Kappa Sigma Nationals investigating viral e-mail
Posted March 8, 2011 at 12:10 am in News
(Votes: 26; Avg: 2.77) 
Loading ...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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please people, i think the public has taken this far enough. Whatever you say or do will not change the sentiments of college males all over the country, so just let their nationals and the university do what they will and MIND YOU OWN BUSINESS!
Thanks you.
I have heard that the student was a Kappa Sig who transfered from San Diego State. He was likely trying to impress the USC Kappa Sigs with this e-mail… good work. The fraternity or the USC Greek system as a whole should not be dragged down by one guy no matter what he says.
I see from some of these comments that some people learned nothing from the Duke Lacrosse Case five years ago, where after the investigation it was proved no rape actually occurred. I’ll wait for the investigation to conclude to make a judgment on this, and leave the knee jerk reactions and “candlelight vigils” to others and their not-so-hidden agendas.
I was a member of a sorority when I was in college, and the Greek system can be incredibly beneficial when it is used as intended; a place to form bonds, have a sister/brotherhood, support philanthropic organizations, and improve your campus community. However, through the years and through bad individuals, so many Greek Organizations have veered off those original goals and this is incredibly sad. I do think the fraternity as a whole should be punished, they didn’t take any action against the individual when the email was circulating just around their house; in fact I bet there was a lot of back-slapping and a even contributions to the reference “gullet report”. That is complicity, plain and simple. It is only when their brother’s email became public that their president is willing to discuss reprimanding the individual.
The idea that this may be a joke or satire is completely irrelevant as it addresses an issue that the Greek community deals with on a regular basis; the subjugation of women as conquest. I am sure this is not the first or last fraternity house to issue such a missive, but it is public which opens the door for public discourse on the matter.
I have known wonderful Greek organizations whose sisters & brothers do strive to uphold themselves to a higher standard of behavior and community service, and I have known Greek Organizations that do just the opposite. It’s time for the University system in tandem with the Greek system to look at how they truly act, and weed out the bad ones.
Now that USC and IFC have finished their investigation and nothing wrong happened, it is time for George and all the other Greek Haters to apologize! Same for the DT who perpetuated the lie. You should all be ashamed!
I’m Waiting George!
I find this very amusing. I call for a Candle light bullsh*t on all the jokes/humor sites with blond jokes, yo mama jokes, little suzie jokes.
Yes, we should not judge the character of an entire fraternity based on the actions of one brother. Yet it seems to me that fraternities are brotherhoods of like-minded men, who are chosen (bids are given out selectively) based on similarities. And let’s face it, social fraternities are based on social interactions — which include partying, having sex, and forming friendships with people who you see commonalities with. So for me, I see this e-mail as something that reflects on the entire house, whether they want to dismiss it as an isolated incident stemming from a single individual that they would rather not associate themselves with publicly (though they probably encourage this sort of dialogue privately)… had this particular brother truly believed that this e-mail would not be well-received by his fraternity brothers, he most likely would not have sent it. But I really do believe that for this brother to have sent out such an e-mail, there had to be a certain level of confidence that it would have been not only well-received but thought to be hilarious (as this is typical of Greek life humor — just take a look at CollegeACB). Let’s not kid ourselves here.
Frat on my fellow Greek brothers. Ignore the geeds in their attempt to bring you down!
The USC cover-up is already in the works. IFC has released a complete lie saying the email came from some phantom outside of USC. We women need to let the white male establishment know this is won’t stand!
