New book by a SigEp teaches kids about bullying, diversity

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New book teaches kids about bullying, diversity

By Andy Proffet, Staff writer
Published: Monday, January 13, 2014 8:05 AM US/eastern

Andy Proffet photo Bob Kelly has written and illustrated 

a book, "11 fish friends," to help kids see how to deal 

with bullying.

Bob Kelly learned a lot about diversity during his time at Vincennes University.

Thirty-eight years later, he's using those experiences in an effort to address bullying.

Kelly, a graphic artist, has written and illustrated a children's book, "11 fish friends," based on his experience in a fraternity at Vincennes University.

The Seymour native, who moved to Shelbyville after living in Cincinnati for 25 years, was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Vincennes in the mid-70s.

* "We never met before, different nationalities, different ethnicities, short, tall, good-looking, ugly," Kelly joked about his fraternity brothers. "Thirty-eight years later, we still see each other.

"It really taught me about never passing up the opportunity to make a friend. We were the most diverse population you can imagine ... we learned you accept everyone for who they are."

That mentality was reflected in Kelly's thinking as he saw news reports about bullying while living in Cincinnati. He began to ponder how to use his own story.

"When I was running that by a few people, teachers, they said, 'Bob, what you've got there is the beginning of an anti-bullying book.'"

Once the book was finished, he sent out PDFs to promote it to gauge interest. When it was time to actually publish the book, the first print run was paid for by his fraternity brothers.

Kelly said the book is being used in the Dugger school system here in Indiana and in the Rocky Mount school system in North Carolina. He's also sold about 75 books to parents and grandparents through his Facebook page, facebook.com/HoobieBooks.

The book is also available on Amazon.com. Cost is $8.

Andy Proffet is a staff writer for The Shelbyville News. He can be reached at aproffet@shelbynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndyProffetTSN.

'via Blog this'

Welcome to the Phoenix Conclave - now show me your papers!

Update - Please vote your preference in the poll on the sidebar. We will let HQ know the result so they can see what the "rank and file" want. Thanks.

The more I see and hear about the new law in Arizona requiring law enforcement personnel to ask anyone "suspicious" for proof of legal status, the more I wonder if it is a place for a biennial celebration of the principles of "Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love."

I am proud of SigEp's heritage of being different by championing of diversity. What that means as a practical matter is that next August a number of our Conclave attendees will look 'different', and possibly 'suspicious,' when they arrive at the Arizona customs center airport. Let's hope everyone remembers to bring a passport or at least a birth certificate so they can avoid spending conclave in an ICE holding cell.

Most who read this post would, I believe, like to see some sort of progress made toward a) making our southern border more secure, and b) finding a path to address those who have already entered the country "without due process." The political and economic factors are complicated and I don't pretend to have an answer, but I do know that people who are here legally by birth or by process deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I may joke about needing a "Texas Passport" but the Arizona law is way too close to that in reality for my comfort.

The new law in Arizona is a refutation of a long held principle in America of freedom to move about. "Show me your papers" is the sort of thing you see in movies about eastern European countries during the cold war, or Gemany in WWII, not in 21st century America. Of course Arizona as a state can make its own laws. That is one of the benefits of being an American state. But if we don't agree with the actions we are not required to enable them. There is no reason to fatten Arizona tax coffers if we don't agree with their actions.

Allow me to make a modest proposal - Move Conclave out of Arizona next year. Don't favor the state with any economic help to keep people in a second class status. Yes, I know the deal was signed long before the bill was even brought up. Yes, I know it will be difficult to find and set up another venue. But isn't it worth the effort? What good is it to say "This Fraternity Will be Different" if we won't be different and make a stand? How can we "Build leaders for the worlds communities" if we don't model that leadership ourselves?

I have stated my feelings, now its time for others to let our leadership know how you feel. You may not share my opinion. Fine, let's hear another viewpoint.

Frat inspired by Robert E. Lee bans Rebel uniforms

So much for "Old South Days"

The Virginia-based Kappa Alpha Order issued new rules to chapters earlier this year saying members aren't allowed to wear Rebel uniforms to parties or during their parades, which are a staple on campuses across the South.

There have been numerous instances in recent years of KA members being confronted and insitutions petitioned to end the practices

In the memo to chapters, Kappa Alpha's national executive director, Larry Wiese, said such displays had to end.

"In today's climate, the Order can ill afford to offend our host institutions and fend off significant negative national press and remain effective at our core mission, which is to aid young men in becoming better community leaders and citizens," Wiese wrote.

The big question: Is this being aware and sensitive to cultural diversity and historical issues, or is it political correctness taken to an absurd degree?

We ain't touchin' it, but can't wait to read the comments.

Frat inspired by Robert E. Lee bans Rebel uniforms - Yahoo! News

Please take the Diversity Survey

(Update: The link is fixed)

Grand President Garry Kief asked that we make this survey available to undergraduate SigEps who read the blog. Please take a few minutes to fill it out. (hint: there is a prize opportunity) at the end for those who complete it

Brothers:

So far, we have received a number of thorough responses to the Diversity Task Force Survey released last week.

As we are targeting as much participation from across the Nation as possible, I encourage you to please reach out to your chapters, again and ask that they take just a few minutes to respond. Responses are confidential, and cannot be linked to a person, or a chapter. It's important to remember that we are looking for honest and open feedback, and will use the responses we receive to make recommendations moving forward to assess Sigma Phi Epsilon in terms of our nation's growing, and changing, undergraduate population.

