Kappa Sigma Nationals investigating viral e-mail
Posted March 8, 2011 at 12:10 am in News
A racy e-mail that has spread virally through the Greek community and beyond is currently under investigation by the Kappa Sigma Fraternity nationals.
The e-mail, whose author claims to be a member of Kappa Sigma, asks the members of the fraternity to relate all of their sexual encounters in “Tucker Max format.” Tucker Max writes and blogs about his drunken activities and sexual exploits.
The author of the e-mail refers to women as “targets” for the entirety of the message.
“I will refer to females as ‘targets.’ They aren’t actual people like us men,” the e-mail reads. “Consequently, giving them a certain name or distinction is pointless.”
The e-mail contains a glossary of explicit terms to define males, females and descriptions of body parts. The author of the e-mail also details a way for the members of the fraternity to rate the physical attractiveness of their partners. Women are then categorized by their nationality and ethnicity in the e-mail.
“The content [of the e-mail] is contrary to everything [Kappa Sigma stands] for and we are not going to allow individuals to attempt to tarnish our name in any form or fashion,” said Mitchell Wilson, executive director of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. “We will pursue this as far as we can.”
The full text of the e-mail has been circulated to many students both Greek and non-Greek, and it has been posted on online college gossip sites.
Wilson said he received a phone call Monday from Zach Timm, president of Kappa Sigma at USC, about the e-mail.
“Obviously we are appalled that [the e-mail is] associated in any way with our name because the e-mail is disgusting and offensive,” Wilson said. “We are going to do our best to identify who the author is and hold the person accountable.”
Pat Lauer, president of USC’s Interfraternity council, and Ayushi Gummadi, president of USC’s Panhellenic council, said they were first made aware of the e-mail Thursday.
Though the e-mail purports to have been sent from a member of USC’s chapter of Kappa Sigma to the other members of the house, Lauer said IFC has yet to confirm who sent the e-mail, if the e-mail really was sent from a member of USC’s chapter of Kappa Sigma or how the e-mail was disseminated to the public.
“We have been told and understand that this e-mail was forwarded from another source outside this community, but there have been so many contradicting facts being uncovered,” Lauer said. “At this point we are going to wait for Kappa Sigma’s nationals to conduct their investigation before making any conclusive statements.”
Until Kappa Sigma nationals has finished its investigation, the university and IFC will not decide on a course of action.
Wilson said Kappa Sigma nationals has been in touch with its legal commission, which will investigate if there are ways to go through internet service providers to track the source of the original e-mail.
“Certainly the content is not reflective of our fraternity and we don’t want someone associated with our fraternity who would say such a thing. If there is such a member, he will go through our disciplinary process which could be suspension or expulsion,” Wilson said. “But what we see in some situations are individuals of other organizations or students who were trying to pull pranks put together such types of communication like this to get chapters or members of our organization in trouble.”
Ray Carlos, assistant director of USC’s Office for Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development, said he does not currently know if there will be repercussions on the university level.
“Until all of the facts are revealed, I cannot speculate on the outcome,” Carlos said.
Lauer said he is disappointed an e-mail like this would be connected to the Greek community at USC.
“The e-mail is repulsive, it’s ridiculous, it’s insulting,” Lauer said. “It’s just really sad that this e-mail doesn’t reflect the standard of any fraternity or chapter in our community. What’s more shocking is that such a respected fraternity’s name is on that e-mail.”
Gummadi said members of Greek houses should remember they are reflections not only of their chapters but of the Greek community as a whole.
“There’s obviously a freedom of speech allowance, but we also have to remind ourselves that when we pledge a fraternity or sorority we commit ourselves to holding ourselves to the highest possible standards of the community,” Gummadi said.
Gummadi said PHC hosted an event in February called “Something of Value” that focused on women fostering positive images. She said PHC will continue to host bi-weekly roundtable discussions to reinforce positive healthy behavior.
“Sexual behavior is based on individual decisions,” Gummadi said. “That said, I think one of the strongest things we can do is be good role models and lead by example. We want to set positive examples in terms of knowing that [women] should have standards, be safe and not engage in risky sexual behavior.”
Lauer said successful fraternities at USC follow a similar model of leadership.
“Younger guys in the house look up to older members who succeed socially, networking with women in positive ways, and create models that people can look up to,” Lauer said. “By creating those self-sustaining models of leadership, we can rid ourselves of [sentiments] like this.”
Lauer and Gummadi believe this incident will serve as a reminder to students about the positive and negative powers of social media.
“It just kind of serves as a lesson that we need to be diligent about what we say on private or public listservs,” Lauer said. “This is a clear reminder that we are always wearing our letters. We as Greeks are a part of something much bigger than our individual selves.”
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This article is tagged: ayushi gummadi, Interfraternity Council, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Sigma Nationals, Mitchell Wilson, Panhellenic Council, Pat Lauer, Ray Carlos, Tucker Max, viral e-mail
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We will be silently protesting in front of Kappa Sig tonight at 8pm. We are meeting at 28th and University at 7:45pm. Please try to bring your own candle. Serious like minded men including fraternity members are welcome to join us.
I’ll be there to throw stuff at you from my balcony. See you there.
That will just speed your ultimate demise as a University recognized organization
It just guys talking about what kinda of pie they like relax!!!!!!!!
Great news! We will have media coverage from several local television stations and the LA Times. If you can’t make it tonight, be sure and watch the late night news broadcasts to see our efforts against these misogynist pigs!
is there an official FB event for this?
I just searched the LA Times website this morning. No mention of any kind for this vigil.
Wait just a minute. Hold the comment presses. A candle light vigil? Does anyone out here think this is completely over the top? If anything, you are giving more credence to the content of the “inflammatory email.” If there ever was a prototypical example of the age old saying about not dignifying something with a response, this is it. What exactly are you accomplishing with a vigil?
By trying to exploit media coverage using a vigil- something that should be reserved for remembrances- I say you are worse than the bros. If a bunch of bros get together and want to entertain each other through electronic mail, who are you to pass judgement on the content.
I say we hold a vigil for the loss of the dignity and value of vigils brought on by this inane and futile exercise of supposed moral outrage… the true tragedy here.
