CSULB
students angered by flyer
By
Jamie Rowe
Daily Forty-Niner
Last
Thursday during an African Student Union
meeting, the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon
apologized for an auction flier circulated
around campus.
The
flier, an advertisement for the fraternity's
upcoming pledge auction, depicted a naked
black man covering his genitalia with a
hat.
The
flier confused and angered many students.
Kemmi Are, a Cal State Long Beach student,
brought the flier's content to the attention
of the Associated Students Senate on Wednesday,
according to Sen.-at-large, Erik Jolliff
ASU
president, Leilani Ford, said she didn't
understand how Sigma Phi Epsilon, the first
fraternity to abolish membership based on
race, "could be so racially insensitive
and culturally insensitive."
According
to the fraternity's Web site, it was founded
on "the cardinal principles of
Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love."
Tai Hornbeck, the fraternity's president,
said they are a really diverse organization
and don't stand for racist actions.
He
further explained he wouldn't make any excuses
or justify the situation. According to him,
three members of this year's pledge class
were put in charge of creating a flier for
the upcoming auction after they were given
guidelines.
The
pledges decided to use three separate characters
from the movie The Full Monty to create
three different fliers.
"They
made and released them before running them
by the pledge educator," Hornbeck said.
The
pledges used their own money to make copies
of the fliers.
Many
of the ASU members wanted to know how the
fraternity was going to fix the situation.
Hornbeck replied he would continue to apologize
to the various on-campus groups the flier
offended, as well as putting an apology
in the Daily Forty-Niner. He is planning
to hold a cultural sensitivity workshop
for all active members. The auction was
cancelled.
However,
Hornbeck had not made any definite plans
because he had only found out about the
situation at 5:00 the previous evening.
At the time of the meeting most of the active
fraternity members had no knowledge of the
situation.
The
president said the fraternity would vote
on the by laws on what can go on fliers
and posters. This policy may apply to all
Greek organizations.
The
pledges responsible for the flier will go
before the fraternity's executive board
and regional director, Hornbeck said.
Upon
suggestion from ASU members, Jolliff said
the senate would look into prohibiting any
campus organization from holding "slave"
auctions. Members also suggested requiring
mandatory attendance for all organizations
at the Cultural Awareness Fair.
ASU
member Michael Fisher shared his feelings.
"This doesn't just slap me; it slaps
my grandma. This situation needs to be addressed
with humility."
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