We would like to compile data from completed surveys at the start of next week - Full chapter participation from undergraduate brothers, and graduates of 2009, by Tuesday, April 13 is our goal. Upon completion of the survey, participants are routed to a separate page to enter in to win one of several Sigma Phi Epsilon apparel items or Balanced Man Banners for a chapter.

The survey is at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SigEpDiversity

Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you have any questions, or concerns.

HFF,

David Thompson, Jr., Pennsylvania Epsilon '06, Task Force Chair
on behalf of The Sigma Phi Epsilon Diversity Task Force

Don Burgio - New York Delta '89
Rodrigo Duarte - Florida Nu '06
Ryan Fournier - Ohio Gamma '08
Rick Johnson - Illinois Alpha '91
Jeff Schiffman - Louisiana Alpha '05
Patrick Swift - Louisiana Gamma '90

Fraternity Membership in Black and White

Gregg Presbury (MD Zeta) sent us this thought provoking entry.

A Post for SigEp Blog:

My wife and I were finalizing our plans for inviting a mutual friend to educate Maryland Zeta Chapter (Salisbury U) on the history of the Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO) Alpha Phi Alpha and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). During our discussion we began to talk about the glass wall between historically Black and White Greeks. This discussion got me curious as to the state of the Fraternity world in the Era of Obama. I searched the Internet and found some interesting things are afoot: President Clinton recently became a member of Phi Beta Sigma (NPHC Fraternity), Erica Schlemmer became the first white member of Vanderbilt's Delta Sigma Theta (NPHC Sorority), Darek Jackson as of September 2009 was LSU's only active member of Iota Phi Theta (NPHC Fraternity) he also is the first white member of the chapter and Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) was the first NIC Fraternity at Howard University (2006).

In the late 1950's Sigma Phi Epsilon was a trailblazer in the NIC world by stepping across the Jim Crow line and initiating former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Vermont Beta Brother (Middlebury College) Ronald Brown (8/1/41 – 4/3/96). Brother Brown was our first Afro-American member. Brother Brown's acceptance into SigEp was an extremely controversial and brave move on the part of our leadership and members as this occurred only about five years after Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat and nearly a full decade before Martin Luther King presented his “I Have A Dream” speech. At past Conclaves and Carlsons stories have been told of how our last surviving founding father had to be escorted from the room to allow a non-discrimination clause being added to Article I Section 1A of the National Bylaws in 1959.

I like to think our current membership is as at least as open minded as our Brothers of the 1950s and early 60s. Yet the question remains what has happened since then? More members of color have joined but not an overwhelming number. Chapters have been added to nationally prominent campuses but not prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Pi Kappa Alpha is still the only NIC Fraternity at Howard University. Of note since PIKE entered Howard we have established at east two chapters in the same community without mention of Howard U as a goal for a third SEC in DC.

When I attended the Centennial Conclave as a young alum I was encouraged that I was not the only minority present but was also discouraged that nearly fifty years after the diversity statement we only had a handful of non-white members present for such a momentous occasion. Years have passed and I have seen more minority members at Carlsons but still no HBCU representation.

SigEp offers a great program and enormous opportunities for those who truly take on the challenges of the Balanced Man education. There are thousands of young men of color on our campuses and at HBCUs that are not being offered the opportunity to benefit from our organization's opportunities. Do we have a plan to address this? In this era of tightening budgets, competition and globalization can SigEp afford to sit on the sidelines watching an untapped resource such as HBCUs go by? Do we need to introduce more diversity educators to SigEp's leadership training and Regional Director echelons? If so how? Is SigEp no longer a leader in diversity awareness and appreciation? Should we change our creed? What are your thoughts?

More food for thought: The nation will be more racially and ethnically diverse, as well as much older, by mid-century. Minorities, now roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042, with the nation projected to be 54 percent minority in 2050. By 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children. - U.S. Census August 14, 2008

Brother Gregg Presbury
Salisbury University Maryland Zeta 1996

TX Alpha SigEp may be next Senator

This just in from former Grand President Gary Griffith:
"Reading the Houston Chronicle story (link below) it appears that Texas Alpha Brother Michael Williams (Renaissance - 2008) is a final contender for appointment to the US Senate that should come in next 60 days. If Michael receives the appointment from Governor Perry we need to mobilize to help him stay there.
Gary"

PS: Michael's Campaign Manager and Political Director are Sig EPs also.

Jay Janner Austin American-Statesman Railroad
Commissioner Michael Williams tops the list of Gov. Rick Perry's potential appointees to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who's running against Perry in the GOP primary.

Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams is emerging as a favorite to be named as U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's successor if she resigns to run for governor, creating the possibility he could become the first black U.S. senator from Texas.

If chosen by Gov. Rick Perry, Williams also would be the only black Republican in a Senate where the GOP is battling the nation's first black president on health care and global warming. The only other black senator is a Democrat from Illinois who replaced President Barack Obama. If appointed, Williams would be only the fifth black to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction.

Favorite to succeed Hutchison would make history Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Washington U Sig Ep Speaks on Diversity

Greek Life brings alumnus back to speak on diversity, tolerance
John Scott, News Editor

Courtesy of Amanda Coppock

Marc Elliot, a Wash. U. greek alum, will be speaking at Washington University as part of a public speaking tour. His speech focuses on the value of tolerance and the attitudes and behavior required for it to flourish.