One last point to all the people who are so eager to jump on any train aimed at bringing down the bro-establishment. To bros, the bromail is like keeping a journal. A such, it is critical for the bro as an outlet. A place where he can vent, laugh and perfect their skills of email forwarding. People forward me stupid racist emails about Obama. But guess what, I love Obama and voted him in office.
An email forwarded to Kappa Sig members speaks NOTHING about the character of the men in that house. You vigil-antes are trying to ruin a safe outlet for the bros. Shame on you. In fact, I have never been more ashamed to be an alum in all the 9 months or so of being on.
I agree with you completely, Ben. A candlelight vigil is so ridiculously over the top and I feel embarrassed for the people that actually participated. Candlelight vigils are held for the purpose of remembering a person/people who have died or to support people who are in critical condition (e.g. the vigil held by Sig Nu for Jackson Roddy). While I agree that the email was disturbing, we don’t know the context of it… whether it was just a joke among the brothers or if someone in Kappa Sig even wrote it. Regardless, even if a brother did write it in complete seriousness, the bigoted views of one brother does not reflect on the others, and Kappa Sig shouldn’t be derided like this for something that one person wrote. As for the whole media coverage thing, I think the people that see/hear about this will be more entertained by over-the-top, unnecessary activism than be inspired by a vigil over a freaking email.
Your clueless, entitled opinions make me sick. How does receiving racist emails contribute to making you a better person, exactly? I’m sure it helps your black brothers to feel right at home too. Guess what, spreading emails that dehumanize women and promote sexual assault is NOT harmless. It contributes to create an environment where females don’t feel safe, and rape goes unreported. I’m sure the poor mother who paid to send this hateful male slut through college is ashamed to have delivered her through her *pie*. Gosh.
Also, “a place where HE can vent [...] and perfect THEIR skills”??? Someone needs to work on his “forwarding” skills, to same nothing of his critical thinking and human decency skills. Grow up already.
“…ashamed to have delivered HER through her *pie*.”
(This should say HIM — then again, gender inequality is the problem, isn’t it?)
“…to SAME nothing of his critical thinking…”
(I would tell you that this is a common mistake, but it’s not.)
By the way, after reading through this comment thread, I feel compelled to point out the fact that George is quick to denounce people for commenting anonymously, while remaining anonymous himself. Way to get out there and take a stand, person-with-one-of-the-most-common-first-names-in-the-country.
You obviously don’t get my point, so I’ll spell it out for you: would you say any of this garbage in front of a woman, especially one that you care about? Would you be so quick to defend it then?
Nope. I want everyone I know to hear absolutely everything I’ve ever said, ever, ever.
As if you had anything constructive or relevant to say.
As if that’s not a sentence fragment.
Well, I’m just glad you can be “compelled” to point out the irrelevant. Must be a fun way to spend your time. Or, you know, you could actually say something about the disgusting issue.
you should never feel safe anywhere at any time anyway sister. all men are looking to rape all woman at all times. Give me money for my political campaign and I will make the scary things go away!
I think a candlelight vigil is completely justified. It’s a show of solidarity against an institution that has been shown repeatedly to be racist, sexist and homophobic. Hopefully we can get the current administration to pull their already limited political support of the row in the future.
bet you’re a fat virgin who didn’t get accepted into Kappa Sig
Another “broll,” but then again who is surprised? When it comes to defending stupid things, you guys sure take the cake!
Tommy’s twizzler is so tight after enjoying this. My alma mater always makes me proud.
As a female USC alum, all I can say is that this email appalls and disgusts me on so many levels. I am planning on writing a letter to the university today stating that, if no action against Kappa Sig is taken, I will never give money to the school again.
It’s a shame this disgusting incident is painting the Greek system at USC in a poor light. I was not a member of a sorority out of personal choice and preference, but many of my friends were in sororities themselves — and my own boyfriend was a member of a fraternity all throughout his time at USC and many of my male friends came from the same house. These individuals were never sexist or promoted such heinous acts against women; actually, I was accepted amongst my boyfriend’s frat brothers and was treated as a social and intellectual equal when I visited the house.
It upsets me to know that many of USC’s frat members are promoting misogyny like this and it’s even more of a shame the school does little to prevent this. Having a “seminar” on how to treat women doesn’t change inherent social standards many houses preach. Not all houses are terrible — but there are a few known bad eggs around and USC seems to turn a blind eye to the “problem” houses.
Kappa Sig was always a known problem house, and I recall several other houses being under investigation for date rape during my tenure as a student. The “punishments” USC gave these houses were laughable, and many cases of rape and drugging were dropped by the school. What kind of message does this send to female USC students? I’ll tell you — USC doesn’t care about the safety of female students from predators on the Row. Period.
Today is a really, really sad day to be a Trojan.
Oh and PS, frat trolls: I’m neither fat nor ugly nor beat. I think I got laid in college more than half of the pledge idiots who are posting offensive comments here combined.
Thanks for the clarification that it was your “own boyfriend,” not some other boyfriend, who was a member of a fraternity.
Wow such perspective after graduating a year ago. I’m not surprised you banged lots of guys
Liz,
To ask for sanctions against an entire fraternity is unfair and entirely ridiculous. The author of the email was stupid, but likely thought he was being funny. Offensive or not, (as locker room talk tends to be) this doesn’t rise to anything close to applying sanctions to entirely innocent members of any frat.
Your lumping this frat in with frats that have actually been under investigation for rape is what is truly disgusting! How dare you pile on, inferring this house is a problem house. As for punishments for this house, are you kidding, for an offensive email that may or may not have even come from a member of the frat? Only the author should be reprimanded and banished from any affiliation with this fraternity, IF he in fact is even a member.
I would like to see your outrage when the liberal left brought in Finkelstein, the “holocaust-denier”, yet this man was paid to speak at SC.
This email issue and blaming an entire frat for one boys stupidity is absolutely ridiculous.
Totally disagree. The email is indicative of a large element of frat culture at SC.
Also, if you call Finkelstein a “holocaust denier” you have little knowledge of his work, and your insinuation of holocaust-denial as a solely leftist cause or talking point is…bizarre, really.