Hey everyone, guess what! MEN WANT TO HAVE SEX!! ZOMG! I know, it’s crazy. Deal with it. It’s pretty damn easy to spot these guys when you’re out. The fact is, women LOVE bros like this, especially when they’re drunk. If you want this culture to stop being so pervasive, stop having sex with them ladies. It’s that simple. Don’t give “bros” sex and they will change their attitude. Someone said earlier something along the lines of “MEN are the problem…stop blaming women.” Men ARE the problem… but men haven’t changed for thousands of years (at least on a hormonal level) so expecting a candle-light vigil or a class-action tort lawsuit (which will go nowhere, I assure you) to change the way men have ALWAYS sought multiple partners is insanity (as defined by Einstein: repeating the same action and expecting a different result). This guy is absolutely degrading women, but not every “frat bro” sees women this way. Spend enough time in a locker room or fraternity though, and you’re going to hear many stories that are no more respectful than this. Testosterone is a helluva drug. You say this offended you so what to sue them or dismantle their organization?? To reiterate: this is private e-mail for the members of a glorified boys’ club. You don’t like it? Then don’t read it and don’t go to the row. Live your own life, be your own person, and stop spending so much time dwelling on THEM (hypocritical, I know, since I just spent 10mins writing this).
Happiness is a state of mind brought on by a series of thoughts, control your thoughts, don’t let others control them for you.
This is heartbreaking, but I just want to encourage you lady USC’ers to not be afraid. Outside the walls of universities, as we all know, this sort of thing also exists. You can find it anywhere. But it’s often a matter of finding it. I’m not saying that you can possibly stay completely safe from harm, but please take care of yourselves – there are precautions you can take to help protect yourselves. We need to have healthy boundaries and be intuitive about who we spend our time with and what we do. We need to be role models for younger generations. We need to even be mindful of what we wear, because believe me, although we all want to be beautiful, we can do that in a tasteful way that is not leading or suggestive. When I was a college student, I allowed myself to be way too vulnerable and was subjected to two instances of assault. Although the actions are not something I take blame for, I could have probably avoided them by watching my alcohol intake, not modeling suggestive behavior (which I would have denied doing back then), and spending my time with people who truly respect others and themselves. I have learned so much since then and I am happily married to an incredible man who loves me.
Now speaking of men…let’s not forget that men can be wonderful beings. I have the pleasure of knowing literally hundreds of amazing men who have humbly served their families, their friends, and even people around the world simply out of a heart of love and a desire to give. Statistics or individual acts or statements against women don’t mean that men are the world’s problem. Men and women continue to be at odds, even in joking terms, like how differently they think. But what is so often missed is that men and women are meant to complement each other. Men have very distinct characteristics, as do women. Just to name a few, men have an extraordinary ability to protect and lead, and women have an extraordinary ability to influence and nurture. We need each other. Unfortunately, many men AND women use their abilities to self-edify or manipulate rather than to love – not all, but many. We as both genders have the freedom to act responsibly out of respect for those around us and for ourselves. The love and understanding we show toward our counterparts (even those we may disagree with) is what can truly shed light on the simple beauty of our distinctions (and of course just to cover bases, each individual personality and skill is something to be celebrated as well).
This is more about comments I’ve read rather than the article. Words do carry weight, and I can understand how they can cause a woman at USC to feel fear and anger. And I can also understand the frustration it would cause for an entire fraternity to be seen by fellow students as subject to overall punishment based on one anonymous (and needless to say extremely immature) letter. I pray that this gets resolved justly and that these conflicts between genders get put to rest. (= \
you seem like a beautiful person
[...] reports that Mitchell Wilson, executive director of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity spoke with the Daily Trojan, and released this statement: “The content [of the e-mail] is contrary to everything [Kappa [...]
The only problem here is that the email is full of lies, no one in Kappa Sig ever gets laid
The response by Mitchell is classic CYA. They know that Elliott Peter Hamilton wrote the email. They’re just doing damage control so that their frat’s good name (HAH) isn’t tarnished. The only reason they kicked him out is because other people found out. Way to go, Mitchell Wilson!
I find it interesting that you are all so focused on being politically correct. It’s an unverified E-mail that doesn’t involve you! Your freedom of speech has given you the option to distribute and read such E-mails, so laugh and go on to the next fun thing in life. Here in China, we face imprisonment for mentioning things that “disrupt social harmony.” E-mail, phone calls, and even SMS messages are monitored closely. I’ve had friends of friends locked up because their phone conversations indicated a hint of anti-government sentiment.
Sheesh, I thought getting on USC’s news website would provide more insightful, meaningful content and discussion.