Marc Elliot, a 2008 Washington University graduate, will be speaking about tolerance and diversity in a speech at Washoington University in St. Louis

Elliot, whose visit is sponsored by the Greek Life Office, Women’s Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council (IFC), has Tourette’s syndrome and an intestinal disorder called Hirschsprung’s disease

“The thesis of my speech is basically that I try to convey the value of tolerance and the basic attitudes and behaviors that allow it to flourish,” Elliot said.

“His message is quite serious, but he presents it in a very light-hearted way, so it really allows you to connect what his message is and it really allows you to hear a perspective that you don’t really get to hear about a whole lot,” said Ryan Jasen Henne, director of Greek life.

Elliot said he is excited to be back at the University.

“The last two months, I’ve been all across the country, speaking to complete strangers, so it’s really neat to be able to talk to a group of people who know who I am.”

Elliot believes all attendees will benefit from his speech and from learning about his experiences in dealing with Tourette’s.

“A lot of people didn’t know me personally, but they knew there was a kid with Tourette’s on campus because it’s very visible,” Elliot said. “I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised, thinking they might know me, and realize there’s a lot you don’t know about people.”

Elliot’s speaking career has taken him to middle schools, high schools, colleges and nonprofit organizations across the country.

“It’s really has been a wide range of audiences, and each time, depending on the audience, I try to make it conducive for that type of audience,” he said.

Henne said the speech fills a gap in discussions on campus, since disabilities often do not come up in discussions about diversity.

“It is a serious topic that doesn’t really get a lot of air time, so to be able to educate people on Tourette’s syndrome and also on his personal life of being a man growing up in the world with a disability, it’s something that not a lot of people have had a whole lot of exposure to,” Henne said.

Junior Kevin Smith, IFC president, said there were several reasons why members of the University community would benefit from Elliot’s program.

“I don’t think there’s any one specific reason for [students] to attend. His speech is a positive message basically good for anyone to hear,” Smith said.

According to junior Amanda Coppock, WPA president, Elliot’s visit is the result of a collaboration between multiple campus organizations.

“The WPA and IFC and all the exec boards sat down, and we talked about it and decided for any community, it’s important to talk about diversity, and this was a great way to do it. Marc talks about a really unique part of diversity that I don’t think gets discussed in depth all the time,” Coppock said. “We decided it would be an excellent event for Greek life and the Greek Life Office and WPA and IFC to host for the entire Wash. U. community.”

Coppock believes the University already does a good job in addressing tolerance and diversity but thinks more discussion can always be beneficial.

“I think that our campus tries to be really progressive and tries to have a lot of conversations about diversity and important issues, and this is another way of doing that,” she said.

According to Henne, the Greek community has a special connection to Elliot, who was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, but Elliot’s message applies to a much broader audience.

“For us, he is a Greek man, but the cause that he represents and the issues that he’s going to speak about really do speak and transcend all boundaries of race, gender, ethnicity, etc,” Henne said. “It’s truly an opportunity for us in Greek life to be a frontrunner in presenting to the campus-wide population an issue that affects people of the world.”

Henne believes anyone can rally behind and discuss the issues Elliot will address.

“We’re hoping what’s going to happen is that people are going to hear this message and start having more conversations about it,” Henne said.

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

New frat president breaks race barrier - Campus News

From deep in Huckabee territory...

Corey Perry's race was far from his mind when he was elected president of his fraternity last semester.

But his election to the top leadership spot for an Interfraternity Council group represents one of the first times a black man has led the group of eight fraternities nearly wholly dominated by white members.

Perry, 20, even looks different in his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. He's the only black member.
[...]
Perry was elected by his brothers at the end of last semester and took office before finals. He believes that he will make a good president because he is able to connect and identify with all of his brothers and because he is adamant about keeping traditions.

Perry said that he was attracted to this fraternity because it felt like home, and because it was different from the rest, despite there being three traditionally black fraternities already on campus.

SigEp, as usual, leading the way.

New frat president breaks race barrier - Campus News

Georgetown Sig Ep Explores Diversity

Where is the love, exactly?
Taylor Barnett

Love: It’s a fascinating, mysterious four-letter word that is life’s greatest complexity. We all pursue it, yet we are constantly bombarded by images that depict a world full of strife and discord. We don’t even have to look far beyond the Healy gates to see such hate, as we did with last month’s hate crime. So I ask myself, “Where exactly is this love?”

I see it in many ways here at Georgetown. I see it with those rallying for social justice in Red Square, with my friends who stand with me through the thick and thin. I see this love with my professors, who as mentors and friends are genuinely interested in my well-being. And I see it too with my brothers of SigEp. While one might wrongly think that I, a Southern, liberal, gay foreign-language geek, have no place in a fraternity, I have found a sense of belonging amongst my brothers that I never knew existed. They, like other genuine people, show the utmost form of love by looking beyond my background and beliefs and appreciating me for my whole person, a man of sound mind and sound body, a leader, a gentleman, a best friend, a brother.

