Despite recent incidents surrounding Boston University Greek Life, members said they remain positive.
“We are reaching out now to the community more than ever because of these unfair stereotypes we’ve received,” said Patrick Moriarty, recently elected Inter-Fraternity Council president. “A commitment to the community here at BU is the real image we’re moving forward to.”
Moriarty, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said he recognizes the negative press BU fraternities and sororities have received this semester from media outlets, especially those outside of Boston.
BU sorority Sigma Delta Tau was suspended and remains under investigation for an alleged hazing incident involving alcohol, according to a March 20 article by The Daily Free Press. Non-affiliated fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi is being investigated for hazing after an April 9 incident.
Since then, the AEPi national organization closed the unaffiliated BU chapter in response to the investigation.
“Media outside of Boston don’t distinguish that [AEPi] is not a recognized fraternity,” Moriarty said. “That’s what brings us press, that kind of misunderstanding.”
However, Moriarity said recognized fraternities at BU are very different from AEPi – a fraternity the IFC has not recognized since 1995 – and they aim to uphold a positive image at BU.
“We had a great showing at the ‘Take Back the Night’ event,” Moriarty said. “Sexual assault is not okay, and we are willing to stand up and show that. This unfair image associated with us is not true.”
Moriarty said the IFC received a thank you letter from the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism for their participation in the event.
Sigma Alpha Mu President Jacob Magid, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said he does not feel that the recent AEPi hazing allegations have reflected badly on his fraternity.
“There haven’t been any reports of any instances of sexual assault or hazing or any inappropriate actions by the fraternities this year that are recognized on campus,” he said.
Magid said his fraternity has been involved in a number of events involving the entire BU community, including a dodgeball tournament last fall and Rhett’s Challenge for charity.
“[Rhett’s] was our large philanthropy event for the spring semester,” he said. “We had 20 different people from 20 different groups [there].”
Magid said SAM’s carnival attracted a variety of members of the community beyond those in Greek Life.
“We are making sure that issues we feel are pertinent to students on campus are being heard,” he said. “We have brothers that are involved all over BU as a part of Residence Hall Associations, as resident assistants [and] working at [the] Student Activities Office.”
One tie members of Greek Life have recently recognized is with the military. BU’s fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha honored Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kyle Deady, according to an April 17 press release.
“A close friend to the Lambda Nu Chapter, the brothers decided to honor his courage and commitment to our country by initiating Deady on Patriots’ day,” the release stated.
Moriarty said BU fraternity Sigma Chi managed to raise $25,000 last week for the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Thatcher Hoyt, public relations chairman for the fraternity Chi Phi and newly elected IFC vice-president of campus affairs, said the fraternity and other IFC members aim to distinguish the difference between recognized fraternities and the one in question.
“It’s important to remember the purpose of fraternities is two-fold, both to bring like-minded young men together as brothers to form life-long relationships and to mold these young men into being better leaders and better people,” Hoyt, a School of Management sophomore, said in an email interview.
Recently elected Panhellenic Council President Linda Swift said sororities promote scholarship, service and a tight-knit community.
“Our organizations work extremely hard all year to plan events for the entire BU community that raise money for important causes,” the SMG junior said in an email interview. “I believe sororities provide the women of Boston University a chance to be involved and find a place to call home on our large campus.”