Just because someone says something doesn’t make it right. If someone yelled a racist comment at you, would you applaud their free speech or condemn them? Not that hard to figure it out. Your problem is you can’t seem to empathize.
The lesbian population of USC thanks Kappa Sig for sending a few more converts our way.
I’m not worried. They will be back with new skills that might come in handy.
I hope their next chapter meeting has guest speakers: Their moms, sisters, and grandmas. I’d love to see this “pie-getter” stand and read this letter to his dear mother…and have the other bros boldly defend the letter to the faces of the women they likely love and respect. There’s no need for sanctions against the house, though I hope their national organization sees how desperately this chapter needs a culture change and addresses it internally. That said, not all fraternities are this misogynistic [If the author felt this letter would be well-received, it's likely he's not the only person in the chapter to find this line of thinking entertaining, though I'm sure there are bros who experienced a conscience-twinge or four.]
I hope I’m raising my son well enough to not grow up to spend his college years representing himself – or our family — this way, and I hope I’m raising my daughter with enough self-respect that she’ll choose not to spend her time with people who view her as little more than a “gullet” and “pie.” During my years as a little sis to a fraternity (and also what the author refers to as a “sorostitute”), the bros were truly like brothers. I’m always sad when things like this happen, because it feeds the stereotype of fraternity members as narcissistic, woman-hating troglodytes. Life is not always so black-and-white, and condemning all Greeks isn’t helpful.
I’m a mom now, and if the author were my son, he’d be pulled out of school and living at home to volunteer with women’s organizations for the next year — though not allowed to troll for dates there — or five…long enough to understand the humanity of women. He may be a legal adult, but he is clearly far from being a “man.” Also, since he specifically testified to need a penicillin shot or two (thanks to some unsafe sex practices with “over 50 pieces of pie”), that poor child needs a little remedial sex ed. That future “7″ of a wife he hopes to not eff things up with isn’t likely seeking a fiance with herpes and love letters like this in his past. [Also, FYI, "non-consent" and rape ARE the same thing. He's got a few years worth of workshops to attend, if National can figure out how to deal with this matter internally.]
P.S. How is it that digital natives have yet to master the concept that you don’t e-mail people things and assume that *telling* them not to forward them means they won’t?
Can we call you a MILF?
Do you date younger men?
Yo doe, y’allready know what it izzzzzzz. Is da pussy dere? if it be, lay in dat doe. You don’t know. Y’all don’t know. Ride till we die. 143. flirtatious and shit. Up out da club doe. Late night. Regrettable situation. peace.
- Brackins
If this really shocks anyone then you have never been to a frat party/ met a fraternity member. I was always confused why the university allows them to exist, since they offer absolutely nothing positive, and are gross PR nightmare for the school.
The email crosses the line. The email mentions non-concent and rape are not the same thing. This is legally and morally incorrect. It also promotes the notion that sexual diseases can be treated by penicillin. Irresponsible as HIV is neither treated nor cured by antibiotics. Women in a state of drunkenness encouraged by the email cannot consent either. The racism is indefensible by any standard of humour. Most disturbing and perhaps telling is the reference to women as “its’. This level of misogyny displays a deep seated contempt for women and a massive self esteem issue. It is the language used by sociopaths. At best the author is a sexually unappealing narcissist with a poor sense of judgement and a nasty cruel side at worst someone the school should identify and require a professional assessment of before returning the student to the university environment. The desire would not be to shame the person (they are full of shame always) but to perhaps use the experience to lessen the impulse to create and think such unhealthy thoughts, and to make amends so that the writer might perhaps one day enjoy a healthy relationship with another person.
Satire has context. You could defend it as a parody in the Tucker Max vein. But it’s still not a defence. In a New York Times review of an Orson Wells production with an African American lead the headline read “Citizen Coon”. This was broadly acceptable in its day and now is not. This type of “wit’ at the expense of others is now horrifying. This shows an improvement over a much more brutal time. (domestic violence and drunk driving were great gags and shrugged off behaviour as of course was many forms of rape). The email can’t be defended as an attempt at humour because the subjects it treats are longer funny. They were never funny to women and now men have joined women and shared their revulsion.
