The Collegian Wednesday, February 14,1990
Dean Reber clarifies sanctions against Sig Tail's
Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to a
letter written by Ala Stanford
which appeared in the February 7,
1990 issue.
In her letter, Ala described an
incident during a recent Erie
Panthers hockey game at the Eric
Civic Center which involved
some members of the Sigma Tau
Gamma fraternity. I concur with
Ala's condemnation of the
participation of fourteen fraternity
members in an insensitive chant
directed at a black player on the
opposing team. The chant was
widespread throughout the Civic
Center that evening.
In her letter, Ala expressed
concern regarding her perceived
lack of administrative response to
the incident. In fact, I wish to
clarify that we did respond
immediately.
As soon as I learned that some
members of the fraternity had
allegedly participated in the
chant, I met with the fraternity's
vice president who happened to
be available and in the vicinity of
my office. I asked for a written
report on the incident from the
fraternity within twenty-four
hours. I also said that I would
conduct my own investigation
and that it would be in the
fraternity's best interest to present
a complete and truthful rendering
of facts.
We agreed to convene a
meeting of the fraternity's
executive board the following
evening. Dave Shields, Assistant
Dean of Students, and I attended
the meeting.
The executive board admitted
that fourteen fraternity members
had participated in the chant, and
gave me a list of the names of
those students. (It should be
noted that all members of the
fraternity were not present at the
game, and that many of those
present claim not to havfe
Student comments on
parking lot problems
Urges bommuters to voice ppimons if ticketed
members only, from'&OG AM * ©nty Utaee lots. Thai number also
8:00 PM unless otherwisenotedr doesnot include the 15 minute
loading zone spaces. With the
Staff Parking Lots are defined enormous number of spots
in the Brochure as well, in five available, I personally cannot see
different locations on the campus, the reason these spaces arc guarded
The farthest faculty staff parking so ruthlessly,
lot is next to the Maintenance The time has come for
Building next to the apartments, commuters to speak out. Those
and so it presents no applicable commuters who feel they have
commuter parking spots. been wrongly ticketed for parking
The other four, however are in staff/facully spots, fight the
well suited for commuter parking, ticket, make your voices heard. I
There are approximately 20 plus know I will be doing my share of
spaces behind Lawrence. There are noise making during the next
at least three faculty spaces behind SGA meeting.
Niagara, and approximately five
behind Perry.
That represents 27 faculty and
staff reserved parking spots out of
Dear Editor,
I have been a commuter student
here at Behrcnd for the past three
years. Within these dupe years I've
played a cat and mouse game with
Police and Safety, while trying to
visit friends in the dorms.
According to the official Penn
State Erie brochure on Student
Parking the "Staff Parking Lot" is
designated as such:
/. General Provisions
Definitions
Section F
Staff Parking Lot shall mean
those parking areas that are
restricted for use by Faculty/StafT
Letters to the Editor
participated in the chant. In fact,
some members claim to have
urged those who were chanting to
stop.)
The fraternity vowed to take
responsibility for the incident
through a five-point plan
designed to raise sensitivity
levels of present and future
members. After the meeting, I
sent the following letter, dated
January 23, 1990 to the
fraternity:
I should like to take
this opportunity to
respond formally to the
admission that fourteen
brothers of Sigma Tau
Gamma participated in an
insensitive chant at a
recent hockey game at the
Erie Civic Center. As you
know, I was very
disappointed to learn about
the incident.
While I understand that
the chanting in question
was widespread throughout
the Civic Center, I expect
a great deal more of Penn
State—Behrend students. In
fact, I would expect a great
deal more of many
children.
Using words which
connote feelings of
animosity toward or which
belittle others on the basis
of their race or affiliation
with a group is both
insensitive and is evidence
of the most narrow
thinking.
People are often hurt by
such words. I hope that the
brothers of Sigma Tau
Gamma have learned
something from this
incident, and I trust that
there will be no further
incidents of this nature.
As you know, pur
University is deeply
committed to creating an
environment which
supports and welcomes
diversity. We want all
members of our University
community to appreciate
and learn from one another
-- from our varied life
experiences and points of
view.
President Jordan
recently said that this is
the highest priority of the
University, and that all of
us must share in the
responsibility to create an
environment which
welcomes differences.
