Tri Delta Today
Advocacy in Action Tri Delta members take to Capitol Hill to advocate for the fraternity/sorority experience
Tri Delta is proud to have Past Fraternity President Phyllis Durbin Grissom, Southern Methodist, serve as President-Elect of the FSPAC. Representing Tri Delta on Capitol Hill this year were collegiate members: Morgan Bedford, Pepperdine; Jordan Devorak, Kansas State; Megan Krynen, Mississippi; Gina Rotunno, South Florida; and Emily Varady, Arkansas. Joining them were Tri Delta alumnae who serve as volunteers or Executive Office staff members: NPC Delegate and Past President of the FSPAC Sarah Coons Lindsay, Miami/Ohio; Executive Board Director Lenora Oeters, Cincinnati; Delta Xi House Corporation volunteer Teresa McKinney, Missouri; Vice President of Development and Philanthropy Beth Burkes, Wake Forest; and Content Manager Amanda Milford, Texas/Arlington. During the Capitol Hill visits, students and alumni attended more than 450 meetings with members of Congress to advocate for legislation to protect students’ freedom of association rights and to eradicate hazing on college campuses. This year, there were two important issues discussed with lawmakers: tougher penalties for hazing and protection for single-sex organizations.
On April 10, Tri Delta members joined 250 Greek undergraduates and alumni in Washington, D.C., to advocate on Capitol Hill on behalf of the fraternity and sorority experience. he Fraternal Government Relations Coalition (FGRC) is a collaborative effort between the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) and the Fraternity/Sorority Political Action Committee (FSPAC) which advocates for federal public policies that allow fraternities and sororities to continue providing leadership training, community engagement and academic support needed to transform today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders.
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The Trident Summer 2019
First were anti-hazing efforts. Research shows that hazing prevention is best accomplished through comprehensive measures, including proactive education, as well as transparency and accountability for organizations that allow hazing to occur. Two anti-hazing bills, the REACH Act and the End ALL Hazing Act, require greater transparency from institutions of higher education and student organizations in publicly reporting incidents of hazing. Another major focus on the Hill this year was protecting students' ability to join single-sex organizations. Some universities—most notably Harvard University—have tried to restrict students’ freedom of association rights. After our visits in April, the Collegiate Freedom of Association Act was introduced. It preserves students’ ability to choose the organization that they want to be a part of, protects their right to join a single-sex organization and provides equal treatment for all student organizations. The goal is to have the CFAA included in the Higher Education Act reauthorization. The meetings also served as an opportunity for participants to
