Penn State Chi O Under Investigation
 

Another example as to watch what one puts on social media sites.

I am all for theme parties but not disrespecting someones culture. I myself did not mind the sombreros and sarapes but the signs they have are completely ignorant and I take it as racially insensitive. Having family that has been killed in Mexico within the last 3 years due to drug war just makes even worse.

http://onwardstate.com/2012/12/04/pe...-photograph-2/

No, the lesson here is NOT TO BE RACIST. Keeping it off Twitter doesn't suddenly make it okay (I know that you wouldn't think it was, I'm just saying that this stuff shouldn't happen privately, either).

Interesting that Panhellenic would be considering suspending the group over speech. Is Panhellenic a private organization or is it sponsored and somewhat controlled by the school?

I don't really agree with an umbrella punishing the chapter or anyone but Chi Omega taking punitive action here. In fact, if they do so, they'd possibly be violating Chi Omega's civil rights.

University speech codes are very arguably unconstitutional as are any codes which would be promulgated by student life or even possibly Panhellenic depending on how it's organized.

Not only are these girls obviously being racist, they seem as if they don't see anything wrong with it. They're all smiling and happy in the pictures.. :/

Kevin - questions:

1) University Student Code of Conduct: would that regulate this behavior?

2) Do not believe that Panhellenic should be disciplining (think this is addressed in the NPC Green Book), but would there be a Greek Judicial Standards Board (or something of the sort) that would get involved?

I believe that many (most? all?) GLOs, at some point in time, have gotten a black eye over something, and I'm going to say, once again, there but for the grace of God go you and I. It could be any group on any given day - who can say for sure? This will be handled internally through the appropriate channels, and Chi Omega at Penn State will surely return to the values it espouses in its Symphony. Give time time.

(My personal opinion: for the love of Mike, keep it off the Internet, you fools. Sheesh. Does everything have to be published? Seriously? Good grief, people. It's one thing to be stupid, it's another thing to immortalize it for the world at large. But no, you guys have to photograph everything and immediately post it online. Thank GOD there was no Internet when I was doing stupid things, and we had to take photos with cameras that had film, and we were terrified to take the film to be developed, so we didn't photograph anything we did. Although I am not saying we made stupid signs, but we did do stupid stuff. We did. And anyone who denies it is either senile or lying.)

Unless Chi Omega, the private organization didn't approve, and I hope they wouldn't.

There is some very limited case law on student codes of conduct and the First Amendment, check out McCauley v. University of the Virgin Islands (3rd Circuit), I can get you the cite if you really need it. In that case, the 3rd Circuit threw out several provisions of the Code of Conduct which were overbroad, which I'm guessing probably look a lot like whatever is in the Penn State manual.

I'm not sure I really buy that by locating at a campus, we agree that the University or its machina can limit our speech, no matter how awful it is. I don't imagine this will be a civil rights case or anything because I'm guessing Chi Omega HQ will come down harder on these ladies than anyone from the outside.

As far as "voluntarily agreeing to abide by" a certain code, I question whether the state should be asking anyone to voluntarily abide by a code purporting to broadly restrict constitutional rights and how that same voluntariness argument can't be made for ordinary students with regard to the more general student codes of conduct.

Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else see the issue with the author basically 'outing' one girl in the chapter? Not that it's not all publicly available information that someone couldn't get anyways, but even if I agree that XO was in the wrong, that author crossed some major lines for me

If the university wants to prosecute them, that's one thing. This is simply not Panhellenic's area. As far as I can see, they didn't say anything against another sorority or do anything to interfere with rush.

The article I saw made it sound like the U was in talks with Chi Omega, and that it won't so much impose a punishment as Chi O will agree to something to save face.

Agree!

And they are being total ASSHOLES. It is one thing to appropriate...I will cut privileged white girls a little bit of slack for not understanding why sombreros and ponchos at a fiesta party are troublesome. However, in this case, with the signs and everything, it is flat-out mean-spirited. They KNOW they are being hurtful, and just don't give a shit.

They do at my alma mater... or if they exist they do. Our student government allocates student activity fees to individual organizations. I'd hate to see, for example, the Student Communist Society or the Collegiate Black Panthers (or whatever) be discriminated against in the appropriations process because of the controversial positions they take.

Universities allocate those resources to Greek Life because it's mostly a mutually beneficial relationship. In campuses where we have university owned housing, fraternities and sororities actively recruit people to live in the dorms and typically pay more rent than the average student.