To USC alum10
You have lost any ability to apply logic to this silly situation. Your comment, that it is a “sad day to be a Trojan”, lacks critical thinking. I mean, are you kidding? One dumb kid writes an offensive email and the entire trojan student body is put in a bad light? You are crazy! And you do more of a disservice to women by bragging about how often you got laid. Wow, like that doesn’t speak volumes about you. So you are proud to be a tramp, but you don’t want guys to think of women in that way, hmmmm, ….crazy is as crazy does.
Your comment that USC doesn’t care about the safety of female students from “predators”on the Row. What say you? What proof,… oh yeah, cuz you said so. Maybe you are the predator, since you appear to be so proud of getting laid more than half of the pledges. Crazy is as crazy does!
Again, you are CRAZY! I would be very concerned if people (after reading your comment) assume that all SC students rush to judgment and have no critical thinking skills. But, alas, most intelligent people will understand that your opinion is only that of a loon and this shouldn’t reflect poorly on the student body any more than the the boy who wrote the distasteful email.
To ask for sanctions against an entire fraternity is unfair and entirely ridiculous. The author of the email was stupid, but likely thought he was being funny. Offensive or not, (as locker room talk tends to be) this doesn’t rise to anything close to applying sanctions to entirely innocent members of any frat.
Your lumping this frat in with frats that have actually been under investigation for rape is what is truly disgusting! How dare you pile on, inferring this house is a problem house. As for punishments for this house, are you kidding, for an offensive email that may or may not have even come from a member of the frat? Only the author should be reprimanded and banished from any affiliation with this fraternity, IF he in fact is even a member.
I would like to see your outrage when the liberal left brought in Finkelstein, the “holocaust-denier”, yet this man was paid to speak at SC.
This email issue and blaming an entire frat for one boys stupidity is absolutely ridiculous.
Nice double standard, dude. A male student claims to be some sort of pick up artist and it’s sort of ok (“locker room talk”), but a female reports on having a sex life and she’s a tramp? Wow. Don’t you have any respect for your sexual partners? Do you really believe sexual intercourse is about tricking a woman into degrading herself, something she should be ashamed of?
Here’s the difference: being proud of an active, fulfilling sex life is fine. Bragging about tricking people you have no respect for (*pies*, *targets*) into sleeping with you is gross and sad.
Sleeping with you must be really fulfilling, no seriously. Are you a virgin, cause you sound like one. Decent men respect women, that’s why women actually want to sleep with them instead of needing to be tricked / forced into it.
@Sc’er
So if and when it’s revealed that there’s been widespread complicity in perpetrating a cover-up among the Kappa Sigma fraternity members, would it THEN be appropriate to sanction the entire frat?
>>(And just a sidenote: you can stop acting like the frat members are just some blameless victims caught in this mess. Let us not forget who found the email so funny they felt the need to share it with outsiders. “Loose lips sink ships.”)
Also, for your own good, please stop leveling ad hominem attacks on others’ intelligence and “ability to apply logic.” It’s getting awkward for those of us who can see the not-so-subtle irony in these statements, given that they stem from an individual who willfully deludes themselves. (The fact that you somehow managed to use every logical fallacy known to mankind in a single post adds a whole ‘nutha layer of humor.)
You, my friend, are in no place to accuse the Alum–or anyone else for that matter–of being “crazy” or “lacking critical thinking,” if you truly believe that the widespread outrage over this incident is without merit.
Stop with the “may or may not have even come from a member of the frat” shit. If you, Kappa Sig, or the IFC want people to believe that some ~*mysterious Harvard bandito*~ is responsible for the email, that’s fine. PROVE IT. We’re all waiting with baited breath for the email to be traced back to an IP address in Cambridge, Mass.
**Since you seem to be particularly interested in seeing to it that justice is served in this case, I’ve actually taken the liberty of compiling a more extensive tl;dr list of insights & suggestions that might help get to the bottom of the matter. The addendum is provided via a reply to this post.
To USC alum10
You have lost any ability to apply logic to this silly situation. Your comment, that it is a “sad day to be a Trojan”, lacks critical thinking. I mean, are you kidding? One dumb kid writes an offensive email and the entire trojan student body is put in a bad light? You are crazy! And you do more of a disservice to women by bragging about how often you got laid. Wow, like that doesn’t speak volumes about you. So you are proud to be a tramp, but you don’t want guys to think of women in that way, hmmmm, ….crazy is as crazy does.
Your comment that USC doesn’t care about the safety of female students from “predators”on the Row. What say you? What proof,… oh yeah, cuz you said so. Maybe you are the predator, since you appear to be so proud of getting laid more than half of the pledges. Crazy is as crazy does!
Again, you are CRAZY! I would be very concerned if people (after reading your comment) assume that all SC students rush to judgment and have no critical thinking skills. But, alas, most intelligent people will understand that your opinion is only that of a loon and this shouldn’t reflect poorly on the student body any more than the the boy who wrote the distasteful email.
To ask for sanctions against an entire fraternity is unfair and entirely ridiculous. The author of the email was stupid, but likely thought he was being funny. Offensive or not, (as locker room talk tends to be) this doesn’t rise to anything close to applying sanctions to entirely innocent members of any frat.
Your lumping this frat in with frats that have actually been under investigation for rape is what is truly disgusting! How dare you pile on, inferring this house is a problem house. As for punishments for this house, are you kidding, for an offensive email that may or may not have even come from a member of the frat? Only the author should be reprimanded and banished from any affiliation with this fraternity, IF he in fact is even a member.
I would like to see your outrage when the liberal left brought in Finkelstein, the “holocaust-denier”, yet this man was paid to speak at SC.
This email issue and blaming an entire frat for one boys stupidity is absolutely ridiculous.
USC Alum ’10, you graduated no more than 9 months ago. When did you have the time to accumulate this massive amount of wealth to be able to legitimately donate to your alma mater? i doubt it was because you got a good job, probably because “getting laid in college more than half of the .. idiots … combined” lowered your grades.
wait, i get why this is a terrible, offensive letter and why frat boy and george’s lovers quarrel is straight out of the notebook, but how in the hell can’t anyone ANYONE look at this letter and see it as just a funny, stupid, entertaining message not requiring or even really deserving someone a) battling it or b) defending it?
