U.S. News and World Report, Patriot-News and The Philadelphia Inquirer report that Lehigh University’s fraternity/sorority life system has been “paused.” In an email to the university community, President John D. Simon and Vice President for Student Affairs Ricardo Hall announced a suspension of all new member activities. They also prohibited contact between existing members and new members, and any events that are not business-related. The “pause” on fraternity/sorority social life, as Lehigh calls it, comes amid intensifying concern about behavior, despite a 10-point plan for improvement instituted by the university last year and commitment from fraternity/sorority life leaders to work toward change. The pause could further erode membership in Greek life on campus. In spring 2015, fraternities claimed 983 members—roughly 37 percent of the male student body. By last spring, membership had fallen just shy of 660. Sorority membership fell, too, from 1,009, or 46 percent of the female student body, to 834.
Coverage from NBC News, The Associated Press (picked up in The Washington Post and The New York Times) and USA Today reports Cornell University freshman Antonio Tsialas was the victim of elaborate hazing that forced fraternity pledges to drink dangerous quantities of alcohol while cycling through seven themed rooms, his parents said in a lawsuit announced Wednesday. Tsialas was found dead in October at the bottom of a gorge. The parents’ lawsuit claims the university has been ineffective at stopping a longstanding problem with hazing. The legal action names Cornell University, the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, its chapter adviser, and eight individuals, including seven students.
Grand Council meets in person three times a year, and by conference call each month they are not together. Quite often, Grand Council deliberations, and subsequent actions, aren’t appropriate for immediate publication. As well, an announcement is often more appropriate shared by a subject matter expert. For example, Director of Extension Lindsay Sell is a far better messenger about extension opportunities than I am. So, I typically have very little share at the close of a board meeting or call. Grand Council is thoughtfully contemplating a great deal these days, but you may not, for good reason, learn of decisions for weeks or months.
To remain consistent with our membership eligibility statement, “Those who identify as women are eligible for membership in Kappa Alpha Theta,” as well as our own description and pride-point of being a women’s fraternity, the Theta organization will continue to use the pronouns of she/her/hers when writing or speaking on behalf of Kappa Alpha Theta.
This has nothing to do with the pronouns any of us chooses for personal identification. It simply means that when writing/speaking on behalf of Theta, we use the gendered pronouns “she” and “her” when referring to a member. Of course, it may also be possible to rephrase sentences to avoid gendered pronouns by making the subjects plural. If you need assistance with writing, please contact Director of Communications/Editor Liz Rinck. If you have questions about philosophy, please contact me.
Grand Council will continue to consider shifts of operations from Grand Council to others better equipped to manage operational issues. If you have questions about Grand Council responsibilities, please contact Fraternity President Mandy Wushinske. If you have questions about workforce (volunteers and staff) responsibilities, please contact Chief Operating Officer Jenni Schmaltz.
Thank you for all YOU do for Kappa Alpha Theta. Stay tuned to Igloo for more Theta news, and please don’t ever hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.
Betsy
The college chapter budget committee is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Chambers, Gamma Pi/Iowa State, is now budget district director (BDD) in College District II.
The January edition of The Bulletin has been posted in Theta Portal > chapter portal > HQDocs > The Bulletin for all college and alumnae chapter officers and advisors, and they were notified by email. Workforce members always have access to The Bulletin via Igloo > Files > The Bulletin. The Update is Theta’s main communication source for the workforce and The Bulletin is Theta’s main communication source for college chapter officers and advisors and alumnae chapter officers.
Please help spread the word about Theta Foundation’s scholarship opportunities! More than $700,000 is available to support members pursuing undergraduate and graduate study during the 2020-2021 academic year. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the 2020 Scholarship Application resources, including upcoming help sessions. Please contact Theta Foundation Programs Manager Mary Kate Smith with questions.
An instantly classic, beautifully designed, limited apparel collection with Theta’s 150 sesquicentennial logo is available now via the Theta website! The collection’s sizes range from S to 2XL. The apparel is available for bulk purchases, too, if your chapter is interested in placing a group order of quantities of 24 items or more. Group orders can include a mixed arrangement of various pieces from this collection and you’ll get a better deal on the overall price. Please contact Lewis Dawes from ThetaStore for group order inquiries.