Nevertheless, as an openly gay male in the South, I have experienced hate first-hand as I ran for my life being chased by a guy with a baseball bat, as I cringed at guys calling me “faggot” and “queer” and reciting Leviticus, as I grieved when a friend accused me of sexual harassment and spearheaded a petition to get me expelled from high school and as I took this all to heart and attempted suicide. I look back now and I think to myself: “So, are they right? Am I going to hell after all?” I doubt it, but I haven’t the power to be certain. But I’m not worried, for whether I am to be saved or condemned, I realize that I have this life to live right now, and I shall not waste it in fear and grief. I choose to live and share this life with others based on this principle of pure, unwavering love for my friends, my brothers, my community and myself.

Last month’s hate crime was atrocious, and such violence doesn’t belong here or anywhere else. And as we saw by the colossal turnout at last week’s rally, even in a world full of strife and discord, we recognize, in accordance with Jesuit ideals instilled in all of us, the importance of not only acceptance but also celebration of and love for diversity in our community. I speak of agape, a genuine and human love for our fellow brothers and sisters, and it’s here at Georgetown that I understand exactly what that means.

This brings me to Coming Out Week. For me, the spirit of it encompasses far more than sexual orientation. It’s about how we think of ourselves, how we construct an identity and how we share ourselves with the world. But first we must overcome one thing: fear. The fear of being different, of appearing weak or wrong, of what we fail to understand and even of what we may discover about ourselves. I choose not to see myself solely as male, nor as gay, nor as white, nor as American but simply as human. We must look beyond this bullet-point evaluation and recognize the individual as simply that, an individual. Be we women or men, foreign or native, Republicans or Democrats, gay or straight, rich or poor, Catholics or Protestants, Jewish or Muslim, or even none of the above, we must understand and be proud of what we believe and who we are. We must overcome fear in order to share ourselves and our gifts with others, as it is everyone’s duty to educate others in his or her unique individuality. Life is too short and the price too high to watch our years go by in silence and quiet desperation.

Love. It is the best thing I have ever felt. It is the greatest truth I have ever known. It is what makes me whole, what makes me human and what makes my life complete and worth living. To know that we love and are loved is the most wonderful thing we can ever experience. And I never forget that even in hard times I always can find faith, hope, belonging and understanding in love.

Where is the love, exactly?

Hippies and Deadheads and SigEps, Oh My!

What does "The Summer of Love" (that's 1967 to you kiddoes out there) have to do with SigEp? You might be surprised.

People involved in the local hippie scene recall that only in Plaza Park, which is now known as Cesar Chavez Plaza, did large numbers of long-hairs congregate in public. There, says Gus Kaplanis, a newsletter publisher and former owner of the underground newspaper Aardvark who in 1967 was a history major at Sacramento City College, “you’d see groups of kids and young adults walking around. You know they’re not working and probably not going to school. But they’re having a good time, sitting around, playing guitars. It’s an easy life. You’d see hippie vans converted. You know they were living there.”
[...]
“What was so vibrant and so exciting about that time--there was a great hope about our youth,” recalls Linda Parisi, who now heads the public defender’s homicide division. She was a 17-year-old suburbanite attending El Camino High School in ’67. “As a result of, really, a youth movement, fundamental social changes occurred.”

“It exposed me to the term 'Free Love,’” remembers Kaplanis, now a balding, gray-bearded, golf-playing retiree with a shy smile. “Everybody was safe. Everybody was friendly. Free Love was the big deal. I guess it showed rebellion, that you don’t need a piece of paper to like somebody.”

In many ways, Kaplanis, who today drives a convertible white Thunderbird--golf sticks popping up out of a bag on the passenger seat--embodied Sacramento’s counterculture-lite take on the Summer of Love. Not a true hippie, he was, instead, a frat boy. “Gooser,” as everyone called him then, lived in a Sigma Phi Epsilon frat house on the corner of 22nd and T streets. But he imbibed many of the mannerisms and lifestyle choices of Frisco’s hippies, especially after his first visit to the Haight.

“A bunch of us from City College played hooky, went down there, spent all day and some of the evening, and my eyes opened up to the counterculture, to what was going on, the runaways, the people fed up with government, with regular city life. I was impressed. This is really cool.”
[...]
Politically, the campuses--or at least a vocal minority on the campuses--drifted leftward, as they did throughout the country. “This was a very freewheeling period when, how shall I put it, student-teacher relationships were very friendly,” reminisces 73-year-old Jerry Fishman, a now-retired English instructor at City College. “We’d walk into a class and say 'party time.’ And then we’d party with students that night.”

He still recalls the contact high you’d get simply walking down the pot-smoke-filled corridors.

The radical African-American activist Eldridge Cleaver came to CSUS in 1968, a year after he’d participated in the Panthers’ Capitol Invasion, and caused a stir by using the word “fuck” while speaking from the podium. “The students were just like 'Oh my God!’” Kaplanis recollects. “There were hundreds of them.” City College had a series of bomb scares.

And guess what? Yup, all those "crazy hippies" you see in the documentaries and movies like "Woodstock" grew up to become your Moms and Dads. I know. I resemble that remark. I'm told I had a wonderful time.

SN&R > Local Stories > Hiding out in Sacramento > 06.07.07

Indoctrinate U - Our Education. Their Politics.

We generally stay away from politics on S&P. After all, a fraternity that can embrace Ron Brown and Scott McClellen must have a bond that transcends traditional political boundaries.