And therein lies the problem.
By the way, “lover’s quarrel”? Is that all you got out of my points? You are lacking some serious depth on this issue.
Georgie just isn’t my type. He must have got cut hard in the fall.
For all your bluster Georgie, Kappa Sig would still take you as they will take anyone.
Let’s build a public pool out of your and Liz’s combined depth of thought. I’m guessing the water would always be warm.
Georgie: I imagine you alone, fat and pimple faced hiding in your dorm room. Do you have an Obama poster or Che flag over your bed?
haha, guess i am the only one that finds the letter, combined with your never-ending thoughts on the matter entertaining. i will gladly continue being entertained as you and your fellow intellectuals continue to comment. please don’t disappoint.
Liz: You dating anyone? I like your style.
liz = nimfo
Congratulations, Liz. Your denseness is down to bro level. So you’re a tombro, no?
took all night for you to come up with that, didn’t it? i’m pleased you took me up on the entertainment offer – i beg of you to continue. puns are funny, limericks would be nice too. maybe a haiku? definitely throw in a good alliteration.
Liz:
Lots of us guys want to meet you!
Georgie:
Don’t CB us here
I just laugh at how you find a “terrible, offensive” letter to be “funny and entertaining.” Daddy’s money isn’t being that well spent, I see.
Frat Boy: what’s to CB? You like “pie,” and Liz probably doesn’t respect herself enough to reject any dude that has to do with pi or any other Greek letter. A perfect match. ^ See sterilization comment first.
Liz: It’s good to know that you know how to take a side, especially with something that concerns you.
oh george. i’m sending you on a quest. one: get laid. two: get a sense of humor.
actually no, keep being uptight and PLEASE keep talking. i’m so not ready to search for more self-righteous, unnecessarily overdramatic comments on feminism, the collegiate system, fraternity life and how you personally are so much better than everyone else. always stick with what works. also, you should get paid for this. i’ll talk to daddy, see if i can work something out.
also, where’s the alliteration george? you’re lettin’ me down.
Done and done. Do you actually have something clever to say?
The way I see it, you’re one of those who has followed your first “suggestion” like this: done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and done and … need I continue?
I pity you: I’m betting your lack of self-worth has impelled you to get involved with guys from every letter of the Greek alphabet.
It’s your life. I just present my positions to defend women from this crap – hopefully they don’t end up like you. Calling me “uptight” really is the mature way to disagree with me, of course. Since when is it considered “uptight” to have a little self-respect? Then again, you are in the minority.
since when did i say anything worth arguing? walk away george. just walk. because you are going to keep saying things, and i’m going to keep laughing for the sheer fact that i don’t care. which is what this all comes down to. i don’t care, it’s not worth caring about. get over it and move on.
you were one of those kids that had to start over if they colored outside the lines, weren’t you?
honestly, the only response you’re going to solicit from this point on is “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”. so if i don’t respond to anything, just assume that’s applicable and inherently my response.
The funny part of all this is you keep coming back to a page of an issue that you deem irrelevant to you. Truly sad way to spend one’s time.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Good to know you need the attention.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. okay, i’m bored. peace out george, it’s been real.
I’m in love with Liz!
Amen Liz! Thanks for your common sense!
Yet another example of why the entire Greek system should be mandatorily sterilized. You are all stupid, hateful sociopaths.
Bitter much…
We live our live by a higher standard. I mean I’m resourceful, creative, young, unscrupulous, highly motivated, highly skilled. In essence what I’m saying is that society cannot afford to lose me. I am an asset.
I am fond of the sterilization idea though. In fact, a test that people must pass to procreate would be beneficial to society but something tells me you would not be accepted for this either.
Something tells me your jump to judgment makes you have just as small a chance, “Sir” Bateman.
lawsuits are over the top, men being the entire problem = over the top, shutting down Greek life is over the top, all Greeks are evil = over the top. the fact is, that email is hard to defend. i don’t think the author was raised that way, I think if his mother saw that, he’d be embarrassed, And I’m sure he’s embarrassed that it’s out. sadly, there isn’t much to be done. if you feel strongly, don’t visit kappa sig or complain to the university. hope this guy grows out of those sentiments, they really are toxic. not the kind of behavior you’d want the world to see or for you to be associated with. I know
lots of Greeks who are really nice, intelligent, good people, and the person who wrote this email did more than make horrible comments about women, he’s bringing down a lot of people with him. I hope the men of this university are brave enough, man enough, to say that this type of behavior isn’t okay. no more please! makes
me sad. makes mothers sad. hopefully, it makes
some of you USC guys sad too.
We have found an attorney who represents women clients who have wronged in similar ways. We are scheduling a meeting to discuss tonight. We will post the location and time later today. Obviously we don’t want to conflict with candle light vigil starting at 8pm
Unfortunately, I fear there will be no consequences, as these people lie and cover for each other, and USC lies and covers for them too. While at USC, my friends and I attended a midnight screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey which I guess an …SC frat decided to use as a hazing. The boys were rowdy, rude, and causing a scene running naked down the aisles. I complained to the theater staff (The Nuart on Santa Monica Blvd at the 405 – boycott it), and they refused to do anything about it, suggesting that I address the boys myself (Leading me to believe that Nuart was in support of this). So I did, and they told me it was a frat hazing. So I raised hell, calling an anti-hazing hotline and the school administration and emailing everyone I know. Later, their frat reps called to have a meeting with me and put on their best “We are so sowwy” faces and claimed that the frat in question (I forget which one it was) was accounted for that night. I should have raised more hell, but I took the apology, and later the idiot Daily Trojan wanted an interview with me…I ignored their emails. I should have spoken up. In another incident, a professor (The cinematography professor in the film school…can’t remember his name either) inappropriately touched me on the knee in class. He used to have a weird habit of rubbing people’s shoulders and it would freak people out but no one did anything. I called student services and they spoke with me and suggested that I talk to the professor about it privately or else “it could become a big thing” and they would have to take “serious action” if the school intervened. Again, I bought it and spoke with the professor. In retrospect it makes me so goddamn angry. Especially considering that I am still paying back my student loans for my shitty film school “education.”
you sound upset
And “truth,” you are the one embodying facetious sentiments that this university doesn’t need with regards to this issue. What are you getting out of this? Got nothing better to do?