I really don't believe Penn State or any school should be in the position to ever punish speech. What is "offensive" is way too subjective.

It's an academic discussion really because Chi Omega's alumnae or HQ are going to come down on these girls like a ton of bricks. That's how things should work. This is an internal issue they need to deal with, not an issue external actors need to be butting in to.

On the "Trending Now" section of Yahoo's home page, #8 is "Racist sorority photo."

Four levels...
 

OK. First thing personal characteristics, I'm a Caucasian Male with no ancestry from anywhere that Spanish or Portuguese people ever controlled as far as I can tell.

As I see it the photo has four levels...

1) Sombreros. I don't think if the only thing in the pictures had been Sombreros that they would have gotten in trouble at all.

2) Serapes. A little touchy both in levels of authenticity and that they are traditionally worn by men, but the closest I can get to that is doing a Japanese party and having women wear Sumo belts. Perhaps insulting, but obscure. The closest female equivalent would probably be some sort of shawl, I guess.

3) Thick Black Mustaches. There may be some similarities to blackface here. I'd be willing to consider it either way, but quite interested in other's opinion. At least they weren't droopy at the ends.

4) Signs. Totally inexcusable...

So, if they hadn't gone all the way, how much trouble do you think they would have been in if it was only to level 1, level 1&2 or level 1&2&3 ?

I agree that these pictures with the signs are just ugly. I wouldn't even try to defend anything going on here. The signs make it clear that it's not all in lighthearted fun.

I'm also familiar with the "It's (or was it I'm?) a culture, not a costume" advertising campaign, and it struck me when I saw it that I think we may be going overboard with political correctness when this kind of criticism is too sweeping. Telling people to be mindful not to wear costumes that give offense is a great idea: don't get me wrong. But basically saying that all cultural costumes are essentially off the table is probably taking it too far. There's nothing wrong, in my opinion, with serapes, sombreros, etc, when they aren't paired with other degrading stereotypes.

Mustaches are a thing right now, and I'd bet it's more about the mustache than mocking Mexicans. The signs put them over the top.

This story made it to CNN.

It's the signs that push it over the top. *smh*

I own a sombrero and even a serapes is no problem. All you have to do is visit Fiesta in San Antonio every April to see them worn by people of all nationalities and backgrounds and sold on every street corner. The signs, however, crossed the line. They turned what could have been a cute theme party into something entirely different. Where were the peasant blouses, the brightly colored skirts and the rings of flowers in their hair? No, they intended to degrade and that is inexcusable.

This was posted on the Chi Omega Facebook page this morning:

Sisters and friends,

Please read below for an important announcement from Chi Omega.

The Governing Council of Chi Omega Fraternity placed its Nu Gamma Chapter at Pennsylvania State University on probation effective Monday, due to members portraying inappropriate and untrue ethnic stereotypes at a social function.

Chi Omega's national headquarters staff is working closely with the university and Panhellenic Council on campus to implement corrective educational directives for the chapter.

"I am disappointed in the choices made by our Nu Gamma Chapter members and we regret any pain caused," said Chi Omega's National President Letitia Fulkerson. "We are taking this situation very seriously. Chi Omega does not condone behavior that violates our organization's policy on human dignity."

The Fraternity expects its members to share and promote the belief that self-respect, esteem, and a respect for others are necessary ingredients for healthy relationships with all members of the Penn State community.



http://www.chiomega.com/flourish/chi...nnstatechapter

This made the local Philadelphia area news last night. The reporter was trying to make a correlation between the Chi Omega photo and that the school has been "riddled with controversy since the Jerry Sandusky issue". IMO, it was a big leap to try and make.

And it made the Today show too. Beyond perpetuating false cultural stereotypes, now we are in the position of having negative Greek stereotypes perpetuated too.

Then in a different vein, if one is not Irish, can I celebrate St. Patricks Day and wear shamrocks and green?

Does anyone think that had this been any other campus - it would have been passed over by the media? But for the fact that this is Penn State, it was picked up on?

Not quite the same when you don't include an offensive sign that makes sweeping generalizations about a culture.

*Raises hand* We had an almost identical issue on my campus when I was a freshman. I don't think it made it past the school paper.

ETA: Apparently it did make it to the local paper cause I just found a link here on GC. But yeah, it didn't get any bigger than that.

Just took a look at the photo, and what could have been a totally cute pic with the sombreros and sarapes (even the mustaches), they totally ruined it with the signs. Being Hispanic I don't take offense to the costumes used, but the signs were way out of line.

