THE VERMONT
CYNIC Sept. 11, 2018
vtcynic.com
Burlington Pride Page 7
CAPS support at identity centers 2/ Dungeons & Dragons 6
Expelled fraternity returns ■ A fraternity that was removed from campus in 2011 following the discovery of a survey asking members who they would rape is coming back. Sawyer Loftus swloftus@uvm.edu
Sigma Phi Epsilon has been added to the list of recognized UVM fraternities, nearly seven years after it left campus in 2011 following a controversial leaked survey question that asked members “if I could rape someone, who would it be?” Over the summer of 2018, student club leaders in the UVM community were sent emails from national representatives asking for input on SigEp’s return to campus, said senior Ryan Beattie. Beattie is president of UVM’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. Beattie said he had previously heard of the fraternity and its conduct, but only learned of the full context and extent through a Google search leading to a 2011 CNN article. “I felt gross about it,” Beattie said. “I felt like I had to respond [to the email], and so I did.”
Beattie replied to the email saying he didn’t feel it was appropriate for the fraternity to ever return to campus, despite all of the students involved in the incident having already left campus, he said. SigEp may have changed its ways, but the symbolism attached to the fraternity is enough to keep them off campus, Beattie said. “I believe that if Sigma Phi Epsilon were to return to our campus, it would be the administration here or Student Life saying that it’s okay to perpetuate rape culture in a threatening and dangerous way,” Beattie said. Despite concerns from some students on campus, Cristina Vega, the assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UVM, said there are no hesitations on UVM’s part for allowing SigEp back on campus. “[SigEp] have a vested interest in this community and they believe in the values and common ground of UVM,” Vega said. “A lot of what they believe
SAWYER LOFTUS/The Vermont Cynic
A national representative from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity shakes hands with a prospective student at the activities fair Sept. 5 on the Davis Green. In 2011, UVM’s chapter was suspended after a survey was passed around the organization asking, “if I could rape someone, who would it be?” in is very similar to Our Common Ground.” The specific circumstances around the fraternity’s departure still remain unclear. A 2011 CNN article reported that the fraternity was removed by its national chapter. However, the departure was a mutual decision between the
University and the national fraternity leadership, Vega said. “[The decision to leave] was in partnership,” she said, “so there was a conversation with the University — this is before my time — but there was a conversation between the University and SigEp headquarters to close.”
Andrew Parrish, the strategic communications director for the national SigEp fraternity, declined to comment on the fraternity’s conduct on UVM’s campus.
SigEp cont. on page 2
Presidential search fails to attract students Lee Hughes lee.hughes@uvm.edu
SGA President Ethan Foley sent an email Aug. 13 to all 11,000+ undergraduates, opening an application for them to apply to the presidential search committee. Only four did. Of those applicants, one will join the search to find a replacement for President Tom Sullivan, who will step down the summer of 2019 to write a book and join the UVM faculty, according to an Aug. 3 email from Sullivan to the University. His decision comes after the spring 2018 semester, during which students protested over the administration’s response to racial bias incidents and called for Sullivan to resign. Receiving only four applications was disappointing, espe-
facebook.com/ thevermontcynic
cially because none of the applicants were people who lead the calls for Sullivan’s resignation this past spring, Foley said. Those calls were primarily organized by the social justice group NoNames for Justice, headed by students from a variety of other cultural and social justice groups. NoNames also organized the campus protests. “I by no means had to create an application for the presidential search committee,” Foley said. “I could have picked six of my best friends. “I think that if students want to complain about the administration and if undergraduate students want to see change at this University, then they should be taking the initiative when the opportunities arise.” Senior and NoNames leader Z McCarron said the group’s
@vermontcynic
ALEK FLEURY/The Vermont Cynic
SGA president and junior Ethan Foley at the last SGA meeting of the year in May 2018. He opened up an application for students to apply to help find a replacement for President Tom Sullivan. leadership did not have the faith or the energy to apply to the search committee. McCarron said that they and other NoNames leaders felt they would not be chosen for the committee after inter-
instagram.com/ vermontcynic
actions with Board of Trustees vice chair Ron Lumbra about the renaming committee this past spring. Lumbra told McCarron and other NoNames members at the meeting that he would not se-
youtube.com/ cynicvideo
lect “advocates” because they are biased, McCarron said. McCarron interpreted this to mean that Lumbra would only allow people onto the committee who agreed with him and would prevent NoNames members from joining, they said. Lumbra could not be reached for comment before publication. The committee will contain one undergraduate, one graduate, one staff member, alumni, trustees and four faculty members chosen by the faculty panel, said Gary Derr, vice president for executive operations. “I just would encourage students to take opportunities when they are presented to them,” Foley said. Read the rest at vtcynic.com/pressearch
www.
vtcynic.com