I had a bad dinner at a good restaurant last week. Should I write a letter and boycott?
Um…
You do not sound convincing.
you keep going “I don’t know who it was” “I SHOULD have taken action … but alas, I did not”
So HOOOOW is it USC’s fault?!
Plus, you do not present an actual argument!
IF those things actually happened to you, I’m sorry! But that in itself does not reflect badly on the school as a whole.
I mean, yes, one has to be careful as a woman. and yes, I do that and if there is a problem, I report it. But saying “I had a few bad experiences – this school sucks!” is not constructive or believable. it’s bitter.
yes, that email was disgusting.
but nobody knows who ACTUALLY wrote it and don’t take one asshole’s idiotic email as an expression of the feelings of every single frat boy.
While I don’t think the email is evidence that every man in the Greek system is an asshole who adheres to the kind of attitudes/beliefs shown in the email, I do think it is evidence that the entire Greek system has some very important flaws. Having been in a sorority and lived on the row, I can confidently say that the system is highly misogynistic.
I don’t think the answer is to find the individual responsible and punish them, although I’m not opposed to that happening too. I think that if Wilson and Kappa Sig representatives/members were really concerned about what happened (instead of being concerned about how their image is affected), they would sponsor a number of activities and teach-ins to better educate men about women’s rights. They would look for ways to change the system, to make it more women-friendly, etc.
But it’s pretty clear to me that the Greek system is rooted in ‘tradition’, which translates to ‘old values’, which translates to misogyny. People recognize it, but they don’t want to take the time and effort to change it.
Thank you Ella, wholeheartedly agree…this should start a conversation among the Greeks and the greater USC community
This is a great comment. Well said.
Yes! Thank you. Not just Wilson/Kapp Sig, but USC’s administration needs to step up and provide better resources for the organizations and academic disciplines that are doing what they can (with what they have) to address these issues.
I also want to add that all the “good” fraternity members who do not share these attitudes have a responsibility to become the rule, NOT the exception. See something, say something. Talk to your brothers.
Dana — did you actually read the email before writing this article? “Racy?” Are you kidding me? You write about this email like it’s a bunch of third graders giggling about boobies. Daily Trojan needs to get a real journalism to write about this who will treat it like the serious matter it is.
It’s time to close down the entire Greek system. This email and the posts to this article proves they are nearly all bad people and don’t deserve to exist at SC. I would like to propose we hold a candle light vigil every night starting tonight in front of Kappa Sig where we will stand silently until they close down their racist, bigoted and misogynist organizations. I am going to suggest we meet at 28th and University at 8pm and walk down together. I’ll bring enough candles for 10 people. Please try to bring your own candle and snacks.
All I can say is that I hope this is not serious. While you may disagree with the views expressed in the email, calling for the shut down of a system that 20% of usc’s undergraduates are involved in is a bit ridiculous. From that premise, it is not a significant stretch to call for the closing of USC because of this email but you don’t.
Fraternities may not be all about “brotherhood” as they purport to be, but the bad apples of the Greek system would surely find another framework to do their bad.
That being said, I find it interesting that nobody has called for the protection of the author’s free speech. If he had written an email for better treatment of women, and had called men non-humans, and said that all men are evil, then it is likely that this would not have been news.
I don’t know about a shutdown, but there are some deeply rooted problems in the culture that continually have gone unfixed. I don’t think Kappa Sig, or other fraternities, would have this type of problem if they would prove this isn’t their mindset. They haven’t disassociated from this letter at all except for this one guy. Action needs to be taken – word’s aren’t enough. Lauer can say what he wants, but how do we know he represents all Greeks? After seeing the facetious and pathetic comments on this website from some seriously involved bros, he obviously doesn’t. When’s the last time Greeks held a seminar or some other form of the respectful treatment of women? One would think this wouldn’t be a problem at an elite university like USC, but for some reason it has, and it is embarrassing to us all, especially if this story creeps into national news.
You say they would find other outlets, which is true. But this outlet doesn’t exactly oppose these putrid sentiments either. It’s not hard to find this out. I think the “brotherhood” mentality is exactly the problem – you do what’s in the “brotherhood’s” interests and appeal to them, which can involve this type of behavior.
With regards to your last point, duh! You seem to like free speech a lot, but just because you say something doesn’t mean it is always without consequence. Racial slurs are free speech, but they land people in hot water. Why? Because they, like this letter, won’t be tolerated. And why should anybody put up with this? Free speech is always going to be there, but so are accountability and responsibility.
Calling men evil isn’t news, you’re right. But answer me this: how many times have men been objectified and dehumanized like this in such graphic detail, especially when compared to women?
“You seem to like free speech a lot, but just because you say something doesn’t mean it is always without consequence.”
THIS. Feel free to say what you want, but seriously, cry moar if people start to rage at you because of it.
ok, so I’ve recently read the whole email, and I’ve got to say it is a LOT worse than this article makes it out to be. I encourage people who are interested to know what this is really about to read the actual email, which is easy enough to find. Also, I hope whoever wrote this gets outed asap. I think this person deserves a bit of internet retribution.
Fraternities are walking a very fine line. They confer a huge benefit to the people in them and none at all to the community at large.
This e-mail is both a manifesto of intent and a blueprint for inflicting real and permanent damage on the women of this university and should serve as another piece of evidence that fraternities do nothing but foster and climate of privilege and contempt that makes the world worse for the rest of us. The last thing we need is to let loose another bunch racist bigoted misogynist rapists. Where are we going to put them all? There’s no room The country clubs are all full
^^
What he said.
My only question is why these issues are being raised about this content when it is in an email, as opposed to Tucker Max posting the same shit and it being called entertainment.
Everyone who is talking about a lawsuit doesn’t understand the concept of legal standing. If he had named you explicitly, then you could Possibly file something but since that didn’t happen, this falls under Free Speech.
