Page 8
University Daily Kansan, November 18, 1981
Series
From page one
wrote the letter because she was distressed by the reaction of the KU sororites toward blacks going to the individual houses during rush
"After I talked to my friends in other sororities and found out that similar statements had been made in their sororites, I realized that it was a problem throughout the Greek system," she said. "I wanted it to be brought out into the one to be dealt with."
For her disclosure of "secret" socrity actions, Tellellen was placed on probation by
Mary Ellen Podson, 1977 Kappa Alpha Theta president, said in a recent interview that she saw no reason for the 1977 rush incident to be resurrected. She refused to discuss her sorority's reaction to a black woman going through rush.
"We're not supposed to talk about it and I don't care to," she said.
In 1977, at the Kappa Alpha Theta's nearest sorority neighbor, Kappa Kappa Gamma, a member was brought to tears by the thought of living with a black, Martha Brink, a former member and Kansas City, Mo., graduate student, said.
"We were running through the names of girls who had gone through rush," she said.
via telegram. The telegram stated that they had not done anything discriminatory.
The Delta Delta Delta sclerosis also
whether a black would fit into their
house in 1930.
"We discussed how she would fit in the house as a person, how she would feel being surrounded by black and how we would need her needs," said Ronny Arenberg, 1977 president.
"We didn't want the situation to be a bad deal for her or for us."
From a total sorority standpoint, race did not play a role in not asking Edgerton to join.
"There was more a majority of people who looked at her and accepted her as a person than there were those who looked at her as a black," she said.
"I think a lot of the fact that I was denied membership was because I was black," she said.
Edgerton, the only black woman to complete rushed in 1977, in a recent interview that she felt racial considerations has played into her not being asked to pledge a sorority.
Edgerton, a KU graduate, was a baton twirler, a student council member and a state honor student in high school. She also was in graduation percent of her high school graduating class.
"She was a tremendous person," Tolleff said recently. "She was everything sororities want."
EDGERTON SAID she had mixed feelings about Tolleson's letter and a subsequent Human Relations Committee investigation into complaints of discrimination.
"It angered me and it made me sad that after meeting me and talking to me someone might not think of me as a person, but just as a black," she said.
'But then this girl got up and tearfully said something to the effect, "I just could never live with a black so you can choose between me or her."'
Eiderton said that she had not attempted to file a formal complaint because she just wanted to forget the incident. Something of value did stem from her experience, however.
Martha Brink
When the black woman's name was brought up, she said, a few nice comments were made.
made, but no negative things were to be said about any of the girls."
The reaction of the other sority members surroised Brink.
"But then this girl got up and tearfully said something to the effect, 'I just could never live with a black so you can choose between me or her.'
THE MEMBERS had been briefed on discrimination, but they did not think they had done anything discriminatory, Brink said.
"They were all sympathizing with this girl in tears because she was a sister and all that," she said. "No one seemed to think that the black girl who was really being hurt,
"No one realized that by not inviting her back solely because of her race, they might have been the wrong people."
In 1977, when the Human Relations Committee asked the Kappa Kappa Garnamas how a community could help poor people.
"The experience was good for me in a way," she said. "I brought me into the real world. I realized that there were people who could not accept a person of a different race."
In 1979 another black woman, Natalie Herron, Junction City senior, went through rush and she, too, was not invited to pledge any sorority. In high school, among other activities, she was a varix cheerleader, a member of chorus and the yearbook staff and an honors performer in classical piano competition.
"I just wanted to be in a sorority like the other girls who went through rush," she said. "I never had any racial problems so I would that I would be looked at as being unusual."
Scott said that no one made outright statements in a chapter meeting about refusing to live with a black.
BY THE END of rush. Herron felt that she had been viewed as not only an unusual because of her height but also of her demeanor.
"People were pretty aware of the whole minority problem and were afraid to voice their opinions out and out in a formal meeting by saying, 'Oh God, she's black,' " Scott said.
The attitudes of some members of the Delta Gamua sorority, toward Herron surprised the students.
"I was really amazed by the attitudes of some of the members of the house." Scott said in a recent interview. "People that I didn't think would have certain prejudices did."
SHE ALSO SAID that there was tension in the need to bring and other, informal, informal forcpions for emplogn.
"Ninety-nine percent of the girls really liked her (Herron)," she said. "She fit what we like. She was a quality person. But if it were not that, she would be or two people, it's just going to be difficult."
Sororities establish percentages of members who must vote in favor of a woman for her to be invited to pledge the house. The AOP herb, which states that 85 percent of members must vote for a rushee, is typical according to members of other sororites.
"With any girl, if people don't like her,
to whatever soon, she's just not going to rip
her." Sceptra, I said.
At the Alpha Delta Pi sorority in 1979, some women were quite vocal in chapter meetings about their opposition to having a black member, two house members said.
"There were four or five members who downright refused to live with a black girl," said one member, who did not want to be identified.
She said that when her house discovered a black woman was going to go through rush, the sorority held a meeting before rush and the members of the sorority discussed their feelings on pledging a black.
"The majority thought that it wouldn't be too much of a problem," the member said. "However, in the long run people foresaw a problem: 'Who would room with her?' When he said it, the group might balk at sharing a room with her. Also in question was the element of trust."
