alabama wearing an OGH - don't remember the name. At one point one a choir member sang a solo - perhaps the sweetheart song or maybe it was the national anthem. My wife and I overheard him say rather loudly to his tablemates "that nigger sure can sing good". My wife was appalled. She left the dinner and may never return to another Conclave.

So, how do we get to the point of making the "top" of the Fraternity look like the "bottom"? We need to see more “brown” faces in the ranks of Volunteers, RDs, DGs, and even NBD members. Once we do that it will stop being an issue. You will remember that Secretary of State was a job for a white male until Madeline Albright and then Colin Powell. Now, however, the only issue that the appointment of Condi Rice raised was whether she was the best person for the job. As it should be. Let’s get to that point with our leaders too. In the words of a “dead black guy” we should judge potential leaders on the “content of their character, not the color of their skin.”

From an undisclosed location...
I am Diogenes and I approved this message.