Handful of protesters demand major changes on Locust Walk

Protesting the presence of "preponderantly white, all male" fraternities on Locust Walk, 10 members of the Progressive Student Alliance held a noontime rally yesterday expressing their idea of a new Locust Walk. During their hour-long demonstration, PSA members -- known primarily for holding demonstrations -- paraded up Locust Walk defacing Walk property in front of several fraternities and mocked Greek institutions. But their protest was met with little interest from passers-by, as dozens of students just sidestepped the demonstrators. The rally leader, who refused to identify himself and who other PSA members only called "Eric the Red," pointed out their suggestions for a "new Locust Walk" on a six-foot map and then renamed the houses with chalk. Most PSA members refused to be interviewed during the rally. And while there were several discrepancies with the names of the houses between the fliers they distributed and the grafitti on the walk, PSA member Scott Kurashige said late last night that he hopes that University members will offer their own suggestions for future plans of current fraternity houses. At a meeting Sunday night, PSA members planned the protest to coincide with the beginning of Greek Week. PSA member Carla Hutton said after the rally that members were unsure if they were going to continue protesting. Some of their ideas include changing the Phi Kappa Sigma house to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual House and changing the Phi Sigma Kappa house into an "open house" for all students. During their rally, PSA members wrote comments on every Locust Walk fraternity east of the 38th Street bridge except for Delta Psi -- known as St. Elmo's -- which accepts women as members. However, on a flier, they proposed that St. Elmo's become a "Big Screen House," with University funding for VCRs, computers and a satellite dish. Some fraternity members said yesterday that PSA members should examine Locust Walk and its residences before defacing them with fluorescent chalk. "We live here," said Phi Delta Theta brother Trevor Price, a College senior. "If you look at the house, there's no litter. We keep it clean. They obviously have no respect." During the rally, several brothers engaged the PSA members in conversation about the diversity issue but the two groups quickly reached an impasse when the demonstrators said they refused to accept any fraternities on the walk. One Phi Delt member invited the protestors to, "come in and shoot a rack," but the demonstrators soon left. "If they refuse to have a friendly attitude, how can there be any kind of dialogue about it?" Phi Delt brother Henry Schwake said afterward. After "Eric the Red" departed, a few protesters continued on to College Hall knocking loudly on office doors demanding to speak with President Sheldon Hackney. They were informed by a temporary secretary of Hackney that he was busy with lunch and meetings. "[They] should have identified themselves, and then asked to make an appointment," said the secretary after the PSA members left.

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