Sigma Chi (Harvard) Apologizes for Party Theme
 

Sigma Chi's chapter at Harvard has apologized for the theme of its recent party (“Conquistabros and Navajos”).

See the October 27 Crimson article for details:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/20...gma-chi-party/

The apology, excerpted from the article:

“We would like to apologize for the*theme of*the party that we*recently*held.*It*was insensitive and hurtful, especially*for*the Native American*members*of our community. We are deeply sorry for the offense our actions have caused.

As a group that strives to be inclusive, and embraces members of numerous*ethnic backgrounds*and nationalities, including Native Americans, we recognize that this was a serious error of judgment on our part, and we expect better of ourselves. We have taken steps to*increase oversight over future chapter activities to prevent offensive mistakes*like this one. You have our promise that we will not allow it to happen again.

The chapter has decided*to donate*the proceeds from our annual food drive to the*Native American Heritage Association to help rectify, in a small way, the ongoing pervasive deprivation and hunger on our nation's reservations.* Again, we are deeply sorry for the lack of judgment.

Sincerely,
The Members of Sigma Chi at Harvard”

Comment: Glad to see an apology. I'd personally like to see an all-Greek voluntary moratorium throughout North America on “bros and hos” party themes, as well as other themes that make fun of specific ethnic, gender, sexual preference, or socioeconomic groups. None of those themes is particularly funny anymore, and “bros and hos” in particular, with its slight variations, has been done over and over. Time to give it a rest and come up with something actually different.

I would like to know who was supposed to get the proceeds from their food drive.

Conquistabros...

haha...

I mean, that's pretty original in my eyes.

I wonder the same thing. Sure hope the guys have another food drive and give the collections to the original intended recipients...

I think it's pretty funny.

Why are we holding teenagers to some high standard of originality? They don't have the same perspective that we have as alumni of having seen the same events over and over again.

Aside from thinking it is dumb on a personal level, I am wondering when today's college student will realize if they don't put it all out there they won't get caught. The story I originally read had a picture of the flier and perhaps if people were a bit more savvy with their behavior we wouldn't even know about it. Likely it really is a generational difference with a life completely online but with all of the buzz about people doing dumb stuff that gets out there eventually I would hope people would start practicing some filtering of their activities.

Do I wish people would make better choices and think about their party themes and consequences? Sure but that is unrealistic so maybe they can think about being discreet so they don't have to deal with the man and publicity.

What's with all the asterisks in the apology?

A fraternity and sorority here hosted Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes at the start of the year. The school finally slammed down on that and all 'official' party themes have to run by the Dean.

I'm glad that these 'Bros and Hoes' parties will finally be dying.

I did giggle at conquistabros, though. :P

I don't think that this is okay, but I see where the brothers would have very little perspective on why this is offensive. The way European settlement of North America is taught in the history books glorifies the conquistadors and their ilk, and largely glosses over the genocide part. This is the same reason we continue to have Columbus Day in spite of its hurtful associations for the Native American population.

Someone in the article compares it to a "Jews/Nazis" party, but it is not an apt comparison as long as we continue to glorify the settlers. A better comparison would be a "corporate tycoons" party, I think.

Again, not excusing the brothers, but this is really a much larger problem with American society and our collective refusal to acknowledge the facts of colonization.

Wow, that sounds awful. Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes isn't even that bad of a theme.

I can understand cracking down on these mixers if people come in obvious offensive attire (black face), but come on. I see way more offensive costumes on Halloween than I ever do at mixers, but Halloween doesn't get a crack down.

Because individuals make their own questionable Halloween choices. Not the same as a nationally recognized fraternity/sorority chapter making/endorsing/whatever you want to call it a questionable choice.

Danged if I know. Maybe someone at Harvard is conducting an under-the-radar celebration of Van Gogh's work?

More likely, though, it's one of those font display glitches that crop up.

My alma mater requires all official Greek events to be approved in advance by the Greek life advisor. On top of that, my organization (as well as a few others) have to get approval from I/HQ. I never saw it as a big deal, even as an undergrad.

Ditto what southbymidwest said. Individuals wearing costumes do not represent GLOs and universities.

I know that teenagers aren't always the most creative individuals, but I find it hard to believe that 1) they're completely unaware of why themes like this are unacceptable and 2) no one (graduating seniors, advisors, etc) can help them come up with better ideas.

The problem with all these bros and hoes themed parties, in my opinion, is that it glorifies the fraternity while denegrating the sorority. I don't remember my sorority ever explicitly planning a "and hoes" type mixer, but we made plenty of questionable decisions in themes that encouraged women to show up skantily clad.