Obviously this guy did a huge disservice to guys at USC who have to fight against stereotypes as it is, but I just wish that instead of giving him the attention he so clearly craves that we could all just move on and forget about it. Behind the shield of a computer screen, people say more offensive things than they would usually. (whether about misogynistic frat guys or sorority girls)
You may or may not be correct about free speech. But private institutions are a whole different animal. USC (through SJACS) has set its own conduct standards. No one’s out in the clear here.
And your last point is right on, which is why the Daily Trojan should either validate emails before posts or require they be USC ones. I’m sure the intelligence level would go up.
they say women are the problem, they say blacks are the problem, they say poor people are the problem.
MEN ARE THE PROBLEM.
who’s filling up our jails? MEN.
who’s raping our sisters? MEN.
who’s trying to control us? MEN.
we should all recognize this email as yet ANOTHER example of the rampant misogyny that is pervading our culture. to promote sexual assault is an incredibly serious offense. it ruins people’s lives forever. there is a problem.
Can’t you see that by making such wide, sweeping statements that you are being just as offensive and ill-informed as the author of the e-mail?
Men are not the problem as mush as a culture that considers this kind of thing to be entertaining
I am not sure if you have read the email, and while it is assuredly disgusting, nowhere in it does he promote sexual assault. It would need to say much more specific and damning things than it did
He DOES promote sexual assault, explicitly when he says “Non-consent and rape are two different things. There is a fine line, so make sure not to cross it.” If a woman does not consent to sex, YOU ARE RAPING HER. Implicitly, he promotes sexual assault in his disgusting dehumanization of women.
Yes he Does say that, and while it is horrible and disgusting, he didn’t say anything to the tune of now go out there and have sex with non-consenting women.
You are right that it is an awful thing to read, but I was talking more in line with a lawsuit, where this statement wouldn’t meet the threshold for the promotion of a crime. If anyone is going to sue him, it will be Kappa Sig, because they are the ones who are enduring this press and negative attention because of his actions.
All I see here is a bunch of GDIs complaining. Sorry all of you guys got dinged back in the day. Maybe if you weren’t a bunch of goober nerds it wouldn’t have happened. I know living in a fraternity isn’t as nice as maybe living in Parkside, but we manage.
Sorry for partying
It’s not partying. And you’re not listening. GDI or not, there are some out there who can actually respect a woman.
I’m starting to think all these remarks are because you bros AREN’T getting any – all the posts reflect immature thoughts that wouldn’t be here if you had and fully understood a woman. You’re probably upset about not getting any. Maybe you guys hang out with each other too much, tossing around these belittling ideas, putting on the biggest act. It’s truly pathetic that these little gossip emails are your outlet. Yeah, I said it: man gossip is all this is.
And the more you and others keep injecting this attitude, the more people are going to associate your little male Greek world with the email and not with the “high standards” of Kappa Sig and the like. Do you care? Maybe not, but USC has its own system of dealing with crap like this. Free speech? Maybe, but it doesn’t mean lack of accountability. Which makes it all the more laughable that you are posting all this anonymously. You wouldn’t be bold enough to say this in public or to a woman’s face, would you? My guess is no.
So it’s not like we’re off base. People like you just provide all the more evidence. It’s not even womanizing anymore – it’s just plain creepy. That letter transcended beyond cliché sexism: it was complete dehumanization and it even became racial. Whether all these “bro” posts are from the same person or not, it sure doesn’t make a woman feel any better/safer knowing attitudes like this exist at an elite school. USC is better than that – the rest of us don’t need your ilk dragging us down. You’re not a man, and even a boy is pushing it.
If your attention span was too short to read that, here’s a summary: get a life!
Easy there Georgie. After taking a look at this article, I think it is fair to say it is created with little factual evidence. At best you are passing judgment onto one fraternity, and with that, the entire greek community. Now while this email certainly isn’t the greatest, you are basing your perception off of information from gossip websites and poor journalism. According to Pat Lauer, there appears to be no actual credible source for the email. It could have been crafted from a club, sports team, or simply one lone individual, and then disseminated. The only clear issue you have is how it was spread. It was leaked fraternity email, but how many times has it been crafted to fit one form or the other. So the best action would be to place blame on an entire community for it. Sounds about right to me. How would you respond if this was something that was spread and leaked by the football team? Would you criticize them for being misogynistic? Would you uphold them to those statements, or think it might have possibly been an email that was passed through them from someone else?
If you did read this, here’s a summary: go play in traffic!
Do me a favor and read next time. The fact that you bros post thoughts parallel to those of the letter on here, not to mention anonymously so you can have your little outlet, makes you no better. You’re not exactly disassociating yourself from its intentions – worse: you’re trolling on those who oppose them.
And now you’re blaming the journalist? When this issue has spread beyond USC? Do a little more browsing.
The group who did it wouldn’t be as relevant if people like you weren’t going along with it and condemning everyone else (outside of your little bro world) for being disgusted. The fact you label everyone reacting against this as GDI’s sure doesn’t help now, does it? Maybe try to pull some of your buds on here back out of the hole that the frat community has gotten itself into because of this. Their facetiousness on here with regards to the situation is exactly what’s hurting your image. But, no, it must be all our fault for noticing.
Here’s an experiment for you. Think of a woman you care about, if one exists. Maybe your mom. Plug her into this little letter and see if you get anything out of it.
And one more thing: be a bit more creative.
please stop saying this email is not credible. for all i care, it was made up. the reason we are so outraged is because we KNOW this to be true of frat culture, but fraternities have always denied it despite the evidence being right in our own experiences at the row and on campus. we know that frat culture forces you to treat women like absolute shit, like “targets,” like “-5′s” because they do in real life…
and we would most certainly hold the football team or anyone else for that matter to the same standard.
what is more important–upholding your fraternities’ reputation or making sure the women you most care about do not get harmed in the ways they do…
Wow. I bet ATO is proud of your trolling.
Just because someone isn’t a member of a Greek organization doesn’t mean they are “goober nerds.” A lot of people disagree with the inherent misogyny of the Greek system, and this email proves the women-exploiting culture of USC’s frats is alive and well.
The Daily Trojan website should verify email addresses. Situations without anonymity are kryptonite to trollin’ bros.
Georgie: I would like to see you hook up with fellow chubster MC. She is a man hater and you aren’t much of man. Should work out great!
Someday, someone will invent a crayon font for people like you, I just know it.