However, this documentary came to our attention recently and it seems to impact right where most of the undergraduates members live - on college campuses. The people who made the movie are having trouble getting it shown so they are asking people to sign up so they can give the proof to the distributing companies.

Watch the trailer and decide for yourself. If you want to see the movie head to the web site and let them know. They will arrange to bring a showing to areas with at least 500 sign ups.

Indoctrinate U - Our Education. Their Politics.

Who are you, and what have you done with my fraternity?

(Thanks to Gregg Presbury for this revelation)

A small entry in a news item today caught our eye:

Illinois College
Aurora: Mackenzie Buchanan has pledged to Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society

Apparently these folks have been around a while too...

Illinois College--Sigma Phi Epsilon

History

Illinois College is the only college in Illinois, and quite possibly, the only remaining college in the country that includes literary, fraternal and social activities in one organization. Initial literary society formation on the campus began in 1843 due to strong interest in intercollegiate oratory and requests for organizations specializing in literary and forensic expression.

The seven literary societies, three women’s (Gamma Delta, Chi Beta and Sigma Phi Epsilon) and four men’s (Sigma Pi, Phi Alpha, Gamma Nu and Pi Pi Rho), continue to flourish at Illinois College. They hold weekly business meetings and literary programs, where members offer debates, orations, essays, declamations, dramatic monologues, readings, extemporaneous speeches and individual compositions. They also offer many services and social activities that benefit society members, all Illinois College students and the Jacksonville community. Literary societies are a unique entity and are truly worth investigating.

Sigma Phi Epsilon
Nickname: Phips
Founded: 1916
Colors: Yellow and White
Motto: "Knowledge, Love and Service."
Flower: Daisy
Brothers: The men of Sigma Pi

So... when does the copyright infringement lawsuit go to trial?

U Washington's Calendar Sparks Debate

(And wouldn't you know, there's a Sig Ep connection!)

"Women of UW" calendar pulled
By Nick Perry
Seattle Times education reporter

Jeatt Walker, a University of Washington math student and aspiring model, thought she'd gotten her big break when she was named cover girl on the "Women of UW" calendar dreamed up by a group of business students.

But when Walker's proud mom went to the University Book Store last week to buy copies, she was turned away. The calendar had been pulled from the shelves.

Bookstore Chief Executive Bryan Pearce declined comment Tuesday night on what caused the about-face after the store earlier bought nearly 300 copies.

Part of the reason may lie in an e-mail campaign started by some students who say the calendar objectifies women.

The whole episode has yielded some surprising lessons about business and about life for the five students who produced the work for their entrepreneurship class.

Information

About the calendar: www.womenofuw.com

"I never would have guessed any of this going into it," said junior Zach Meissner, who began as the group's financial manager — and turned into its crisis manager.

Meissner said the students intended to produce "his and hers" calendars. But despite an eager group of males willing to pose, their market research showed consumers generally sought to buy only the female version.

About 30 women applied to pose, plus some friends were enlisted, Meissner said. The calendar features 13 of them; one month shows twins.

The shots are tame compared to many publications, Meissner said.

"We wanted to show beautiful women who were very successful with what they are doing at the UW," he said.

Walker, 20, said she had no doubts about signing up.

"When I first heard about it, I thought 'This is so rad. This is my chance to get connected to the school,' " she said.

"It was classy enough that I was not embarrassed to show it to my family. It was the first big thing I've been in."

She said the calendar "displayed a really good fact that women can be smart and beautiful. The UW is full of really powerful women."

But other students weren't so taken.

"As I flipped through its pages, I became increasingly upset at its blatant objectification of UW students," some wrote in an open letter to UW President Mark Emmert.

"More importantly, I was horrified at the prominent display of the University of Washington's name and trademark logos spread across the pages of the calendar, providing the background for female students posing in provocative outfits against campus settings."

Meissner said that in all, 1,500 calendars were produced, which the team of students is selling for $15 each.

So far, about 200 copies have sold, not counting the nearly 300 disputed copies purchased by the bookstore.

Meissner said that because the calendars begin with the month of September, he expects demand to pick up in late summer.

It's not the first time Meissner has turned up in the news. In December 2005, Meissner appeared on two national television morning shows — ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today" — as president of the UW's Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity to discuss its embrace of the national fraternity's new "Balanced Man" program.

The program emphasizes clean fun, community service, strong academic performance and good etiquette. The frat discouraged a bawdy lifestyle.

DZ 'marketing effort' is "Ditzy"

The PR fiasco that came of the attempt by Delta Zeta to 'upgrade' their chapter at DePauw has me wondering. Didn't anyone at their headquarters ever takes a basic marketing course?

First problem - :By all accounts, the sorority chapter was a small but diverse group who were noted more for brains and personality than a "Barbie doll" look. The initial attempt to reorganize the chapter got off to a bad start when all but 12 women were asked to leave because of a "lack of commitment." Oddly, all the girls who were "committed to improving the chapter" turned out to be thin and white. All the brown and dumpy ones were "not committed". What would it take to show commitment - lose weight and bleach their skin? Maybe Delta Zeta should recruit Michael Jackson as a makeover consultant.

Second Problem - :After the initial shock wore off some of the newly minted "alumnae" went public with their comments and concerns and the story quickly found legs on the internet and in the mainstream media. DZ HQ responded with a defensive statement that sounded like Alberto Gonzales trying to justify firing the 9 US attorneys. The DZ National President tried to make out like they were the victims in all this mess. Puh-leeze! It sounds sort of like the boy who killed his parents, then pleaded for mercy because he was an orphan.