Yes, and it'd still be okay if you dressed up like a leprachan, drank far too much green beer and went around looking to start fights with Protestants.

I don't see the Irish student association doing anything more than raising a glass to you.

There was a thread on GC about the topic of racism and theme parties somewhat recently, actually:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=129656

I agree that the signs are what sent this story into the national news, instead of just something in a college newspaper. The costume choices are unfortunate, but the signs are unacceptable.

Of course that would be different if you were at Queen's University Belfast. (The Irish stereotype *more* controversial and the Mexican/Latin American *less*).

From what I can tell, Sombreros more broadly Latin American in distribution and the Serapes more specifically Mexican

And of course - no one would have a problem if they had had a toga party.

(I couldn't resist. :p)

^^In all seriousness, we've had people on here from Greece very upset that we are calling ourselves "Greek" organizations.

I've said it before and I'll say it again until this camera-happy internet-happy have-to-share-every-breath-of-my-life-with-the-world generation gets it - DON'T TAKE PICTURES AT MIXERS. IF YOU DO, DON'T SHOW THEM TO ANYONE OUTSIDE THE CHAPTER. No, I'm not saying what they did was OK, I just can't believe that no one these days gets this.

And this is definitely getting blown out of proportion because it's Penn State. I'm waiting for the inevitable news story that one of the Sandusky victims was of Mexican descent (i.e. their great great grandpa or something).

Penn State just posted this statement: http://live.psu.edu/story/63089

So it's okay as long as you get away with it?

:rolleyes: No, he's saying that you would face far more than the ISA raising a glass to you.

smh :(
This is disappointing news. Chi Omega's are classy, refined women. These girls will be taken care of by nationals and I trust my organization to deal with this accordingly. I just wish that it wasn't so big, because my mother is using it as ammo for why I shouldn't join.

I think the best we can take from this is a life lesson for sorority and fraternity members everywhere. Unfortunately, the first take away is don't post things that will get your arse in a vice, when it should be don't be racist. But young girls who may well have gone to very white schools in affluent neighborhoods may be too oblivious to the world around them to even know that this sort of behavior is racist. Not saying this crap is step 1 toward not thinking it. And then you might also work on your chapter diversity so that you will be aware that your actions are hurtful.

It's hard for me to imagine someone growing up in America without knowing any people of Hispanic descent but they may be too oblivious to know that Suzie Sanchez or Rodriguez might be Hispanic. I mean, she doesn't sell drugs at all!

As I see it, this is not a legal issue. It was offensive, but I don't think crosses the line to hate speech. This is a sorority matter and I'm sure Chi Omega will deal with it accordingly.

And kateee, if you are not a sorority member, you should not have sorority letters in your signature line. It is bad form and will not bode well for you in your future rush.

She's a New Member. ;)

Okay, the Sacramento Bee -- yeah, way out California way -- has posted this article, which contains a statement by the president of Chi Omega:

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/06/503...sanctions.html

Excerpt from article:

“By Chi Omega Fraternity

Published: Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 - 4:03 am

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 6, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The Governing Council of Chi Omega Fraternity placed its Nu Gamma Chapter at Pennsylvania State University on probation effective Monday, due to members portraying inappropriate and untrue ethnic stereotypes at a social function.
Chi Omega's national headquarters staff is working closely with the university and Panhellenic Council on campus to implement corrective educational directives for the chapter.

"I am disappointed in the choices made by our Nu Gamma Chapter members and we regret any pain caused," said Chi Omega's National President Letitia Fulkerson. "We are taking this situation very seriously. Chi Omega does not condone behavior that violates our organization's policy on human dignity." . . .
"

I already rushed, I just haven't been initiated yet. My mother has been fighting a constant battle to get me to quit. I paid my dues myself and am on track for initiation! :D Its happening very soon.

In most of PA, it's pretty much the norm.

I was going to defend them for being young and stupid
 

But then I read the signs, which are just racist and snotty and reinforce the negative stereotypes of exactly how non-Greeks think about sorority girls as unpleasant spoiled bitches. Ugh.

I loved being in a sorority. I learned leadership, group dynamics, organizational skills, dealing with disparate personalities, and the value of having good women friends.

I had (and continue to have) a LOT of close friends in that very chapter and they were seriously great girls. I'm guessing some of these girls are their daughters, and that just makes me sad.

The whole point of college is to move these narrow, stupid, gated-community prejudices out of people's heads by exposing them to the wider world.

Ugh.

(oh, and 33girl is right. Central PA is VERY isolated and homogeneous)