Georgie: Frat Boy had to run as he had a date with a Hottie. I’ll be taking things over from here. What is this about you being heavy and lonely? Spill!
I am a woman and I support every sentiment you have made on this site. After reading that e-mail, it is comforting to know that there are rational and intelligent men making poignant arguments for equality of treatment.
All of these posts are from members of Pike just trying to get kappa sig kicked off the row so they can take their house.
Not going to happen, Pike. Sorry. You will remain house-less forever.
Can someone please explain how this is lawsuit worthy? Does Kappa Sigma National even have legal standing to go thru the ISPs to find the original source of this email?
As with the other girls, I am offended and I have suffered emotionally as a result of the content of the email. I no longer feel safe at SC. They need to pay for this!
You are so dumb. Like really dumb. Fo real. Can you please stop trying to make this a bigger deal than it is?
I hope you die. Honestly.
I am offended by your post and I am going to file a complaint against you as well
While you’re at it, go ahead and file suit against anyone whoever hurt your feelings.
It’s not. Nope.
My friends and I are contacting lawyers looking for someone to take on a class action lawsuit against the author and fraternity for this offensive email. Does anyone know any good lawyers who would take this case on a contingency? Maybe Gloria Allred would represent us?
I am totally offended by this email and I want to join the lawsuit. How can we get in contact?
gloria allred would CERTAINLY represent you
I wish you the best of luck, but you have no legal standing to file anything. He didn’t name you specifically, or talk about something that he did to you, so you can’t file a lawsuit
I think so! She would probably win too!
I think the most interesting information would come from an investigation of the Frat culture. E.g. finding out exactly what goes on in these organizations. I think that e-mails like this are only the tip of the iceberg.
men have to realize that women now dominate college, and we have a right and an expectation of basic human/civil liberties. A rape culture systematically promoted by frats threatens those civil liberties.
Also, this is more evidence that women should be carrying weapons of some sort to protect themselves. It would deter attacks, and we should not count on other people to protect us.
That email is disgusting, and just shows how much these frats aim to dehumanize women under the guise of “brotherhood” so they can score homoerotic points with each other. Get a life.
“homoerotic points” Are you calling us fraternity guys closeted gays? I am openly gay and I am a proud member of a fraternity and have no idea what your point is.
FYI This story has just been picked up by Jezebel, a popular feminist blog, and the actual email (which they posted) is MUCH worse than this article makes it sound!!! It will be national news in no time. This is a HUGE embarrassment for the university. I for one will not feel safe on campus unless the person who wrote this email is kicked out of school and the whole fraternity suspended. Even then, I expect those who do the work on reducing violence against women on campus to step up their game. There is a MUCH bigger problem here beyond what may look like one person’s idiocy to some.
I completely agree about not feeling safe and that the only answer is that the entire fraternity needs to be kicked off campus. Pike needs a house on the row and I can assure you that you will feel much safer with a strong Pike than a Kappa Sig!
Jezebel, isn’t that one of the dating sites for heavy girls? I like my meat on my plate, not on my date!
Hey I went and checked out Jezebel and it is not a dating site for heavy girls. Sorry about that and I meant no offense. I support the whole lesbian lifestyle and consider myself a fan of lesbians who ride Harleys.
Yes, because Pike’s reputation is MUCH less misogynistic. I’m sure most women here, too classy for Pike, of course, like when meat is NOT in a dude’s brain, like yours. Oh, and posting anonymously – I think I heard something shrivel up.
How did you get into this university? My guess is money.
You may not believe it, but I do not need the company a strong [fraternity member] to feel safe. I need fewer fraternity brothers to refer to “heavy girls” as undesirable, to make fewer assumptions about lesbian lifestyles, and to educate themselves on women’s position in society before embodying the same attitudes of a rival fraternity that they try to criticize. Maybe then I’ll feel a little safer.
The front page of the website is lesbian bikers. Are you trying to say Jezebel is not a lesbian web page?
Hey I’m sorry about the heavy girl comment. I hope that did not hit too close to home.
Thank you for proving my point. And it doesn’t matter how much I weigh: you insult a heavy woman, you insult all women. It’s that simple.
To university officials, I hope you’re reading this exchange. This demonstrates that the problem is WAY deeper than one fraternity. Even those who have chosen to represent themselves publicly do not have the decency to express an ounce of respect for women. USC as an institution fosters this kind of environment when it does not act, confronted with such blatant misogyny in its name. You have a responsibility to the women on campus (that’s more than half of the undergraduate population!) to follow through with punitive measures against the fraternity responsible for this email AND to increase funding for campus programs and academic disciplines that address women’s inequality!
MC: I’m sorry if you can’t keep control of your weight. I workout nearly everyday and I don’t eat fast food or drink soda. I take care of my body because I respect myself and my body is a gift from God. Maybe you should come down to the Lyon center for a few hours and see if a little exercise makes you feel better about yourself.
1) thanks for writing your honest thoughts, Pike. it really does reaffirm that the misogyny and hatred we see in the email is not simply the one asshole who happens to be in kappa sig, but rather a deep (and deeply disturbing) part of frat culture.
2) has every person you have ever cared about and felt any ounce of respect and empathy for always been a man? do you not have either a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a female lover, a female close friend, or any woman upon whom you wouldn’t want to cause harm? have you ever, ever tried to imagine the pain she feels from not feeling skinny enough, from not feeling sexy enough, from feeling too sexy, from being sexually harrassed daily, from being abused and/or raped, from constantly fearing abuse and/or rape, from not being respected in all aspects of life relative to men…
what do you gain from having these attitudes? and at whose expense…?
Where’s the like button?
This makes me smile because a pike clearly wrote it.
To everyone else who feels that these comments reinforce the email– get a life. If you can’t take a joke, you deserve to be upset.
Because fat girls don’t deserve respect, they are gross and unf*ckable and therefore their opinion is worthless. Is that the joke? Haha?… I am not fat, and I am offended.
You know, “anonymous,” I thought people actually laughed at jokes. What kind of sick chuckle do you get out of this one?
I wanted to say all your comments have been reaffirming to read. I hope this article will spark the necessary conversation around greek culture’s stranglehold over USC student life and how it perpetuates patriarchal oppression.
