Category: Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

As representatives of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), we wanted to express how disappointed we are that students may have walked away from the “Divine Nine” lecture last Tuesday evening with the impression that NPHC organizations are racist. The Bucknellian article printed in the previous issue misrepresented the purpose of his lecture. The article entitled “Diversity speaker promotes black fraternities” drew a deceptive and primitive picture of NPHC organizations’ history, mission and goals.

Matt Tilford, a respectable student leader, (Common Ground facilitator, Memphis Civil Rights Alternative Spring Break Trip Leader and Black Student Union ally) initially submitted a more robust quote to the Bucknellian. His intended quote read as follows: “My impression of the reaction of many students was that the idea of Black Greek organizations is racist, and therefore undermined the notion of the lecture as a ‘diversity speech.’ While this is certainly an understandable sentiment, students should understand that the existence of historically black fraternities and sororities stems from a long history of discrimination. It’s tough trying to preserve some of that history while simultaneously progressing on racial equality. It is easy to say historically black fraternities and sororities should just join IFC and Panhel, rather than have their own separate governance organization. But wouldn’t that just be another form of racial discrimination, forcing black organizations to assimilate into organizations that have been built upon years of white cultural dominance? The only true path to equality would be to completely start over with new, thoroughly integrated organizations, which I don’t think anyone would advocate. While Ross’s talk may not have been very equitable in tone, it certainly still accomplished its goal of discussing diversity. We have diversity, but if equality is the goal, clearly there is still a long way to go.”

We are historically African American organizations, but do not limit membership to only African Americans. The stated purpose and mission of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) in 1930 was “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations,” as posted on the NPHC website (http://www.nphchq.org).

As current NPHC organizations on campus, we want to incorporate our programming and events in collaboration with Panhel and IFC to promote unity. We look forward to partnering with Greek organizations on campus as unification can benefit us all. Each Greek organization—whether part of NPHC, Panhel, or IFC—may have been founded on different principles, but we still share a common ground.

If any student attended the lecture and left with an unsettled impression of what the NPHC organizations stand for, the significance behind the foundation of them, or the purpose for these organizations on the University’s campus, please feel free to attend “Meet the Greeks” on Oct. 22, 2010 from 6-7 p.m. in Walls Lounge. Meet us in person, learn more about individual NPHC and National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) organizations and ask any unresolved questions you may have. Please recognize that the NPHC does not discriminate for membership or for any event. This event is free and open to the public and will be an opportunity to meet us and ask questions. We look forward to seeing you and appreciate the opportunity to share with The Bucknellian readers more about the NPHC.

Jennifer Gutierrez ’11

with assistance from NPHC students

To the Editor:

I’d like to take a minute to address the article that appeared in last week’s Bucknellian regarding the diversity speaker, Mr. Lawrence Ross. Although I am no longer a student, I take great pride in being an alumnus of the University, and I am extremely proud of being apart of the Xi Kappa chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In reading the article, I am truly disappointed that time was not taken to actually research the issue of historically Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) because had it been studied, the author would not have graciously taken the time insult the members of my organization, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. All of these organizations have at one time or another been a part of the makeup of Greek life at the University. None of these, or any other BGLO, has ever been motivated to racially discriminate against students, and to insinuate that these organizations are somehow racist, while having thousands of non-black members, is a slap in the face of the University’s black Greek alumni.

Black Greek culture is a very loving and accepting culture and, at least during my time at the University, bent over backwards reaching out to all of campus. What amazes me even more is that in a situation that could prove as a teaching point to all of the University’s Greek life, and all of campus, that somehow the only opinion that was fostered, or recorded, from the entire event was that “the idea of ‘black’ fraternities is racist.” In my opinion, either nobody listened, or there was a lack of journalist integrity and moral responsibility in writing the article. I understand that the idea of BGLOs being somehow racist may be felt by some, although it is 100 percent wrong. But the entirety of the article talks about the event from an “us” and “them” standpoint, as if BGLOs are somehow devoid of dealing with other Greek organizations. Unfortunately, what I learned from reading this article is that obviously the University still has a long way to go in helping foster an environment that gives students a chance to build an understanding about things that are foreign to their own life experiences and seeing things from another person’s point of view.

