Letters to the Editor

Open to all

To the Editor:

The accusations that have been leveled against Delta Zeta's national organization in regards to the DePauw University chapter have garnered the attention of the sorority community here at Penn and reminded us of the importance of diversity in our community.

Although we don't know whether the reported facts accurately represent the details of what happened on that campus, these claims have caused us to look back at the history of discrimination within sororities that the members of our community are actively continuing to change.

We will continue to proudly welcome women of all sizes, creeds and colors into our organizations. Much progress has been made over the last few decades to value all women within the Penn sorority system and to decrease discrimination due to appearance.

Penn's sorority community is currently a vibrant, diverse body of women, just as it should be. We remain committed to fostering a positive environment for women, during the college years and beyond. We will continue to hold strong to our values and prioritize diversity within our community.

Alex Tryon The author is the PanHellenic Council president and a College junior

Don't discriminate

To the Editor:

Following a public witch hunt, Penn has rid itself of its convicted sex-offender employees. Congratulations, Penn community, for a job well done. Or not? The employees committed crimes to be sure, but they also went through our legal system and paid their dues to society. Should it be our role to publicly chastise them in our newspaper and force them out?

Despite Penn's assertion that it is non-discriminatory, it no longer employs a single sex offender. Is this coincidence? As a university, we have an important social role to play. Therefore, Penn should take an active stance against the stigmatization and marginalization of convicted felons. Furthermore, felons might feel that checking the 'yes' box on an application eliminates their chances of landing the job. It leaves them with a horrible dilemma: Lie or become jobless, even homeless.

I propose that Penn delete the question about prior convictions from its job applications, but perform background checks. These should be separate from the weighing of qualifications, and used only to determine if applicants pose a tangible threat to those in their immediate working environment. Further, Penn should apologize for what happened and offer the former employees their jobs back.

Utsav Schurmans Sixth-year Anthropology graduate student

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