Fraternity censured for Iraq-motif party

[LXAAlum]

From the Daily Texan: sounds like the flyers weren't the fraternity's idea, but, they will have to pay the price for them...




The Interfraternity Council Judicial Board will begin to investigate next week as to whether an Iraq war-themed Zeta Psi party violated the code of conduct of the IFC Constitution.

The fraternity has come under fire for a "Bombs Over Baghdad" themed party held Saturday. Party-goers dressed in camouflage, and the house was decorated with sandbags, model airplanes and a "landing strip" painted on plywood, said Zeta Psi Vice President Gabriel de la Garza.

Flyers for the party distributed on campus showed photographs of a crying child spattered in blood, a man clutching a child's lifeless body and a mutilated dead man. The caption read, "Come party, and celebrate what we stand for."

De la Garza, a biology senior, said the fraternity had nothing to do with the flyers. He said a student came to the fraternity house claiming he created the flyers and distributed them after seeing a billboard in the fraternity house's front yard advertising the party. The student was not available for comment Monday.

"In my opinion, it was mostly an anti-war flyer," said Zeta Psi President Thomas Madaelil. "They made it, because they thought the intent of the party theme was to promote innocent people dying, which was not our intent at all."

The party was meant to support the troops, not to promote killing innocent people, said Madaelil, an electrical engineering senior.

The flyer itself illustrates how the theme could be interpreted in a negative way, said IFC Adviser Brian Perry.

Perry contacted Madaelil with concerns about the party's theme after receiving complaints about the flyer and the billboard, which said "Bombs Over Baghdad" and showed Saddam Hussein on an ace of diamonds playing card.

"I definitely thought it was completely inappropriate and insensitive, considering things are still going on in Iraq," Perry said.

Madaelil removed the billboard, but the fraternity went ahead with the party Saturday.

"I agree that party's theme was insensitive and done in poor taste," Madaelil said. "I can't argue with [the judicial board] saying that our theme was insensitive."

The IFC Judicial Board will investigate next week whether Zeta Psi violated the IFC code of conduct by intentionally engaging in a form of harassment. The board will also consider whether Zeta Psi's actions will reflect poorly on the Greek community, Perry said.

Mario Villa, sociology senior and president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, said he's afraid the party could damage the reputation of UT fraternities.

"People who are non-Greek here just see letters and assume it's everybody," Villa said. "Don't put all groups or all chapters in the category of this kind of behavior because there's 22 or 23 chapters in the IFC itself, and everybody's different."

If the judicial board finds Zeta Psi in violation of the code of conduct, the punishment could include probation, a fine and community service.

"We do apologize for having offended people," Madaelil said. "We'll try to think about something to do to make it up."