Organizations agree to suspend all non-philanthropic campus events rest of academic year
Content Warning: This story contains an uncensored racial slur.
Student Government Association President Trae Trousdale decided to sign the resolution calling for the suspension of Alpha Phi and Kappa Sigma.
Resolution 001 was drafted by Sen. (humanities) Leondre Lattimore, and Sen. (Greek) Hope Melton after a few members from Kappa Sigma and a member from Alpha Phi registered at a philanthropy event using the racial slur “Porch Monkeys” as a team name.
The resolution was drafted at the request of students from the multicultural coalition (Black Student Association, Hispanic Student Association and Native American Society), after hearing of the incident.
The resolution passed unanimously through the Student Services committee and in a 17-5 vote in the Sept. 19 senate meeting. Six days later and after several meetings with the heads of each organization involved, Trousdale signed Resolution 001.
“There are many things that are folded into that decision, keenly being we do not feel that it is in the best interest of the student body to send this back to the student senate for another high tension senate meeting,” Trousdale said. “There’s many other conversations that went into that, but I believe that our multicultural organizations gave in areas that they could, and the Greek organizations gave as well.”
Over the past six days, Trousdale said he had several meetings with SGA Vice President Abigail Banks, BSA President Destini Carrington, NAS President Kaycee Kernell, HSA President Brianna Miles, Kappa Sigma President Matthew Moelling, and Alpha Phi President Sireene Khader. The first meeting was for the heads of the organizations to get everything they were feeling off of their chests, Trousdale said. The second meeting was to see if there were common terms the presidents could work toward, he said.
“Our initial plan with all of the organizations was Abby and I were working to create a collaborative agreement that would allow us to veto the resolution and walk away with an agreed-upon planned,” Trousdale said.
After the meeting, Trousdale said he and Banks felt satisfied with the meeting and drafted the letter of intent to send back to the student senate with the agreed-upon terms.
“Students had really taken the responsible step and had all come together and set aside pride and set aside personal agendas and were able to collaboratively reach an agreement that not only included education, but the chapters agreed to go on a voluntary campus social suspension,” Trousdale said. “They established diversity and inclusion chairs in their houses, they were planning to issue a public apology to these organizations, and the multicultural coalition was planning on offering diversity and inclusion training five times a semester to the two chapters.”
Trousdale said they went to different officials for them to weigh in on the situation, but just before he was ready to make his decision to veto, some last-minute edits to the terms made the whole deal fall through.
“Part of the fall through was over formals and day parties.” Trousdale said. “Under any other circumstance, they would be considered a part of campus social suspension, but they did not want them (those) to be included under campus social suspension; them being the Greek organizations.”
Trousdale also said the multicultural coalition was not completely on board with the terms to begin with and wanted to see the houses removed from campus completely.
“They would rather hear the student body agree with them that these organizations had no place on our campus, and I don’t believe they were functioning in a long-term thinking mindset of what was going to be best or what needed to be done,” Trousdale said. “They just wanted some reaction, and I think that was exactly what we were forced to do as SGA.”
The resolution and a letter from Trousdale will be sent to President Martha Burger, Student Affairs officials, Moelling, Khader, and the Greek organizations’ respective national headquarters. Trousdale said his letter will explain the resolution and why he decided to sign it. From there, it will be up to the university and the national headquarters for each house to decide on what further action will be taken. These decisions will be made separate from one another.
“It has been argued that signing this resolution is a slippery slope to an overreaching Student Senate and unchecked SGA,” Trousdale said in a letter addressed to the student body. “However, I believe that the more frightening possibility is the establishment of a culture with passively accepted racism and minimal consequences for the use of racial slurs.”
Levi Harrel, dean of students, received the resolution and said the university has heard the student’s voice through this resolution.
“I think what we see right now is a call to action and a call for change in our campus community. There is a need for education. There is a greater need for inclusivity, sensitivity, awareness, and appreciation for others,” Harrel said. “I think that is in the hands of the students in processes that are designed for them, just like this resolution process.”
Harrel said he is proud of the student organizations for making such tough discussions about the situation.
“While I was absolutely hopeful that agreements could be made, I am nonetheless appreciative to all individuals involved in that conversation,” Harrel said. “To my understanding, it was not an easy conversation, it was challenging, it was individuals advocating for their beliefs, and I am proud of our students to be able to come to a table, for navigating a difficult conversation.”
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