Signs contend Greek orgs. are racist, sexist
An anonymous sign posted outside Psi Upsilon fraternity's physical plant levels charges against the organization.
By Ashley Blum, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Thursday, February 25, 2010
Several signs accusing certain Greek organizations of racist or sexist acts and stating that the organizations would be held “accountable” for their actions were posted anonymously at the organizations’ physical plants early Wednesday morning. An anonymous sign was also posted in front of Parkhurst administration building, stating that “racism and sexism persist on this campus,” and holding the administration accountable for remedying the situation.
The signs — which were posted at Psi Upsilon fraternity, Chi Gamma Epsilon Fraternity and Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority — were all taken down by the afternoon.
A small sign containing a letter with detailed charges and a larger sign containing a checklist of negative attributes were posted at Psi U, and women’s underwear was scattered on the front porch of the physical plant.
“You have been charged with representing your brotherhood to Dartmouth as racist and insensitive,” the smaller sign posted outside of Psi Upsilon fraternity read.
The sign specifically criticized Psi U for using the Indian symbol, which appeared on a T-shirts made by the fraternity this Winter, and described the Indian head as a “caricature of racist stereotypes.”
“We are holding you accountable for your actions,” the sign read. “It’s time you start doing the same.”
The underwear strewn on the porch of the physical plant bore messages including “this won’t just ‘go away.’”
Psi U filed a complaint with Safety and Security this morning about the sign, claiming it was an infringement on their private property, according to interim director of Safety and Security Keiselim Montas.
“We recognize that recent campus events have brought attention to Psi Upsilon,” Psi U president Cary Stathanopoulos ’10 said in a statement to The Dartmouth. “There is clearly a need for an open conversation with those who have been offended — as well as a larger dialogue regarding prevailing campus issues — and we as an organization are more than willing to engage in both. We feel, however, that anonymous attacks are not a constructive first step in any discussion.”
The sign outside of Parkhurst stated that racism and sexism on campus take various forms, including “offensive paraphernalia, hostile and unsafe social spaces, attachment to outdated and offensive traditions and institutional impunity in the face of individual transgressions.”
The College’s Office of Public Affairs did not return request for comment by press time.
The same message imploring accountability that was on the sign in front of Psi U was also included in the message.
The sign outside KDE — the only sign posted outside of the organization’s physical plant — criticized shirts the sorority produced in Fall 2009, on which the phrase “Down to 09F” was written.
“Kappa Delta Epsilon acknowledges that a sign was posted on our lawn this morning,” KDE President Zakieh Bigio ’10 said in a statement to The Dartmouth. “Over the past term, since the targeted issue surfaced, we’ve initiated structural changes to correct the mistake and prevent it from happening in the future. We will be addressing this issue further in-house, as a sisterhood.”
The sole sign outside of Chi Gam criticized the fraternity’s “Come as You Are” Homecoming T-shirts from Fall 2007, which depict a female individual with the caption “Come as You are, because running won’t fix your face.”
The sign described these shirts as “demeaning” and said that having these T-shirts “conveys to this campus that [Chi Gam] lack[s] any regard for women on this campus.”
The T-shirts the sign referenced were designed and ordered in the Fall of 2007, before any of the current members of Chi Gam joined the organization, according to Chi Gam president Ian Rorick ’10. The shirts were ordered for Homecoming weekend over a week in advance, and men’s rush — when members of the Class of 2010 joined the fraternity — occurred the weekend preceding Homecoming that year, Rorick said.
Rorick is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Business Staff.
“The sign posted on our lawn does not seem a respectable or constructive means of addressing an important issue,” Rorick said in a statement to The Dartmouth. “The brothers of Chi Gam and I are more than willing to discuss any current issues in an open forum.”
Chase Carpenter ’08, president of Chi Gam at the time, apologized for the T-shirts in an opinion column published Nov. 9, 2007 in The Dartmouth.
“First, and foremost, I want to apologize on behalf of the entire brotherhood of Chi Gamma Epsilon for any distress or harm we may have caused through the production of our Homecoming T-shirts,” Carpenter said in the column. “The issue of deserved respect for all members of the Dartmouth community is not something that I, nor the Executive Board of Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity, take lightly. We are all deeply troubled by the recent downturn in gender relations around campus.”
Carpenter’s apology drew some criticism in a subsequent opinion column by Leah Williams ’09 published in Nov. 12, 2007 issue of The Dartmouth, who said she “found his response more offensive than the actual homecoming T-shirts his organization created,” and said the intention behind the T-shirts remained unclear.
Sigma Phi Epsilon president Eric Schwager ’10 declined to confirm or deny whether signs had been posted outside the organization’s physical plant.
Inter-Fraternity Council president Zachary Gottlieb ’10 declined to comment on the issue in order to give the organizations the chance to respond individually, he said in an e-mail. Gottlieb is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
Not constructive in engaging discussion? Interesting, since it made front page of the D and the entire campus is talking about it.