I am pleased with the
plan that you and your
colleagues have articulated
for increasing the
sensitivity levels of Sigma
Tau Gamma brothers. I
should like to formalize
our acceptance of that
plan. My understanding is
that Sigma Tau Gamma
will do the following:
1. Your fraternity will
write a letter of apology to
Dr. Robert Hendrickson,
and a second letter to Penn
State-Behrend. Further, I
should like to ask that you
write a letter of apology to
the Knoxville player who
was attacked verbally.
2. Sigma Tau Gamma
will implement an
immediate awareness
program for the fraternity.
We discussed showing a
videotape of a recent open
forum on racism, with
discussion to follow.
3. Sigma Tau Gamma
will require all brothers
and pledges to attend the
upcoming (February 1)
Benjamin Hooks lecture,
with discussion to follow.
4. Your colony will
invite a speaker to talk to
the membership - this
Lorenzo Paul
Commuter Senator
sth semester junior
semester about Penn
State's diversity efforts.
5. Sigma Tau Gamma
will implement an annual
diversity program as part
of your new member
pledge program. This will
ensure continuity in your
efforts to sensitize
brothers to our diversity
objectives.
David Shields and I are
here to help you. Further,
David will monitor your
progress and will
communicate with the
national office regarding
their role.
As indicated earlier, I
will be convening the
student organization
hearing board to consider
further disciplinary action
that might be taken
against the fraternity. I do
not expect that any
individuals will be referred
to our discipline system.
Should you have any
questions regarding the
above, or if I am in error
on any of these points,
please see the at your
earliest convenience. If I
do not hear from you by
January 30, 1990, I will
assume that you are in
agreement with all of the
above. I look forward to
the active participation of
Sigma Tau Gamma in Penn
State-Behrend's efforts to
realize our diversity
objectives.
Although the behavior of the
students involved is repulsive and
contradicts directly those
principles for which our College
and University stand, the
individual students involved
cannot be referred to the
University discipline system. The
actions occurred off of University
property; and they are protected
Sigma Kappa Nu
rebuts facts about raid
Dear Editor,
After reading your article,
"Frat House Raided", we were
appalled by the shoddy
journalism displayed by
Collegian editor/reporter Mark
Owens. We realize that the
reporter was doing his best to
write the article, and we are not
saying we could do any better;
but we desire to state the facts
and give this journalist some
hints in reporting techniques.
Let’s begin with the hcadline
"Frat House Raided.” Sigma
Kappa Nu is not a frat, we are a
fraternity. Mr. Owens, call
your...club, a frat, if you wish.
Refer to Sigma Kappa Nu as a
Page
under the first amendment of the
U.S. Constitution (freedom of
speech).
The student organization
hearing board, comprised of eight
students appointed annually by
SGA, did meet to consider
possible sanctions against the
fraternity.
The decision of the board was
to send a letter of condemnation
to the fraternity, and to endorse
the plan articulated by the
fraternity since it is positive,
action-oriented, and will ensure
future efforts to promote
sensitivity. There arc no
administrators or faculty
members on the student
organization hearing board.
Consistent with the
confidentiality afforded individual
students who arc referred to the
University discipline system
confidentiality mandated by law -
it has been our practice to
exercise the same confidentiality
in the process of adjudicating
grievances filed against student
organizations.
We are now considering
possible future publication of the
results of student organization
hearing board investigations and
hearings.
I want to emphasize that an
allegations of inappropriate
behavior on our campus by
individuals or groups are
investigated and, when
substantiated, they arc addressed
within the boundaries of
University policy and the law.
I would be happy to discuss
any of these issues further. I have
met with concerned students to
discuss this incident. Further, my
office is arranging a meeting for
all those concerned with the
fraternity leadership.
Sincerely,
Chris Reber
Dean of Students
fraternity.
A mixer is a gathering
between a fraternity and a
sorority. The party in question
was a combine between two
fraternal organizations.
Here are some more facts you
neglected to uncover, or falsely
reported:
- The address of the Skin
House is 3801 Shannon Road,
not Cooper Road.
- The police arrived at 11:30
p.m. not 10:30 p.m.
• There were 200 people at the
combine.
(continued on page 6)