U Weekly. Serving The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio

Letter to the Editor

[Editor's note:] UWeekly was contacted directly by representatives of Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Epsilon Pi in regards to the "Greek stereotype" article. Both groups thought they had been misrepresented, and were given the opportunity to write a letter in this week's issue. The following is a submission from Alpha Epsilon Pi, in lieu of a printed quote, in which the fraternity was negatively portrayed.

Letter to the editor:

At the height of Greek Life recruitment, UWeekly took it upon themselves to give you the "facts" about fraternities and sororities at Ohio State. While the alleged intention of the article was to show that not all stereotypes of Greek Life were accurate in every instance, Eleanor Ankrom had no qualms with throwing several Greek organizations under the bus without conducting the proper research. While no Greek organization on campus is perfect, it is extremely troublesome that Ms. Ankrom failed her in obligation as an ethical journalist to investigate all sides of the story. As the president of Alpha Epsilon Pi at Ohio State, I nor anyone else affiliated with my chapter or international office was ever contacted, despite UWeekly's willingness to print a quote about one student's negative perception of our Greek organization. Delta Tau Delta, a fraternity with a strong reputation of leadership and achievement, received a similarly unfair treatment.

As a fraternity man, I wear my letters with pride everywhere that I go. Last quarter alone, AEPi had the second highest GPA of all fraternities on campus, volunteered for 877 hours of community service, spent six days in New Orleans building houses for the homeless, and raised $7,500 for an organization that sends terminally ill children to summer camp.

Ohio State's Greek community has an admirable record of academics, service and leadership. The Greek community consistently has a higher GPA than the general population at Ohio State, it logs thousands of service hours every quarter and its chapters and their members routinely receive leadership awards from the university and from their national organizations.

It is undeniable that a small minority within the community can sometimes give all of its members a bad name, yet our value to Ohio State and the surrounding community far outweighs the unfortunate incidents of a select few. Joining a Greek organization is not for everyone, but it is certainly a great way to learn the important life lesson that one should strive to live every day with values and integrity. Perhaps UWeekly could learn this lesson from the Greek community here at Ohio State.

- Micah Kamrass
President, Alpha Epsilon Pi-Ohio State

Letter from the editor:

I hope that publishing this note relieves some of the vexation that last week's article has unintentionally caused.

While one quoted source mentioned a specific fraternity negatively, our article was broader in its intention to examine the attempts within the Greek community to change their public image. In no way was the writer or UWeekly attempting to throw anyone under a bus ... or "America," which is also slandered in that same quote. I would like to remind readers that a direct quote will always represent the opinions of the interviewee, not necessarily those of the publication or the reporter.

Furthermore, because the article was not specifically about Alpha Epsilon Pi, but instead about negative views and positive changes associated with fraternities and sororities, the author meant no harm by not interviewing an AEPi representative.

Regarding AEPi's friends at Delta Tau Delta, not specifying that the hazing incidents occurred at Ohio University was entirely my fault and not the author's.

- Kate Liebers,
News and Managing Editor, UWeekly

Originally Published: January 20, 2010

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