Georgetown Newspaper versus Sigma Phi Epsilon

[Senusret I]

I plan on writing a letter to the editor about this. Please send your outrage to: thevoice@georgetown.edu



Georgetown Voice - Editorial
http://www.georgetownvoice.com/news/...l?&mkey=403891
Issue: 2/10/05

Don't let the door hit you on your way out


All around campus, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity's national recruiters are carrying flyers, pamphlets and applications, offering them to anyone interested in joining. The largest nationally recognized fraternity is coming to Georgetown-let's hope it doesn't stay.

SigEp's recruiters expound upon the ideal of "The Balanced Man," and unequivocally state that parties involving underage drinking are banned in their chapter houses. They claim that no stereotypical, Animal House-style pledging is required to join. SigEp boasts the highest average GPA of any nationally recognized fraternity (2.97), and asserts that its goal is improving its members' physical and mental health. In the end, though, a fraternity is still a fraternity.

Sigma Phi Epsilon already has 14,000 members and 264 chapters and vast financial resources. Due to its size, SigEp is susceptible to oversights that invite trouble upon the fraternity and their universities. The fraternity's chapter at the University of Florida is facing sanctions after an unregistered "pre-party" last semester. Underage drinking was involved and a 17 year-old girl claimed to have been sexually assaulted, according to the Independent Florida Alligator.

Last December, the chapter at North Carolina State University in Raleigh was banned until fall 2005. The explanation for the action, Raleigh's News and Observer reported, was that the fraternity's pledges were forced to run naked in and out of the school's other fraternity and sorority houses.

SigEp's national chapter suspended the NCSU chapter and will require the fraternity house to be alcohol-free once its rights are reinstated. However, a pattern can be seen. At Tufts University, the SigEp chapter, among other fraternities, may lose its housing license after repeated noise violations.

Georgetown University was founded upon certain Jesuit ideals. In the University's standards for student organizations, hazing is specifically banned, along with any activity that threatens a student's safety. The University has already made it clear that it will not recognize SigEp's chapter.

Our Jesuit identity and lack of fraternities are a major draw for many students, and the relative non-existence of fraternities on campus is an integral part of that. Georgetown is not overrun during pledge week and first-years are not pressured to join each fall. Our clubs, whether religiously affiliated or oriented around sports and community service, serve the social role that fraternities would at any other university but in a more open, friendly way.

Besides harming the campus, a frat will hurt our local community. Off-Campus students already receive noise complaints and police visits to their parties. If a noisy frat house is established in Georgetown, town-gown relations would only deteriorate further, making it even more difficult for the University as a whole to accomplish its aims. Why invite this upon ourselves?

Sigma Phi Epsilon does not need another chapter at Georgetown. It would only threaten our identity and further harm neighborhood relations, not to mention the dangers of hazing and sexual harassment associated with fraternities. A new fraternity at Georgetown, not to mention the largest in the country, is not a positive development. Students should oppose the opening of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and pass up the opportunity to join, in the interest of ensuring the independence and safety of the Georgetown community.

[Senusret I]

Here is the relatively non-biased article about the colonization.






Georgetown Voice - News
Issue: 2/10/05

Sigma Phi Epsilon to reach Georgetown
By Samantha Friedman




On a campus where social fraternities are prohibited and banned from receiving University funding, the impending formation of a Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter is momentous. Since mid-January, national recruiters have been visiting Georgetown's Lauinger Memorial Library, advertising their organization's ethical premises and social benefits and interviewing potential Founding Fathers. The chapter has 31 members as of publication.

Sig Ep is the largest nationwide fraternity, boasting more than 240 university chapters, over 14,000 current members and upwards of 175,000 living alumni. According to Director of New Chapter Development Dennis Kaps, he and fellow recruiter Jason Cherish decided to target Georgetown students because of their academic excellence and campus leadership.

"We look for guys with a solid commitment to academics who are leaders on campus and who might be interested in starting new organizations," Kaps said

Although the University does not authorize Greek societies, Sig Ep will not be the first organization to establish a Greek presence at Georgetown. Alpha Epsilon Pi, the national Jewish fraternity, founded its chapter in the spring of 2001 and currently has 42 members.

Assistant Director of Student Programs Kristan Cilente confirmed that the chapter will not be acknowledged by the University.

"Social fraternities and sororities do not have access to benefits at Georgetown University," she said. "The University has many open and inclusive organizations, and a rich and vibrant campus community, which provides many opportunities for student involvement without the need for a Greek system."

Kaps and Cherish have met with Georgetown alumni, administrators and other staff members to present the fraternity and ask for recruitment recommendations. Patricia Thomas, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, invited them to attend a Student-Athlete Leadership Advisory Committee meeting.