Third Problem - :Then, After DePauw got fed up and kicked them off campus anyway, DZ has filed a lawsuit! Thereby guaranteeing that there will be updates as the suit progresses for months or years to come. They should have just laid low, accepted the 'injustice' as a price for their incompetence. and gone on about the business of image repair.

Back to marketing. I have just finished taking a graduate level marketing course. Coincidentally, the professor is a graduate of DePauw and his wife is a DZ alumna. Somehow, the class started discussing the situation. (OK - I confess. I started it.) He told us that in his view the national organization has done everything wrong, starting with the reorganization process. He told us his wife is extremely upset and has vowed no more involvement. I believe it. If a similar fiasco had happened with my home Sig Ep chapter I would be similarly upset.

If the DZ leadership has any hope of getting past this they would do well to consider bringing in some professionals at image repair. It would probably start by 'regretfully' accepting the resignations of anyone who had responsibility for those decisions. Next I would think they should bend over backwards to demonstrate how 'diverse' and 'accepting' they can be. They could hire the same ad firm that does the "Campaign for Real Beauty"commercials for Dove.

DePauw and DZ Withdraw Recognition

Delta Zeta vs. Depauw Wrap-up of press releases and letters.
(There is quite a bit... Click on "Read More" to see it all.)

DePauw severs ties with troubled Delta Zeta sorority

GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- DePauw University has severed ties with the Delta Zeta sorority, where a mass eviction of members sparked allegations that only attractive, popular students were asked to remain. "We at DePauw believe that the values of our university and those of Delta Zeta sorority are incompatible," school President Robert G. Bottoms wrote in a letter delivered Monday to the sorority's national president, Deborah A. Raziano.

The university in Greencastle, 40 miles west of Indianapolis, planned a 2:30 p.m. EDT news conference to discuss the decision. The sorority's members have long had a reputation as being known more for academics than conventional beauty or partying, and their chapter was widely known among students as the "dog house."

The chapter started the school year with just 35 women in the sorority house, far short of the nearly 100 members at other sororities on a campus where 70 percent of students join the Greek system. Delta Zeta's national leadership conducted a review last fall to determine members' commitment to recruiting. As a result, it moved 23 members to alumnae status in December, evicting them from the sorority house. Six others left on their own.

A call to the executive director of the national Delta Zeta organization was not immediately returned Monday. Executive Director Cindy Menges has said Delta Zeta based decisions on the women's willingness to recruit new members to revitalize a nearly 100-year-old chapter whose numbers had fallen steadily over 10 years. But those who were asked to leave the sorority charged that they were removed because of their looks and contended they had been active and supportive members of the sorority. DePauw's decision follows a letter of reprimand sent to the national organization Feb. 19. "We at DePauw do not like the way our students were treated," Bottoms said in Monday's letter. Bottoms said the university would not recognize Delta Zeta beginning with this fall's semester.

University Announcement Regarding Delta Zeta - March 12, 2007
Today Dr. Robert Bottoms communicated with Delta Zeta president Deborah Raziano and severed the University’s relationship with the national sorority. His letter to alumni describing the reasons for his action and a copy of the letter to Ms. Raziano follow.

March 12, 2007
Dear Alumni of DePauw:

As most members of the DePauw family know, the New York Times article of February 25 about the Delta Zeta chapter on campus has resulted in significant media attention. Many of you have written or e-mailed me sharing your views, and many of you have taken the time to share your personal experiences with our Greek system. Nearly all of the responses from alumni have been supportive of the University and our early steps to intervene on behalf of our students.

I have spent significant time gathering facts and information over the past two months. As a result, it has become clear that the values of DePauw University and those of the Delta Zeta National Sorority are incompatible. Therefore, effective immediately, I have severed future ties with the Delta Zeta national, and I am including here my letter of notification to them. I wish to emphasize that our problem is with Delta Zeta national, not its local members, who have handled themselves with extraordinary poise and maturity in difficult circumstances, nor our Delta Zeta alumnae, many of whom have expressed dismay about their national’s behavior and support for DePauw. We will continue to work closely with these students and alumnae as we go forward.

We must view the Delta Zeta situation as an opportunity to face some of the problems inherent in DePauw’s Greek system. If our system is to rise above the negative stereotyping so many of you have written about, modern recruitment processes must be developed. Also, to prevent a sorority or fraternity from reorganizing in the middle of the year and displacing student residents, new housing standards must be developed.

As you know the Delta Zeta controversy arrived in the midst of the University’s major effort to improve the Greek System at DePauw. As an outgrowth of the Greek Fact-Finding Commission, trustees, students, house corporation officers, chapter advisers, faculty, alumni, and parents are working together to improve the physical structures and health and safety standards of the Greek houses, to examine new member recruitment and new member education, to refine the judicial system at DePauw, to expand the staff support and other resources for fraternities and sororities, and to curb high-risk drinking. We have been heartened by our progress and the enthusiastic support and cooperation of all our DePauw constituencies.

Our destination for this undertaking should result in a very public position that there is a new Greek tradition evolving at DePauw-one that builds on our system’s strengths within our learning community-and one that might become a national model for other colleges and universities around the country.

I thank you for your loyalty and support of DePauw.

