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May. 22nd, 2006 06:25 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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politicartoons
A little background: During the Fall of 2005, a group of Jewish students at Dartmouth College petitioned to get a chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a national Jewish fraternity, recognized on campus. The petition has gone before the Inter-Fraternity Council twice now, and both times was defeated by a significant majority. Dartmouth is currently the only Ivy League school to not have a chapter of AEPi, and is already suffering from a terrible image among Jewish communities that the school is a haven for anti-semites. The group is planning to go back before the IFC this Fall, and if turned down again, the issue is expected to make national headlines and Dartmouth's reputation could be at stake.
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 10:37 pm (UTC)are they allowing other frats to join?
Do they have policy against any racially segregated fraternity? Is AEP racially segregated?
Sorry, should have given a bit more background
Date: 2006-05-22 11:09 pm (UTC)No rules were violated, AEPi met every criteria for recognition and was even commended for doing so at the hearing.
Following the second vote, the school had its public relations officials speak to the president of the group to try to convince them not to take it national, and the group agreed after much debate to not send out its already prepared press releases. A Dartmouth professor unconnected to the group threatened to leave his job in outrage that the school would try to suppress such news, and even the members of AEPi had a tough time talking him out of this threat for the time being. The fuse has been lit and it is only a matter of time before this bomb goes off.
To make matters worse, the voting practices are suspect, because of the thirteen voting fraternities, five are national, and are thus required to vote in favor of expansion unconditionally (per their national charters). However, leaks from a known supporter among the voting presidents in the IFC indicate that only 4 fraternities votes in favor, of which only one is national, but the secret practices of the IFC make it impossible to say for sure. Had all nationals voted yay in such a situation, the vote would have been a clear majority.
Re: Sorry, should have given a bit more background
Date: 2006-05-23 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 03:56 pm (UTC)Jewish fraternity rejected again from Dartmouth College
By MATT RAND JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT
BOSTON
Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi apparently won't be throwing any crazy toga parties at Dartmouth College any time soon.
Told it "would not be competitive," for a second time the Dartmouth College fraternity council recently blocked Alpha Epsilon Pi from being officially recognized and given colony status at the Hanover, New Hampshire, school two hours north of Boston whose fraternities inspired the film Animal House.
Through a secret ballot, Alpha Epsilon Pi was rejected for membership in the Dartmouth Interfraternity Council for a second time in early May after first being rejected in January.
Alpha Epsilon Pi had been the first fraternity to ask for recognition after Dartmouth trustees lifted the ban on recognizing new fraternities in June 2005, said Interfraternity Council President Alexander Lenz. He said the council intended to reexamine its expansion policy in the next couple of weeks.
While the council originally said it "could not sustain another fraternity," it also conceded that some in the council were uncomfortable admitting a fraternity whose membership was "eighty to ninety percent" Jewish.
Other Dartmouth fraternities which have minority group connections apparently did not have to go through the same process, said Patrick Karas, who is leading the advocacy for the Jewish fraternity's establishment as a "colony" at Dartmouth.
Karas said that Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically African-American fraternity, and Lambda Upsilon Lambda, a Latino fraternity, did not have to get recognition from the same fraternity council Alpha Epsilon Pi now petitions.
He said that many of the fraternity's presidents felt uncomfortable including new fraternities affiliated with religious or ethnic groups because many of these fraternities gave up their religious or ethnic ties "years ago."
Karas said that while Chabad and Hillel served as religious venues for Jewish students, the rejection of Alpha Epsilon Pi "creates a major problem for Jews who seek a [Jewish] community outside of the religion." He said that the fraternity would complement both of these organizations because it would bring together young Jewish men "outside of the temple."
Jewish students at Dartmouth had been interested in creating an organization outside of Hillel and Chabad which could operate inside Dartmouth's fraternity system, said Andrew Kamiski, who is with Dartmouth's Hillel.
Since many of the fraternities at Dartmouth were already competing for members among the male population, Kamiski said, "it is not in their interest to increase the number of fraternities."
