IFC to screen promotional items

The Interfraternity Council recommended at its meeting Monday that all IFC chapters screen promotional materials that are distributed to the general public, IFC president Jim Rettew said yesterday. However, the IFC is only recommending that the screening occur and houses will not be bound by the decision, Rettew added. According to the recommendation, all promotional materials such as posters, fliers and T-shirts must be screened by a memebr of the chapter's executive board or social awareness chairman, a position mandated by the IFC last year, the College junior said. Rettew added a number organizations including the United Minorities Council, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, and the Office of Student Life have said they will check any material that may be offensive to some and recommend changes. Jeff Furman, the IFC representative to the Greek Social Action Committee, said yesterday any complaints about an IFC chapter's promotional material will be directed to the IFC executive board which can then forward the complaint to the Greek Peer Judicial Board. Furman also said the UMC was given a copy of the recommendation and consulted before it was passed. According to Rettew, the recommendation will not affect some chapters that already have internal review boards or executive boards screen material. Rettew said the resolution, which was brought up by the IFC executive board, was "basically a pro-active move so mistakes from the past don't repeat themselves." Several fliers have been criticized within the past few years for being offensive. Last fall, the Latino community condemned a Sigma Phi Epsilon flier for a rush event depicting a stereotypical drunk and lazy Mexican. The fraternity then issued a written apology to the Latino community. In addition, a Beta Theta Pi flier with the words "live animals" on it and picturing a woman to advertise a "crab night" was met by a letter of protest by the Panhellenic Council's president Anita Hseuh last fall. Similar incidents occured in 1988 with Pi Kappa Alpha and in 1986 with Sigma Alpha Epsilon when both published fliers with "lazy Mexicans" on them. Furman said he was "very pleased" the recommendation was passed because it is "addressing an issue that certainly needed attention." "I believe it will be helpful to make a change," said Furman. "It identifies the problem and proposes to deal with it."

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