Sincerely,
Robert G. Bottoms
President

March 9, 2007
Ms. Deborah A. Raziano
National President, Delta Zeta Sorority
c/o Alumni Affairs Office
Clarence James, Jr. Alumni House
Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, LA 70310

Dear Ms. Raziano:

Over the past weeks, I have interviewed many DePauw students, including several who were asked to take alumnae status in the sorority. I have also interviewed the women who were chosen to remain active members in your organization. I have talked with faculty, including the faculty Ms. Menges met on campus, and needless to say I have heard from many loyal DePauw Delta Zetas.

What has become increasingly clear from these discussions is that we at DePauw believe that the values of our University and those of the national Delta Zeta Sorority are incompatible.

I remain concerned by the points I raised with you in my February 19 reprimand of the sorority. Now, three weeks after my initial letter to you, my dissatisfaction with your organization continues to grow. I am proud of our DePauw students and the way they reacted to an unwarranted situation. Our students have shown a maturity beyond what one might expect of undergraduates. Yet postings on your Web site attempt to discredit any DePauw student critical of your actions. Your Web site has also been critical of our faculty for their willingness to openly discuss the way the membership review took place within the Delta Zeta chapter.

In summary, we at DePauw do not like the way our students were treated. We also disagree with your portrayal of the University in the media. We are opposed to your media freeze. One of the foundations of a university is free and open communication, which has been a hallmark of how we at DePauw have responded to this situation. We also vehemently contest the assertion on your Web site that “at all points in this process we (Delta Zeta) have worked with the University, sought their advice and acted upon their advice in our reorganization efforts.”

It is my decision to sever ties immediately with your national organization. Beginning in the fall of 2007, Delta Zeta will not be recognized by the University. In the interim, I call upon you to allow Delta Zeta alumnae to support the local chapter for the remainder of the spring semester rather than your national organization.

Sincerely,
Robert G. Bottoms
President
cc: Cynthia Winslow Menges

University Statement on Delta Zeta February 28, 2007

DePauw University is home to the Delta chapter of Delta Zeta but we are not responsible for, nor do we condone, the manner in which the national officers of Delta Zeta carried out their membership review and the subsequent treatment of their members. DePauw University disagrees with Delta Zeta’s actions and their characterization of what has occurred on campus.

It is outside our previous experience that a national organization would take actions that so negatively impact our students. Delta Zeta’s timing of its membership review, its mixed messages to their members, and its unwillingness to address our community’s concerns are markedly different from the standard of behavior that we expect from University partners.

This situation has been very difficult for our community, especially for the students who were asked to take alumna status in Delta Zeta and for the students who continue to be active in the chapter. In early December when the Delta Zeta national office sent letters to our students informing them of their status, University staff immediately responded to support them and to secure their housing for the second semester. At that time we also requested that a national Delta Zeta representative come to campus to address our concerns. Cindy Menges, the Executive Director of Delta Zeta Sorority, declined our invitation to come to campus until February 8.

Some have asked why the University did not immediately revoke Delta Zeta’s charter. Initially we hoped that we could reach an acceptable resolution for our students by communicating on their behalf with Delta Zeta national officers. When that did not occur, a formal letter of reprimand was sent by President Bottoms to the national office outlining our dissatisfaction with Delta Zeta’s treatment of our students. As this issue has continued to unfold, we have tried to be sensitive to the remaining student members of Delta Zeta who continue to live in the chapter house and to the DePauw Delta Zeta alumnae who played no role in their national office’s decisions.

There have been, and will continue to be, campus discussions about stereotyping, image and social status. Delta Zeta national actions contradict the principles of respect for individuals and their differences that we hold dear. DePauw is home to six historically Black Greek-letter organizations, one Latina sorority, 11 NIC fraternities and seven NPC sororities, including the Delta chapter of Delta Zeta sorority. In DePauw’s 150-year partnership with national and international Greek organizations, we have found that fraternities and sororities, like other student organizations, have a positive impact on students’ satisfaction and persistence toward graduation. All recognized student organizations are expected to adhere to University policies and principles and respect individual differences. We continue to seek a resolution for our students that affirms the positive legacy of the Greek system at DePauw but holds Delta Zeta’s national officers accountable for their actions.

February 19, 2007
Letter from President Bottoms to Delta Zeta can be found at
http://www.depauw.edu/student/greek/documents/DeltaZetaletter.pdf

February 19, 2007
Meeting Scheduled between Delta Zeta and DePauw Representatives

February 8, 2007
DePauw University administrators and faculty will talk with a representative from the national Delta Zeta office on Thursday, February 8. Cindy Menges, Executive Director of Delta Zeta Sorority will meet with Bob Hershberger, Associate Professor of Modern Languages; David Gellman, Associate Professor of History; Cindy Babington, Dean of Students; and Betsy Demmings, Executive Assistant to the President. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the University’s concerns regarding Delta Zeta Sorority’s recent actions as part of their chapter reorganization process. National representatives from the Sorority conducted a membership review that resulted in over two thirds of their current membership being placed on alumna status.
Representatives from the University plan to address the following issues at this meeting:

DePauw University administrators have significant concerns about the timing of the membership review and subsequent decision letters. Information received from a DePauw Delta Zeta indicates that the women were told the review team would be in place by October 1. However, the membership reviews did not begin until November. Letters informing the members of their status were received by the women one week prior to final exams.

