Pitt cheerleaders and dance team
rock the Fitzerald Fieldhouse
Photos by Ramesh C. Reddy
Panthers celebrate Big East West Championship at the
Fieldhouse
Photos by Ramesh C. Reddy
Controversy arises for SGB, Delta Tau Delta, and Rainbow Alliance
Ramesh
C. Reddy
Managing Editor
On the night of Feb 11,02,
Rainbow Alliance President Sandra Telep was chosen to fill the Student
Government Board (SGB)vacancy left
by the departure of Carrie Howard, an African American student. Telep was chosen
over Michael Guss, Courtney Richardson, DeShuan Sewell, George Ayub,Andrea DeChellis and anyone else who applied.
Board candidates for the
vacancy had to fill out an application and go through an interview process with
the current seven board members.
Of all the candidates that applied Telep was unanimously
appointed by the board to take Howard’s place. The board supported their
decision to members of the student body present
at the public meeting.
Michelle Agostoni, a minority
board member said, “I’ve never seen our board so unified in any decision.
This will be the first time in a long time that I’ll be able to go home and
not be mad after a meeting.”
Kevin Washo, a Greek board
member wanted the students present at the public board meeting to know that
Telep was chosen because she was the most qualified candidate for the position.
A student approached the
Pittsburgh Standard (PS) with his concern about Telep’s appointment to board.
The PS has evidence to support that one of the members of Delta Tau Delta, whose
identity the PS wishes to keep anonymous, posted fliers across campus on Jan
30,02 to promote their rush week that offended Rainbow Alliance, a student
organization for gays, lesbians, bisexual,trans-gendered, and queer/questioning (GLBTQ) community.
The posters labeled brothers
of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) and Pi Kappa Alpha (PKA) as “limp-writsed” and
promoted fictional gay sexual activities. To this type of fliers on campus,
Telep, the president of Rainbow Alliance took offense.
According to the Feb 1st
issue of the Pitt News’ news section, Telep is quoted as saying, “[The
flier] assumes that homosexuality is a bad thing. It’s hard to believe that
such outdated ideas still exist within our generation.”
She also wrote a column
called, “Homophobic flier symptom of larger campus problem” in the Feb 1st
issue of the perspective’s section of the Pitt News.
Delta Tau Delta fraternity at
the University of Pittsburgh responded to the fliers and the issues raised by
them.
One of the ways they
responded was by taking a full-page letter advertisement in the Feb 8th
issue of the Pitt News. The advertisement was dated February 06,02 and the
headline read “Delta Tau Delta chapter and international office responds to
slanderous posters around Pittsburgh campus”
The letter addressed the
incident with a solution so that it never happens again including what the
national fraternity stands for. An excerpt from the letter states, “The
chapter will work with the Greek community and the Rainbow Alliance at the
university in funding sensitivity training and tolerance workshops to the Delts
and members of the IFC, as well as the campus community.The University ofPittsburgh
Delts have also agreed to make a contribution to a charitable organization of
the Rainbow Alliance’s choice.”
It is important to note that
SGB President Jeff Alex and SGB board member John Algie are members of Delta Tau
Delta chapter that responded to the fliers.
Daysafter the
incident, in the Feb 20th issue of the Pitt News, two
headlines printed were, “Delta Tau Delta apologizes for homophobic fliers”
and “Telep accepts apology.”
This story ran nine days
after Telep had already been appointed to the board position. In that article
she is quoted as saying, “Not all Greeks hate gay people and not all gay
people hate fraternities and sororities. We’re hoping to make this incident an
opportunity to mend ties between the Rainbow Alliance and the Greeks.”
In that same issue the Pitt
News editorial staff felt that the incident threatened Greek life. An excerpt
from the editorial stated, “Suddenly, a tasteless joke erupted into a
campus-wide controversy that threatened the integrity of Delta Tau Delta and
Greek organizations as a whole.”
The editorial went on to talk
more about Greek life stating, “Many fraternities and sororities are involved
in charity work and community service, but the virtuous side of Greek life is
usually overshadowed by the cynical common sentiment. And it doesn’t help the
situation when homophobic posters are plastered around campus in the name of a
recognized fraternity.”
Only a majority of the SGB
board needs to agree for a candidate who applies for aSGB board postion to be approved if a vacancy results after the April
elections. The PS has uncovered evidence to support at least 4 members of the
board had a conflict of interest when they decided Telep to be the successor of
Howard.
President Jeff Alex who did
not have a direct vote in the process is part of Delta Tau DeltaDelta Tau Delta
is the fraternity, where John Algie, a board member is the financial treaurer
of, that apologized to Rainbow Alliance.
