by Paula Bowker
Daily Lobo
A chapter of the Christian sorority Sigma Phi Lambda might never get chartered at UNM.
That's because the sorority does not follow Title IX of the educational amendment of 1972, a rule against gender discrimination.
Katie Gwartney, the intended vice president of the sorority, said sororities, fraternities and sports teams are exempt from Title IX's requirement that groups do not discriminate on the basis of gender.
Gwartney said because Sigma Phi Lambda is a religion-based sorority, it is not exempt from Title IX.
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This means the sorority does not follow the UNM Chartered Student Organization Policy.
The policy states, "Neither membership in nor services provided by the organization will be denied to anyone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental handicap, age, sex, sexual preference, ancestry or medical condition."
The policy applies to all groups except those exempted from Title IX.
Sigma Phi Lambda's constitution states it cannot have male members, and that conflicts with UNM rules.
"The hardest part really is in our constitution that has been set up for as many years as Sigma Phi Lambda has been around, there are discriminations against men joining a sorority, and at UNM, there is a rule that you can not discriminate against men," said Stephanie Poulin, the intended chaplain of Phi Lambda.
The charter application asks organizers to specify the group's category.
Gwartney said she could have just checked the "sorority" option, but she wanted to distinguish the group as different.
"We wanted to pick 'religion,' because we want to be an alternative to a regular sorority," she said.
The women in the group also argue that the UNM fraternity Kappa Epsilon Chi is based on the same principles and is only for men.
If the Sigma Phi Lambda sorority is not chartered, Kappa Epsilon Chi will not be allowed to continue under UNM policy. The fraternity was advised in 2003 it would be in its best interest to establish a similar sorority, said Nick Boyden, president of Kappa Epsilon Chi.
"The fraternity has been trying real hard to start a sorority," Poulin said.
Sigma Phi Lambda is in its first year of evaluation by the national sorority.
Poulin said representatives from the Student Activities Center told her the group would be able to become a sorority if it changes its constitution to allow male members.
She said they cannot amend the constitution because it has been around for so long, and the national sorority chapter at Texas Tech will not permit changes.
Susan Corban, assistant director of Student Activities, said unless the sorority changes its constitution or becomes a social sorority, it cannot be chartered.
Kappa Epsilon Chi was chartered at UNM in fall 2003 and was able to get around Title IX and UNM's policy. Last year, representatives from the Student Activities Center told the fraternity it couldn't continue to be chartered unless it allowed women into the group.
"Originally when we got chartered, we kind of stated it as a fraternity," Boyden said. "They didn't have a problem with it, or they didn't see it. They overlooked it, and so they approved our charter."
Boyden said women were allowed to enter the fraternity this year so it could get chartered again. The fraternity changed its constitution, he said.
Poulin said if the fraternity was chartered, then the sorority should be chartered. Boyden saw it differently.
"I don't see why there is a problem," Boyden said. "If we have the fraternity, why can't we have the sorority for both genders to have a place to go?"
