’SC students meet to talk about email
Alicia Lu, a member of the Steering Committee of What Matters to Me and Why, a program that fosters dialogue of beliefs and principles, led a discussion in Taper Hall last night about the issues raised from the viral Kappa Sigma email, which has sparked controversy because it defined women in derogatory terms.
More than 20 undergraduate and graduate students attended the meeting to discuss ways to start a broader dialogue about sexual violence, misogyny and the university’s handling of the situation.
Corey Arterian, a senior majoring in English, said she was very happy with the turn out at the discussion.
“It was an equal mix of men and women,” Arterian said. “It makes me so happy as a woman on this campus to see so many men supporting this.”
Arterian said the group that met is still in its early stages, and students are deciding if the group should have a name and when the next meeting will be.
“This is about starting the conversation to facilitate more conversation and change on campus,” Arterian said. “We really just talked about how this email made us feel, what problems it indicates and how we can potentially help fix this problem.”
Kappa Sigma Fraternity released an official press statement Tuesday, denying that Mitchell Wilson, Kappa Sigma International Headquarter’s Executive Director, or any member of the Kappa Sigma Headquarters staff met with an anonymous female blogger, who insists she was ordered by Mitchell and others from Kappa Sigma not to speak to the Daily Trojan.
The blogger claims in the email to Jezebel that she was present when her roommate edited the viral Kappa Sigma email that has stirred controversy around campus.
The statement also said that Kappa Sigma would never tamper with an ongoing investigation.
“We would never allow any of our members to conceal any truths or impede the investigation, which we are conducting as expeditiously as possible,” Mitchell said. “Anyone who would believe otherwise is misguided and understands nothing about the nature of our organization.”
Mitchell also promised to continue the investigation into the origin of the email, and ensured that the writer of the email would be held accountable when discovered.
yeah, its not about being Greek. Get over yourselves. It’s about being sexist (also, get over yourselves).
sorry for partying
It is shameful to see a petition signed by so many students and faculty regarding a rumor. An anonymous blog post on a feminist site sparked a revolution? If she was so certain about her knowledge, why did she not also give her full name? Since when did Jezebel and blogging become a credible source for information?
And seriously, what do you expect the University to do? Last time I checked, we have rights in our constitution which allow for freedom of speech. This blogger however has libeled an individual on the internet, which I see as a much bigger issue. Why are we not investigating this blogger? For she is actually committing a crime.
Go hold your meetings, I encourage healthy discussion. However, I must say I feel extremely comfortable being a woman at USC. I have never felt pressured sexually or socially as a USC female at this school. I don’t know many who have. Please stop the allegations towards our University, it is embarrassing. Stop bring USC’s community down. 120 vs. 40,000.
No one is currently in jail for libel sweetie!
Libel is not a crime! It’s a civil matter you stupid sorority ho!
Time to let this go people. The conspiracy theories out there make you guys and gals sound like nut bags! USC has already determined not was wrong here but poor control of email lists. Last time I looked that isn’t a crime yet.
I was there and the meeting boasted more than 20 participants from all stripes — not just grad students, though a handful of grad students were in attendance. The students were articulate and maturely discussed the email and greater safety issues on campus. The biggest theme is the lack of transparency in the school’s investigation thus far, which needs to change for this issue to “go away” as it seems some administration officials would like. This email represents a good opportunity for USC to have a broader dialogue about rape and USC’s often misogynistic Greek culture. And the group does have a name: The Coalition for a Safer Campus and Community will next meet on Tuesday, March 29 at 8 p.m. in THH 113. Join the dialogue!
‘Only’ twenty people showed up because it was a meeting only for people most dedicated to taking leadership on this issue. It was a first action planning meeting, not a general forum–which we should have and which I am sure many more people will attend.
Hum, except the meeting was widely advertised in advance in the DT.
In any event, did you also discuss due process during that meeting, or only how to create a hostile environment for greeks in the classroom by having activist TAs assert the guilt of people whose “guilt” is only “proved” by an anonymous blogger alleging that her roommate told her that…
After all this fuss, only 20 people showed up. This goes to show that this buzz was organized by a tiny minority of grad students (from english, gender, american studies and comm in particular) who blew things completely out of proportion when they claimed that their students got traumatized by the email. What the university now really needs to investigate is whether it was proper for these grad students to file complaints against kappa sig with the sexual harassment office (which they did) and go on a witch-hunt, as they did.
signed: “anonymous female blogger” — see irony as you see fit
You should be ashamed!
I just want people to know I attended last night’s meeting because my girlfriend made me go. I would have never gone on my own. Nevertheless I felt I learned something despite the threat of her withholding sex if I didn’t go.
Thite, dude, you’ve got to stop letting your girlfriend treat you like an object. next thing you know, she’ll be emailing all her friends about her exploits!
Thite: I hope you got a piece of pie that night
classic