However, citing a small Dartmouth Jewish population, Kamiski said he did not feel it was the right time for the Jewish fraternity to establish a "colony" at Dartmouth.
Kamiski said he was more concerned about the "embarrassingly small proportion of Jewish students at Dartmouth" which he said was the "least Jewish of the Ivy League schools."
Dartmouth Chabad Rabbi Moshe L. Gray expressed disappointment with the rejection, saying the establishment of the Jewish fraternity would be "another opportunity to increase and better Jewish life on campus."
"I think this does not bode well for Dartmouth, nor for the Jewish community here," said Gray. "I'm not sure what kind of message this sends to the broader Jewish community in America."
Gray said the fraternity recognition system was flawed because it gave the student fraternity presidents "first crack" at recognizing other fraternities, which the rabbi likened to allowing the players to referee the game.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:07 pm (UTC)"Karas said that Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically African-American fraternity, and Lambda Upsilon Lambda, a Latino fraternity, did not have to get recognition from the same fraternity council Alpha Epsilon Pi now petitions."
Why didnt they have to get recognition? Did they establish colonies without official recognition?
I seems o me ha if APA and LUL didnt get recognition from that council that bringing them into the arguement seems specious.
Especialy considering "Alpha Epsilon Pi had been the first fraternity to ask for recognition after Dartmouth trustees lifted the ban on recognizing new fraternities in June 2005"
Which means that the IFC's position as i see it is "We do not accept religious or ethnically tied fraternities to be recognized"
Especialy if this is true
"He said that many of the fraternity's presidents felt uncomfortable including new fraternities affiliated with religious or ethnic groups because many of these fraternities gave up their religious or ethnic ties 'years ago.'"
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:19 pm (UTC)"In a surprise move earlier this month, the Board of Trustees lifted its moratorium on the creation of additional single-sex, selective and residential organizations. The decision, which was announced the Monday following Commencement, marks a significant departure from the trustees' 2001 decision to forbid the establishment of additional Greek houses."
Published on Thursday, June 23, 2005
This article seems to be talking about Greek houses, not necessarily the organizations themselves, but it seems like they're related.
http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2005062301010
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:41 pm (UTC)It just seems a bit hasty to scream "racist" when the IFC has no authority to kick out houses. Though it does seem strange that it isnt entirly a trustees issue.(which it seems was the issue when LUL and APA were admitted, as the article says they didnt go through IFC review)
It still seems hasty to scream "racist!" without a publication from the IFC detailing the reasons behind their decision and the religious or racial ties of any of their organizations if such ties exist. I mean, if they have a black fraternity that is still a black fraternity, and a latino frat that is still a latino frat, they should let the jew frat in.
But if they have a frat that used to be a black frat, and a frat that used to be a latino frat, then they probably shouldnt let the latino frat in.
Either way, it should be a trustee issue
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:51 pm (UTC)It seems here like the Jewish frat may well be a victim of timing, rather than targetted discrimination.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:14 pm (UTC)If you wanted you could start a frat without a parent organization(though you may have to start one), but they are essentialy one and the same in the eyes of the university.
I was(technically still am) in a frat at my previous school, and was an assistant to our rep on the IFC, so i have a bit of experience working in that angle(I dont know if you do or not)
But there is essentialy no difference between a frat and the greek houses they discuss as far as i can see. And i agree that at the moment it looks like they are a victim of timing, but what really matters is if their current frats have religious or ethnic ties.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 10:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-25 10:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 11:13 pm (UTC)and what happened to Ahmed's arms in the third panel? did the cartoonist run out of ink or something?
Please clarify
Date: 2006-05-23 12:18 am (UTC)And why does this sound so threatening and blackmailish... "if turned down,... reputation at stake"?
That said, "driving Israel into the sea" was said by the former leader of Egypt, not a Palestinian, which currently has a peace treaty with Israel.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 03:57 am (UTC)I don't even know how to respond to that
Date: 2006-05-23 04:42 am (UTC)Re: I don't even know how to respond to that
Date: 2006-05-23 04:55 am (UTC)Re: I don't even know how to respond to that
Date: 2006-05-23 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:14 pm (UTC)