You know what’s appalling to me? How few people recognize that this is satire. It was published in the Daily Trojan as an unspeakable act of misogyny, which in turn caused the story to be picked up by various internet rags, Jezebel chief among them. There is an investigation going on, the school and the fraternity have received tons of negative publicity, all because of an e-mail that is ITSELF AN INTENTIONAL COMMENTARY ON MISOGYNY ON THE ROW. Are you guys seriously this thick? You are lending credence and media attention to a non-story. I don’t care if it’s not funny satire. I don’t care if it goes too far. It’s satire. Which means that it is absolutely pointless to get up in arms about it.
And since I know I will be labeled as a bro mindlessly defending my bros, I should point out that I hate the row and haven’t set foot on it in a year and a half.
If I understand you correctly, you’re saying that the bro who wrote the email so detests the culture of misogyny rampant on the Row that he spent what was likely several hours writing that “manifesto” solely in an attempt to help dismantle the patriarchy?
Thanks for giving me my first big laugh of the day! Oh man, I seriously just guffawed.
It indeed *is* so truly appalling how few people recognize satire, which is clearly far more appalling than the hateful, degrading, misogynist content of the email. Oh, the oppression you rich, white, straight, cisgendered, able-bodied, privileged frat bros must endure! Here, I bought this teeny tiny violin just for you.
Ugh, you fall under the category of high school students who are trying to use big literary words. You know, those people who don’t know what satire is or always say “I’m speaking ironically.”
As a USC alumnus (from both the College and Gould) I’m very embarrassed about this whole situation. Now most of you may assume that I am referring to the email, but I’m more disgusted with the way that people have reacted to it. Yes it’s absolutely horrible; yes whoever wrote it is a misogynistic pig; and yes it is racist and degrading to women. The truth however, is that we are publicly crucifying an entire organization based on what someone forwarded on a frat listserve. Those things are basically the equivalent of a bathroom stall wall at a Route 66 truckstop.
I doubt any frat guy has the attention span to write something that elaborate. As someone who was in a fraternity at a time when email was beginning to become prevalent, I saw worse things being forwarded around. It’s the Internet for the love of god. It doesn’t help that behavior like this is glorified by websites like Ask Men and individuals like Tucker Max. It’s horrible, yes, but are people seriously having a candle light vigil in front of the fraternity house because some bro decided to send an email? There are women being stoned to death in the Middle East. Let’s have a candle light vigil at the nearest Mosque. While we are at it let’s protest the German department for teaching a language that was used to disseminate hatred that led to the slaughter of an entire people. We don’t even know how the fraternity reacted to it. For all we know, there probably aren’t any Gullet Reports out there. So much of this public harassment is being based on extremely dubious grounds. Give the guys a break, you’re only promoting stereotypes and making yourselves look like hotheaded radicals by taking such an absurd stance. Unless you act with proof you’re no better than they are.
Here’s some proof, genius: this comment board. So before you get all up in arms about us condemning not only the content, but also the support, read a little more and stop extrapolating.
If I were a student, parent or alumn I wouldn’t be happy with an impotent symposium on women’s rights. I’d ask USC to hold an assembly for the student body and make the author stand up and read his email out loud and FACE HIS PUBLIC LIKE A MAN.
I honestly found the whole e-mail hilarious, whether it’s a serious e-mail or a total troll. Yes, it’s sort of…disgusting, but that doesn’t mean every frat (and every MAN) is like that. Although, the guy who wrote this is gonna have a real hard time getting any “pie” after being caught.
as offending as the email is I hate to say it but women do this to themselves
i hope the author of the email gets sued though that would be pretty funny
> “as offending as the email is I hate to say it but women do this to themselves”
You’ve got to be kidding me. This victim-blaming attitude is precisely what forms and strengthens the rape culture we live in. No one EVER asks to be raped, just as no one EVER asks to be so antagonistically degraded in the way the author of this email has so degraded women. If you think women have brought this upon themselves, you are in desperate need of a cultural education. How are women to blame for this immature, misogynist email? How do you possibly reason that one?