by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
Representatives from African-American Student Services said their trip to the Sigma Chi fraternity's headquarters in Chicago was a success, but more work needs to be done with the
organization.
Michelle Touson, tutoring coordinator for African-American Student Services, Scott Carreathers, director of the student service, and Bernadette Foster, administrative assistant for the student service, went to Sigma Chi's headquarters Wednesday to meet with the executive director and other officials.
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"It was a positive thing," Touson said. "Nothing can be changed overnight. They know that, and we know that. We realize it's a process, and it will
take years."
Sigma Chi was suspended from UNM in 2001 after members taped a swastika and left a hate letter on an African-American student's vehicle, which was parked illegally in the fraternity's parking lot.
John Dicks, associate director of expansion for Sigma Chi, said he set up the conference to continue the dialogue he established with African-American Student Services at a meeting in September at UNM.
"The meeting was about getting them getting to know Sigma Chi and about us really wanting to brainstorm some ideas that we could use to help our chapters, to educate them on cultural sensitivity," he said. "This is about how we, as a fraternity, can work on the schools we're on to address this issue campuswide."
Foster said the group voiced the concerns that students from the ethnic centers had about the fraternity returning to UNM. The officials at Sigma Chi were receptive to what the group had to say, she said.
"There was concern that things had not been made as public as students felt it should have been," she said. "I think their concern is to do the right thing, and our purpose is to just kind of help them out and keep them in better touch with what students are feeling."
Carreathers said it was up to the officials at Sigma Chi to show the group how the fraternity is going to promote diversity and awareness in chapters across the country.
"Our main focus was to hear from them and what it is that they think they should be doing, not necessarily at UNM, but on a national scale," he said. "I think one of the big things they're trying to emphasize is accountability."
Dicks said his organization does not condone racism at any level and punishes members who are involved in racist incidents.
Racism is a national issue, and Sigma Chi wants to promote cultural sensitivity and awareness at college campuses across the country, he said.
"What happened at UNM and what's happened in other incidents - those have been individual incidents, and we can't control the acts of our individuals," Dicks said. "Our conversation was about how Sigma Chi can be on the forefront of educating members and campuses on the value of cultural exchange and cultural awareness."
Touson said Sigma Chi is not a racist organization.
The problem is that most people in the Greek system don't have experience with other cultures, but being culturally ignorant does not excuse racist acts, she said.
Touson said the officials of Sigma Chi were genuine in wanting to raise cultural awareness, and the invitation to the headquarters showed they are concerned.
"They really didn't have to do that. They didn't. But to me, I applaud their wanting to do better," she said. "The national office is truly trying to find some answers, and I think they knew they were in the dark in a lot of things."