No representatives from the national Sorority staff or their chapter adviser were present when the women received their letters. Following the membership review, no one from the national Sorority staff has been on campus to provide support and to respond to questions from those students placed on alumna status. Consultants are now on campus working with the remaining Delta Zeta actives.

The news release from Delta Zeta Sorority explaining the situation arrived on campus four days after the news was delivered to the women. Why was the news release delayed?

At issue for many parents is the fact that Delta Zeta agreed to house their daughters for the academic year. Because of this process, members placed on alumna status had to relocate mid-year.

We also have questions on behalf of our students about what will happen if any of the members choose to reject alumna status. Will they be deactivated? And if so, on what grounds?

Community members expressed their concerns in a petition written by Dr. Hershberger and signed by 55 faculty members. The petition, which was delivered to President Bottoms in early January, indicates that the signers regard the conduct of the National Council of Delta Zeta Sorority on DePauw’s campus to be unethical and call upon the University to take action.

Questions or concerns should be directed to Cindy Babington, Dean of Students, at cbabington@depauw.edu or (765) 658-4270.

President Bottoms' letter to the campus community regarding Delta Zeta December 20, 2006

Dear Members of the DePauw Community,

I know that many of you are concerned about the recent actions of Delta Zeta sorority national representatives toward our students in Delta Chapter, a matter that I take very seriously. Over the past several weeks we have worked closely with members of the local Delta Zeta chapter and communicated with the national officers. As we move forward, the staff is examining what happened at Delta Zeta, how the membership review has affected the sorority's members and the campus at large, and advising me about potential responses.

I extend my sincere thanks to the faculty and staff members who reached out to the women of the local Delta Zeta chapter and assisted them with what has been a difficult transition. All of the students who left DZ have secured new housing, thanks to the diligence of the housing staff, and I'm happy to report that we were able to place many of the women together with their sorority friends.

To all, my best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.

Robert G. Bottoms

---

PR majors take note:
This is becoming a textbook case of how NOT to manage your national publicity.

Few Black Students Join Historically White Houses - Untold Stories

Article in the "Daily Northwestern" discusses reasons for the slow progress of diversity in the Greek world.

Media Credit: Photo Illustration by Tommy Giglio Weinberg sophomore Courtney Sharpe, center, chats on Monday with her sorority sisters in the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. Kappa Kappa Gamma, like many other sororities, is predominantly white. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern Left: Weinberg sophomore Dre Collier joined Delta Tau Delta last year after meeting members who lived in his dorm. [Click to enlarge]

Weinberg sophomore Courtney Sharpe has always felt caught between two worlds.

Growing up in a mostly white Houston suburb, she became accustomed to being one of the few black students in her classes and never found a place in the black community. So when she came to Northwestern, joining Kappa Kappa Gamma, a predominantly white sorority, was an easy transition.

Still, there are times when Sharpe, who was raised by her grandmother, a former sharecropper, longs for friends in her sorority who can share her background. And while she knows she can find that in NU's black community, she fears not being accepted there.

"I guess in most aspects of my life, I've been the outlier," Sharpe said.
[...]
But membership still brings challenges, from finding cultural commonalities with members of the house to connecting with the black community. Today, members of both traditionally white and historically black chapters are taking steps toward healing the divide that separates the two worlds.

"Although these organizations no longer engage in overt rejection of candidates based on race, many did in the past and, thus, have a history of such racial - as well as ethnic - exclusion," psychology Prof. Jennifer Richeson said in an e-mail. "Such a history is very hard to overcome, even if all of the current members would never think of engaging in such racial exclusion."
[...]
Greek officials said the number of black students remains low today in IFC and Panhel, which make up the bulk of Greek life on campus. Representatives from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, who were contacted by e-mail, phone and approached in person for this story, said they don't track the number of black students in Panhel and IFC. They declined to comment further.

But students say the reasons for small numbers are more a matter of comfort and logistics than overt racism.

"I don't think people are looking to be divided," said Weinberg senior Alex Lofton, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. "There is some sort of barrier that's less malicious and more about how they grew up."
[...]
For Weinberg sophomore Dre Collier, the decision to join an IFC group was based on proximity and ease. Collier joined Delta Tau Delta last year after meeting members who lived in his freshman-year dorm, Bobb Hall.

Race was not a factor, Collier said. Although there are only a handful of other black students, Collier said he doesn't feel a cultural disconnect with other members.

Being part of a mostly white organization is "normal if you grew up in an upper-middle class society," Collier said.

"That's the way the other (black) guys (in Delt) grew up," he said. "Our styles don't conflict."
[...]
[SESP senior Jen Leyton, former president of Delta Delta Delta] said it's important to develop closer relationships with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which represents historically black Greek organizations. Since Spring Quarter 2006, through a program called "Bridging the Gap," leaders of every chapter have attempted to overcome their differences by forging friendships.
[...]
But for blacks in mainstream Greek life, it is easy to feel like a minority among other black students, particularly those in the NPHC groups.
[...]
Collier said, for him, historically black fraternities were less accessible than mainstream Greek houses.

"I was never approached by (black Greek leaders)," Collier said. "I went down one path and they saw me as a lost cause. That community is very closed. It's more based on a network."

S&P had an opinion post about diversity some time ago. It is still relevant.

Few Black Students Join Historically White Houses - Untold Stories