| tunatartare |
11-01-2006 10:58 AM |
A friend of mine is one of the Sigma Chi founders at Johns Hopkins. With his permission, I am reposting a note that he wrote on facebook about the situation:
When I along with 14 other Hopkins undergraduates founded Sigma Chi Sigma, a petitioning local of the Sigma Chi international fraternity, we did so in order to foster an environment of diversity and equality for men of different temperaments talents and convictions on the Hopkins campus. This is why I was horrified to learn of the events that had taken place Saturday night and the subsequent unapologetic behavior of certain members of the chapter. However, I feel that, before any irrevocable judgments are passed down, it is necessary to understand all facets of the events that managed to make the Baltimore & DC news, and even the New York Times. On Monday, I spoke to the BSU president, vice-president, and treasurer, in addition to the Sigma Chi province administrator and the Kappa Upsilon chapter advisor, in an effort to separate fact from spin and event from emotion.
Firstly, the Facebook advertisement of the party was one of the most horrific and prejudiced statements I have ever read. I was appalled that the statements were made and then defended by a member of the organization I spent 3 years building. The brother who posted the announcement did so without authorization from the school, the national fraternity, or the executive board of the Kappa Upsilon chapter. He also re-posted it after it was taken down, again without any form of authorization.
Let me state, this brother has been stripped of his status as a Sigma Chi, before any of the university’s proceedings even began. Sigma Chi has fought long and hard to be known as a diverse fraternity with brothers from all walks of life. Hatred is not a value we share among our brothers, and intolerance has no place within our ranks. His repeated offensive and un-apologetic behavior forced Sigma Chi’s hand and while an extreme punishment, we felt it was necessary due to the gravity of the incident. The Johns Hopkins chapter of Sigma Chi, while relatively young, has a strong history of community and neighborhood relations. We have been very open about who we are and what our goals as a brotherhood are, throwing community barbeques and potluck dinners with neighboring Charles Village residents, racking up hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network in Baltimore over the years, and throwing an annual Haunted House for the Baltimore community.
The scarecrow that the BSU has interpreted as a black man being lynched, and the photograph of which has been spread to most major local news media is an extremely evocative and disturbing image, but I believe some explanation is required. The “scarecrow” is actually a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed costume, and the noose is another Halloween-themed novelty item also movie licensed and themed. In fact, the costume is a “Jack Sparrow” themed costume, which accounts for the black wig. So while they labeled it a black man, it was actually meant to be Johnny Depp in character from a very successful Disney film.
Both of these Disney-licensed items were purchased at a Party City and put up first last year at our Halloween Party and the Haunted House which Sigma Chi provides for free every year since our acquisition of a house. This is an event co-sponsored by the Office of Greek Life in which, on Halloween, the brothers of Sigma Chi decorate their house and invite the neighborhood children in the surrounding areas to come and trick or treat. We include entertainment for parents and escort through the Haunted House by brothers. We invited the BSU to participate in this event last year but they never responded.
One of the immediate, concrete ramifications of the BSU’s outcry against Sigma Chi has been the immediate removal of all Hopkins funding of Sigma Chi. This will not shut down Sigma Chi’s ability to throw parties; however, it will make it impossible to host the Haunted House, as the brothers were relying on the Office of Greek Life’s matching funds. The children who enjoyed the Haunted House last year didn’t seem to mind the “hung” costumed skeleton, but I’m sure they’ll be disappointed by the fact that the Haunted House had to be cancelled because of the BSU’s hasty action.
The hearing yesterday did little to enhance debate but, did a tremendous amount to stoke the anger and hurt feelings being felt by the campus. I was there, sitting with my brothers, and frankly could not stand being called a prejudiced and elitist over and over by people who had never met me. A Latino student asked if any of the BSU students actually went to the party. None had. I found the hearing to be less a debate on action, and more a rally to build support for the BSU’s position. After an hour and a half of being called a racist and being out of touch with the Baltimore community, a community that I had personally reached out to in my 5 years in Baltimore, I could not stand it any longer, and left, knowing my presence could not help the situation and only further separated Sigma Chi from the rest of the student body.
The disconnect between the students of Johns Hopkins and the greater Baltimore community go far beyond one hate-filled post and a scarecrow with a black wig. There are real issues that the university must acknowledge and must work with student groups, Greek organizations and the community at large to ameliorate. However the solution to the problems of racial inequality at Hopkins and Baltimore is not the simple crucifixion of an organization created to help change the campus, or of 27 upstanding young men because of the reckless and arrogant venom from one immature ex-brother. The problem will still exist the day after the Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Chi disappears, except then Hopkins will be left with one less group of students who were truly shocked and disgusted by the events of Saturday evening and the extensive impact they had on the student body and the community.
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