Category | Op Ed

We stand corrected

Published on August 18, 2009 by Tony Sarrecchia and Katherine Tippins

Last week, I ran a cartoon in the Opinions section that unfairly singled out a campus fraternity.  The cartoon perpetuated certain Hollywood stereotypes of fraternities being misogynistic, drunken boys who rely on their wealthy families for sustenance.  Unfortunately, the fraternity name on the cartoon character’s shirt was that of a fraternity that is part of the KSU community.  It was neither the Opinions section nor The Sentinel’s intention to imply this behavior was either typical or condoned by the men of Delta Tau Delta.  This oversight speaks more about my lack of knowledge of Greek letters than the reputation of Delta Tau Delta.

That Delta Tau Delta was singled out is also unfortunate in light of the charity work they do to fight childhood cancer.  Last year, they organized the Greeks Go Bald fundraising campaign in which, together with other Greek organizations, they raised over $16,000 to fight various childhood cancers.

Katherine Tippins, the Sentinel’s editor-in-chief, summed it up best in her letter to one of the fraternity members:

Fraternities and sororities are fundamental to college life. They help the community, bolster school spirit and encourage lifelong friendships. With that being said, there can be an ugly side to some situations involving Greek life: hazing, binge drinking, peer pressure. In no way am I stating that these negative actions happen only in fraternities, as they can happen in any group of people, and I’m sure KSU organizations, including yours, do not have these problems.

I would like to extend my sincere apologizes on behalf of the cartoonist, my Opinions editor and myself. It was not fair of us to single out your organization. This was an oversight on my part. If I had recognized the letters in the cartoon, I would not have let it run.

I wholeheartedly agree with Katherine’s sentiments.