I mean, sure, it was "our decision," but really it was the decision of the social chair. "Show up dressed to match this theme, or don't show up at all."

I have to say, A for originality on a theme that's been done to death (conquistabros? come on, that's funny), but F for going with such an old and tired theme to begin with.

I suggest "cougars and boytoys" for the next one. All the girls have to be dressed head to toe in animal print clothing from Cache.

And as lucgreek said...I see girls at bars in clothing just as scanty as at any mixer, and they don't need a theme to do it. It doesn't say what kind of ho you have to be. I mean, you can be a sweatpants ho. The only way to stop these kinds of parties is to reduce them to absurdity.

Omg

^^^ I agree.

...Does this mean an end to Librarians and Barbarians too?

The main difference is that one of those genocides happened and one didn't.

But thats another story for another day.

:rolleyes:

I'm not gonna lie, I did laugh out loud when I read the title of the party. Not saying it's right but it's the first "Bros and Hos" themed party that I found genuinely witty and original.

Even if all official Greek events have to be approved, you know that "Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes will get submitted as "Fun Golf Party with Iced Tea and Lemonade, yay!!!1!". .. But will obviously be referred to as a Bros and Hoes party behind the scenes.

[/QUOTE]Ditto what southbymidwest said. Individuals wearing costumes do not represent GLOs and universities.[/QUOTE]

You'd be surprised.. All it takes is one complaint...

I know of a chapter who was in huge trouble with their GLO because a member at a Halloween party dressed as a (pretty funny) African American who's famous, and they painted their face black. One person was offended, they reported it to the school, the national organization caught wind of it, and the whole chapter was in trouble for it.


While I agree that the names of these parties are more offensive to women, its not the names that make these parties continue.. Its the girls that are willing to dress like sluts. And as long as that happens, guys will continue to have "hoes" somehow included in the name.

When I was in college, one fraternity had a Pimps and Hoes party. My friend and I decided that we'd go, but we bought hats and canes, made our own bling, and showed up as pimps. Guys complained that we "cheated"..

Everyone can choose what they wear, regardless of what the theme is.. And if girls want to dress like hoes, they will.. And if they want to avoid that, they'll use their heads and find a way around it.

I'm obviously thinking from a non-IFC/NPC POV, so my idea of a party is different. With us, we host our events at a club (or similar location) and use quarter fliers to promote them. We have to get the fliers approved before printing, and if the "wrong" flyer shows up after a party is approved, we get put on social suspension (school and GLO). That's enough incentive to stay away from juvenile names.

That NHQ reacted poorly.

Ok, I'll give you this. It's a different situation than a typical party at a fraternity house.

No doubt. But to assume that a chapter is exempt from punishment because of the actions of one person is ridiculous... especially in this day and age.

No -- for an organization to hold an entire chapter accountable for the (non-Greek related) actions of one of its members is ridiculous in this day and age.

Our GLOs are filled with people from all different backgrounds and grown men and women (even if their actions say otherwise). Assuming that 1) the chapter knew what said member was planning on doing and 2) thinking that an 18-year-old could stop a, say, 20-year-old from doing what s/he wants to do is ridiculous.

I'm sure some Navajo somewhere committed suicide over this. And those poor Conquistadors.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/1362599_02bcdea730.jpg

Idiocy is best corrected at the onset. When idiots are allowed to take their seemingly humorous thoughts to actions with no correction, people then wonder how they got to the point of "Black face" at fraternity parties.

One incident doesn't truly stand alone.

Yes, Native Americans have higher rates of suicide and substance abuse and the structural correlates go above and beyond "being offended" by things like mascots and negative depictions of Native Americans. So, people who are simplistically looking for outcomes based on offended people and hurt feelings will not understand what is embedded in something like "Conquistadors and Navajos." That also applies to gendered images.

Funny, last time I read about a party controversy at Harvard, it was because a non-Greek organization threw a kegger-themed party called "Harvard State University." I thought that was hilarious, but it was condemned as elitist and making fun of public school students blah blah blah. The local state university's own students refer to it affectionately as Zoo-Mass, so Harvard students weren't the only ones who had the impression that public schools party harder.
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Problems from nexium

Ditto. THe fliers and party names have to get approved by the school.

Unofficial parties can have whatever name they want to have (if any).

Well, the Conquistadors probably weren't traumatized, but the Conquistabros? For sure!

Trust me.. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm only saying that I'm not surprised it happened.

Better to be safe than sorry, I say. However, if I was in a chapter that was held accountable as a whole for a stupid decision that one person made, I would fight it tooth-and-nail.

Yep :)