By Concerned on Feb 25 | 9:56 am
I don’t understand what is offensive about Down to 09F? It’s really perplexing me, I’m sure I’m missing something.
By Anonymous on Feb 25 | 10:23 am
Fraternities always use these types of things to call for open-dialogue and conversation. What is there to talk about? Do you really need to have a conversation about not being racist? Do you really need to have a conversation about treating humans with dignity, men and women? Does this really require open conversation or should fraternities just remind themselves of their own humanity?
By seriously? on Feb 25 | 10:54 am
Obviously there hasn’t been much of any dialogue able to occur in the Greek climate if it has to come to this. Of course the houses are going to posture.
By Alum on Feb 25 | 11:05 am
Oh how I miss Dartmouth. I’m not sure what it is that I love so much about this article. It’s probably a mix between KDE’s pledge to “initiate structural changes”(translation: no more wine in a box), Sig Ep’s “I cannot confirm or deny” response (translation: we didn’t get a sign, but we wish we had so we could feel in the mix), and the slogan on Chi Gam’s t-shirts (it’s mean, but funny). So much diversity in one University!! So hopefully you all can get this under control… return the panties to the Sigma Delt sisters who put them there and make sweet sweet make up se—pong. Yes… make sweet make up pong.
yoguein.blogspot.com
By Gwen Wyntour on Feb 25 | 11:42 am
Well there are several reasons why we’re making a big deal out of this and why everyone is talking about it. Mostly it’s because we live on a small campus in the middle of the woods with nothing to do after sunset except go to a fraternity and pound beer. Therefore anything that is moderately interesting warrants conversation and eventually becomes a big deal. I’m just going to say it, this is just stupid. If this happened in any normal school where people are sane and in touch with the real world, nobody would care. It would not be even close to newsworthy.
I suppose the thing that pisses me off the most though is that these signs are calling for “accountability.” Every single house that got a sign (besides Parkhurst I guess)is saying okay if you think there’s something wrong then let’s talk about it. However I can almost guarantee you that there will never be an open forum about this because this group is acting under anonymous representation. The DOD did pretty much the same thing last year however I haven’t seen a single thing change on campus.
Step 1: Put signs on lawn Step 2: ? ? ? ? ? ? Step 3: Change
By Anonymous on Feb 25 | 2:21 pm
I gotta say that anyone who feels that dartmouth is a threatening or hostile environment is going to find the REAL world an outright war zone. Not to discount the unlucky people who have suffered true abuses at Dartmouth, but the odds of being in a bad situation in Hanover have got to be millions of times lower than in most other colleges, let alone real cities. As for Chi Gam, come on, there’s more offensive stuff on Prime Time TV. Toughen up, you don’t get to run the world.
By Anony on Feb 25 | 2:35 pm
Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
By fossil on Feb 25 | 3:16 pm
@? You read my mind. @Anonymous, “If this happened at any normal school where people are sane and in touch with the real world,” these issues wouldn’t have to be addressed in such a way! The people who these sign are are accusing had to be aware that there was some controversy over these issues (the logo? You’ve got to be kidding me) at best have complete apathy for others around them, or at worst, intentionally sought to insult people! How can everyone ignoring that be considered SANE? The Dartmouth mentality IS an anomaly, because it’s so insulated from the “real world” that it is still struggling with issues that result in students having to let OTHERS know their t-shirts are racist. I don’t think what’s at questions is that “there is something wrong.” That’s a given. Above all, it’s just striking how some people just have issues acknowledging their privilege. WHY is the world such a “war zone” Anony? Because it IS run by people who went to colleges just like this one, where in some circles it’s almost accepted to not be ever have to be considerate of others. I am SO GLAD someone spoke up.
By Seriously? IS RIGHT on Feb 25 | 8:45 pm
All this for just $50,000 per year.
By Anonymous on Feb 25 | 9:17 pm
The truth is: in the real world, there are a lot more things to worry about than a chi gam tshirt joke. There are a lot more dangerous threats than offensive paraphernalia. Despite the efforts of some people, in the real world no single group gets to tell another group what they can and can’t say or believe (generally). And finally, in the real world, people will say and do offensive things and you’ll be in a position where running to parkhurst or posting anonymous signs won’t be options – you’ll actually have to tolerate people with different sensibilities than you. Especially since there’s a good chance they’ll be your VP. Yes, people who can survive in a less than perfectly political correct world ARE the ones who rule the world. The reality is that those people who can’t function because somebody else’s tshirt creates a hostile environment for them are NOT going to end up running the world. The real world is not a war zone for most people, it’s only going to be seen as a war zone by the people who already consider Ivy League fraternity basements hostile and who find Indian Mascots unbearably offensive. Truly bad things DO happen to Dartmouth students, but those truly bad things do NOT include poor taste in tshirts or a controversial mascot. And I’d venture to guess that those truly bad things are more likely to happen outside of hanover than inside of it.
By Anony on Mar 1 | 11:59 am