Somehow the idea that because African Americans have “something that belongs just to them” makes them the real racists, by not assimilating to the culture around them and “shunning” people of different backgrounds. The author of the article, in his own convoluted way, attempts to bring to light the fact that much of the reason that BGLOs exist is because African Americans were not allowed to join white Greek organizations. The fact that they are still relevant and hold importance in our society as a whole is evidence of the fact that we have not yet reached a point where we are a colorblind or post-race society. At the same time, these groups show a great deal of tolerance and understanding by not being African American-only groups and accepting people of different backgrounds, and especially on the University’s campus, weaving themselves into the fiber of the University, interacting with many different groups of various backgrounds. All in all, I just think that if you are not an ethnically diverse student at the University and you went to a talk about the Divine Nine and the history of BGLOs and all you took away from it was racial insensitivity, then you really weren’t listening at all.

Christopher Hayes ’09

Former Vice Polemarch

Xi Kappa Chapter

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Spring 2007 Initiate

To the Editor,

We, the members of the Bucknell on the Susquehanna (BotS) program, would like to address some inadequacies in the article run about our program on Sept. 17. While the piece explained the basic itinerary and description of our “domestic study-abroad” course, it neglected to reflect any of the views of students who are actually participating and unfairly represented the ultimate goal of this experiential learning opportunity.

Rather than defining it as a form of study abroad, it may be more accurate to call the program a semester-long series of field trips and exercises.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn [about our area] hands-on, outside of the classroom,” Joanna Freeman ’12 said. Most mornings at about 9 a.m., the “BotSMobile” waits outside O’Leary to take us off to a wide variety of sites around the watershed of the Susquehanna River. So far already we have spent a week in the Chesapeake Bay area, toured quarries and a coal mine, observed the impacts of logging and mining on the watershed today and many more experiences.

The program is designed to create an altogether unique experience of total immersion in the complex and diverse geographical feature that is the Susquehanna River watershed.

“After going abroad and comparing BotS to that experience, BotS is not a substitute for a study abroad,” Rebecca Coldwell ’11 said.

Returning from a study abroad in South Africa last semester, Coldwell described this fall’s program as “a completely different experience … a chance to learn about the land you spend four years on, how we affect it and learn to appreciate it.”

The BotS program also extends beyond local day trips.

“Every day is an adventure! We aren’t just focusing on the Susquehanna, but the entire watershed from Cooperstown, NY to Oyster, Va.,” Morgan Davis ’12 said. “We then travel to the west coast and compare both watersheds on a geologic, ecologic and political level. Awesome!”

On behalf of the Bucknell on the Susquehanna Program,

David Manthos ’11

To the editor:

Thanks much for the thoughtful coverage of the recent Faith/Science and Science/Faith debate, which stimulated thoughtful discussion and agreement on the need for compassion and humility among people with different points of view on campus.
Given the necessary boiling down of complex issues in the article, I just wanted to clarify one point attributed to me from the discussion. In the Orthodox Christian tradition, creation is regarded as good and beautiful based on the Genesis account. It became corrupted for human beings because of the Fall and the corruption of humans. The Fall did not change the fundamentally good and beautiful nature of human beings and of creation. But it did bring with it a kind of cosmic objectification that obscured and warped both together. Thus the grasping of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a kind of immature reach for a dualistic knowledge of everything–an effort to know and possess knowledge of the world selfishly, bringing disaster due to a lack of humility. One way to think about this is through the term “to demonize”: When we demonize something or someone, we objectify our reality and become in a sense ourselves demon-like.
That is one way of thinking about what the Fall was about in Orthodox Christian tradition, involving a kind of objectification of both the world and ourselves. While we are not individually culpable, we live amid the collective effects.

Alf Siewers

Associate Professor of English

To the Editor:

Two weeks ago, the Bucknellian included an article entitled “University panel presents findings in study of sexual assault on campus.” While reading the continuation of the article on page three, I was struck by a set of photos of sorority recruitment activities on page two. One of those photos in particular does a great deal to highlight the problems posed by the current climate for women, particularly women students, on our campus: a photo of a smiling female student displaying a sign with the words “welcome Chi Omega baby hooters.” I have no idea how many women students at the University either think of themselves as, or aspire to be, “baby hooters.” But the fact that a female student presented this characterization publicly, and appeared to do so proudly, provides an indication of how far we have to go in our efforts to create a healthy campus environment for women on this campus. Notwithstanding the picture on the poster, I do not believe that the operative metaphor had anything to do with owls.

Gary Steiner

John Howard Harris Professor of Philosophy

To the editor:

I wonder how many of the students complaining so loudly about the back-breaking 15 minute trek from the new bookstore to campus can be found five days a week, with glazed eyes and numbed expressions, running in place on a treadmill at the gym. My friends, there are flowers and birds on the road to Market Street; you will learn things from them that the television monitors and other machinery at the gym cannot teach you, if you will but listen.

Alexander Riley
Dept. of Sociology/Anthropology