"Whenever possible, it is my hope that student-athletes engage in a variety of campus life experiences while they are here," she said. "I would not encourage students to become involved in any activity or organization that is contrary to the mission of this University."

Keith Tabatznik, Head Men's Soccer Coach, stated that he saw a parallel between Sig Ep and Georgetown's Jesuit values. "I see a great potential for a real positive addition to the Georgetown experience for those who become members of the Sig Ep fraternity," he said. "Its mission is true to the same goals of Georgetown and the Jesuit philosophy towards educating the mind and body."

Founding members are not deterred by University restrictions. Justin Connor (SFS '07), who transferred from the University of Rhode Island, where he also founded a Sig Ep chapter, does not want to establish a Greek system at Georgetown but rather unite diverse student groups.

"The one thing that the Georgetown campus is really lacking is any synergy of the students," he said. "This could be the first organization that takes a rugby player, a transfer student, a freshman and a basketball player and brings them together."

Stephen McMullin (MSB '07) explained that the short term goal is to consolidate brotherhood. In the long term, the chapter will concern itself with establishing University recognition. "What is important right now is to establish a good group of guys dedicated to the ideals of the organization and to each other," he said.

Kaps emphasized the importance of local alumni in launching the chapter.

"There are 5,000 alumni within the Beltway," he said. "This support is crucial for future success since we will not have the support of the University."

[RedFox]

I actually have a lot of friends at Georgetown University, both students, and people involved with the athletic department there, and though it's a Jesuit school, not all people of that religion attend. I am originally from the DC/Metro area and I think a fraternity would be a great addition to the already diverse campus and clubs that the Hoyas has to offer...

[moe.ron]

We've been told by the local alumni association not to write anything back. The DC area alumni association is going to be the one that formulate the response to the editorial. I guess they don't wan't a SigEp writing in anger and the newspaper using that as another reason to disuade gentlemen from joining interest group.

[Senusret I]

Oh okay.

Well, I wrote my response and sent it in already. I CCed the two expansion people on the national staff, and I was thanked by a few staff members thus far. The Voice is published on Thursdays, so we'll see if my comments made it in.

[moe.ron]

Thanks for the support!!!

I think they were more worried about a brother writing using emotion. You know how ugly those letters could be.

[Senusret I]

True, true.

That's the point of being Greek....whatever affects one fraternity will ultimately affect them all. Gotta help each other.

[DeltAlum]

Clearly, the first post was an editorial and makes a strong, although totally one sided, case.

Yet one more reason that we all need to work on cleaning up the long engrained "Animal House" image we have not only created, but fostered in many cases.

[GeekyPenguin]

I find this mildly amusing (although crappy) because there is definitely a SigEp chapter at my Jesuit school...along with about 10 other ones.

[BSUPhiSig'92]

A lot of other Jesuit schools have fraternities and sororities. Saint Louis University is Jesuit, and has a VERY strong Greek Life!

[NebraskaDelt]

This is a little off the subject, but are there schools who give University funding to individual social fraternities? We can get Pepsi and some money for a speaker, but we never get the money. Usually such an event is either through the IFC or Greek Life, not by an individual chapter. Just curious if some Universities do in fact give funds to fraternities for being a student organization. If not, I do not see why this sentence was in the article by the student.

Originally posted by Senusret I



On a campus where social fraternities are prohibited and banned from receiving University funding, the impending formation of a Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter is momentous.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by NebraskaDelt
Just curious if some Universities do in fact give funds to fraternities for being a student organization.

While a university may not actually give specific funds to fraternities, they may provide for free - or at a discount - resources and services to the fraternity as an official (recognized) student organization.

These may include, but certainly not limited to, things like local phone service; organizational mail boxes; office supplies; free use of meeting rooms and event facilities; free posting (listing) of activities and meetings in newspapers and on web sites; maybe even hosting the chapter's web site.

[Coramoor]

At WVU we are also eligible for a $500 grant once a year (I think). Last year we put it towards a charter bus to take us to Canada.

[Tom Earp]

It always amazes me that Student Organizations get funds. We never did when I was at College. But that was a long time ago!

What burns me about this Writer PR---. who is He?

I am still undecided about emailing Him telling Him What a Dumb Missouri Mule He is!!!!!! (Oh Dumb Ass) for you all out there not from Gods Land!

Actually it dont make a damn what School it is. The Jeasusuits do have GLOs and for a Good Reason, We are Good and progressive and do get a lot of money sent to them.

[Optimist Prime]

unsympathetic jerks like that usually end up on the paper, regardless of what campus you're on. Just recruit someone in journalism, or have one of your brothers/sisters start working at the paper. That is exactly how our newspaper went from very anti greek to very pro greek the next semester