You are stupid.
This article is such BS, I don’t even know where to begin. EVERYONE knows who wrote the email and disseminated it to the rest of Kappa Sig. The only question that remains is why the Daily Trojan has decided to cover that fact up with half truths and BS statements by Mitchell Wilson and these other douchebags who clearly care more about their image than the real issue here – the rampant misogyny that permeates the Greek culture.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Seriously. This article hardly touches on the seriousness of this issue or the depth of the how disturbing the whole thing is.
Written by a man. Not surprised.
Can someone please post the email or direct me to it on the internet? I have yet to be offended today and this may be my best opportunity.
Has anyone yet considered a civil suit against those responsible?
A civil suit? Against whom?
The only people with half a case are the members of the Greek community, who are mostly fine people but are perennially spat on by outsiders who see stuff like this and can only see the “rampant misogyny” that mischaracterizes the whole community.
You know, with a case like this, I’d say the “outsiders” aren’t too far off. Why don’t you try to fix this image instead of just complain and blame the people whose assumptions are getting further built by cases like this?
Georgie: Must be lonely up there all alone in the dorm room.
Yet here you are posting. What’s the matter little frat bro, did I offend your little brain?
Tried to post the link and it was taken down. It’s on Jezebel. Just check it out there.
First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Fourteenth Amendment: “Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
There is nothing else to say. All you “targets” should just stfu.
And to those who say that USC is not the government and is therefore not bound to respect free speech: keep in mind the controversy from earlier in the year regarding “free speech zones,” which the university eliminated several years ago.
Well, aren’t you just a big man! Posting anonymously? Coward. USC isn’t the party here. It’s Kappa Sig. Get educated. Their standards have been broken by a coward like you who lives like it’s 1000 B.C. Please stop trying to sound intelligent. It’s an insult to the rest of us.
Maybe someday you will have a daughter, and then you’ll understand why it’s distressing to think of her being addressed as a “target”.
Let’s hope a guy like this never actually breeds.
Georgie: Funny, I have no concern about you breeding. Some how I doubt it will work out for you.
You know, the more you talk, the more you prove the points raised. It’s funny how childish you sound. Do you have a name, Frat Boy, or is anonymity the one time you actually want to use protection?
Still haven’t answered my question. But I didn’t think otherwise
Anyone who actually believes the sad rhetoric used in that pathetic email is in need of psychological help before they end up in prison for misjudging the “fine line” between rape and non-consent. You should seek help, if not for yourself, then on behalf of the other half of the population, who have names and are more than just ‘pies’.
You assume all people commenting against the sickening email are women.
This isn’t about free speech, it isn’t about a law suit — it’s about this mentality about the objectification of women (in this case to the extreme). It’s clearly something many men believe is appropriate to think and feel about women. That making a decision that “non-consensual” sex isn’t rape. That a woman’s vagina should be judged as a certain kind of fruit by her racial makeup. Clearly you stand in their camp.
This email got passed around because many men thought it was FUNNY. This isn’t about censorship, or a call for censorship — it is a call for USC administrators to take a serious look at this as something that points to a deeply troubling issue in dynamics between men when they have interactions about women. What they feel is appropriate discourse and language surrounding women, and the level to which they have taken the misogyny and objectification.
Whoever posted this email in a public format is the problem not the original author. This email is an example of creative writing and despite the content which you may object to, it was never intended for you to read. If girls didn’t give it up so easy here at SC, maybe this email would have never been written. Maybe the problem here is you?
Spoken like a true Charlie Sheen follower. Delusional.
GEORGE IS MY HERO. Well done.
George is my hero too! <3 Nothing makes me hotter than a man who respects women and calls out the frat bros for being misogynist, bigoted, privileged douchebags.
oh my god you cannot be serious??!! The problem is the women? If someone is murdered should we conclude that they should have “put up a better fight”? Maybe they should have carried a gun to protect themselves from potentially being murdered. Yes, the victim is clearly the one to blame. Great job.
Victim? Who is the Victim here Honey? Really!
“Frat Boy”? Nice name. I like how earlier some “bro” mentioned how frats are mislabeled as “misogynistic,” yet here these bros are multiplying and defending sexism like an ideology.
Yeah, I’m sure women are to blame for all the sexism in the world. Good point.
Sweeping generalizations time:
Maybe if the men weren’t so obsessed with getting their dicks wet, this email wouldn;t have gotten written.
Go jack off to Tucker Max, frat boy.
Frat Boy, are you for real? Men seeking sex and writing about it in the most degrading way is “creative writing”, but women having sex is denigrating to them? Why is sex fine for men, but an embarrassment for women? Why? Have you ever had sex with a woman? Did you judge your partner for it? Did you think she “gave it up” and lost her dignity, while yours remained intact? How and why? Not only is this a double standard, it makes no sense.
I’m willing to bet these bros spend more time with each other than with women. And it isn’t too hard to see they are acting like a virgin would, bitter and denouncing the rest of us just because they can’t get any. With that attitude, why should they?
And the award for Classiest Comment Of The Day goes to…
¬¬
You sound like a rapist.
Thanks Sigma Nu for making the email public! You have done everyone a great service.
@RE anonymous
Well said. I actually don’t think the original author or any of the posters should be punished. I think this should be put into the large, growing pile of evidence that frat row is an extremely destructive institution at USC. I’m convinced that the only reason it still exists is the substantial amount of old money that would dry up if USC pulled its tacit political support of the row. Eventually, though, it will just be too much of a bad mark on a proud USC community.
This is obviously a very important matter and I hope the investigation finds exactly who was responsible and they are dealt with in a appropriate manner for daring to push the envelope of free speech and sarcasm. Heads must roll for this sort of politically incorrect speech! Don’t bother with those who made this private email public as they are doing us all a favor by letting us know what the Greek community is up to.
Can Pike have your house?
There is A LOT of gay sexual behavior that goes on at Kappa Sigma, from what I heard. I knew a girl whose brother almost pledged, and he said to beware of the showers. Seriously. A lot of closet gays will cover up their true feelings/behavior with misogyny and machismo.
What difference does it make if Kappa Sig has a few gays?