THE SORORITY never discussed Herron's personality she said
The Alpha Gamma Delta sorcerio also did not grant membership to Herron.
"We had a very big discussion about her being black and fitting in," said an AGD member, who did not want to be identified. "We try to get girls who not only we will be happy with, but who will also be happy with us."
There were other reasons why the AGDs
toe they could not pledge her, another
member named Tom.
"We thought that she was nice, but we didn't like her well enough to support her through what might happen if we had pledged her," she said.
She explained that most of the members had been accepted because they had friends who knew them.
"Rush comes down to who you know, and not that many neveo knew her." she said.
SOME MEMBERS also objected because they felt that it would damage the house's reputation if they had a black member, she said.
Two members of two other sororites felt the pledging a black would have had the oppo
Pledging a black probably would have enhanced the Pi Beta Phi sorority's reputation, a former member said, but at the time the members did not agree.
"On an initial basis a black would not have Catholic, Protestant, white house," she said.
"The house mostly open-rushes girls rather than picking people at formal rush," she said.
"The girls pretty much know who they want because of legacies (relatives who had been members of that society). So there really is no chance of someone they don't know getting in."
She also explained Pi Phi rushing practices.
She said that although the Pi Phi house had not been receptive to having a black member, it was probably more open than many other houses.
THE DELTA DELTA DELTA sorority discussed how a black would fit into its house and
"Of course, there were those girls who felt uncomfortable about it," one member said. "However, our real concern was if she would feel uncomfortable being the oni minority."
Although Herron went to all the initial interest in joining the Sigma Kappa sorority
She had friends in that sorrow who encouraged her to go through rush. However, in
Janet Schulenburg, 1978 president, said that discrimination had not occurred
"Some of the girls in the house knew her and were her friends," Schulenburg said. She would not specify the reasons why Herron had not been asked to pledge.
NO COMMENTS were made by any members about Heron's race, she said.
SEVERAL OTHER Sigma Kappa members contacted also refused to comment on the submission.
Sondra Walker, a former Alma Phi social affiliate, said that the way rush operated it made more effort for a black to get in a KU sorority than a white. Walker had pledged the Alma Phi house at the University of Colorado before transferring to KU.
"You don't have a chance to get to know someone as a person during rush." Walker said. "Someone might not be asked to pledge because someone didn't like her shoes.
Walker also said that she had liked the
alpine Pht at KL but that she had felt she
wasn’t well.
"If there are prejudices the only way they can be broken down is by getting to know someone as a person and accepting them as an individual. You can't do that in rush."
"I felt a sense of not prejudice so much as just not being used to having a black Alpha Phi, she said. "I could tell this by the way people looked at me, not asking what I thought and uporing my suggestions, I pretty much who didn't like having a black member."
BESIDES HAVING to combat the attitudes of active members, blacks also have to deal with sorority alumnae—women who have been from college but are still involved in the sorority.
During the 1977 Human Relations Committee investigation, sorority alumnae were accused of sexual misconduct.
'We encourage everyone who is interested in sororities to go through rush. Because of the Regents policy on membership, basically people won't discriminate.'
The other two sororities on West Campus Road did not ask Herron to lodge.
"I was really surprised that with all the friends Natalie had in the house she wasn't invited to pledge," said Catherine Granwill, a pharaoh who did not participate in rush daycare.
A former member of the Chi Omega
study team, Dr. Bunk, think that
the incident warranted investigation.
One Sigma Kappa member, who had been a friend of Herton's, said that she was surprised.
—Sheila Immel
"I remember when all that happened," the graduated Chi Omega, Cindy Dekking, said. "However, I don't remember that much about it. Obviously, it wasn't such a big deal."
At the Gamma Phi Beta house next door, race didn't play a part in the decision not to pledge Herron, said Jennifer Stubblefield, Kansas City, Kan., medical student.
"If we would have liked her we would have asked her to pledge." Stubblefield said.
tergrating KU sororities.
"The alums were one of the main points that girls said kept blacks from being accepted by sororites," said Marilyn Ainhorn, a member of the 1977 Human Relations Committee.
"The smaller, less prestigious sororites said that they had wanted to take blacks. However, they felt that the bigger more prestigious had to do it first for the Greeks to accept it.
THE ALUMS are indignant when the committee declares to investigate贪污性腐朽 properties, use
"However, the more prestigious sororites said that they couldn't do it because their alums were opposed to it and would no longer support them if they did.
"One alumnae lawyer argued that sororities have every right to discriminate if they want to," Ainsworth said. "They also know now why we were picking on their children."
This article by staff writer Connie Schallau—the product of over four months work—is the first of three in a Kansan series on the sensitive issue of minority involvement in the Greek system at the University of Kansas.
The second part, to appear tomorrow, will focus on KU's fraternities and will examine the experiences and perceptions of both white and black men regarding the possibility of discrimination.
Editor's note
On Friday, the third part will be an overview of the entire situation. It will include changes in the plan.
The reader is urged to take this first part in the context of all three, for that is the nature of our work.
and nationwide to deal with the potential for discrimination, the University's approach to the matter and possible action by individual students who believe there may be a problem here.
Some members and former members of KU sororites who answered questions on this subject asked not to be identified out of fear of repercussions from fellow house members, alums and other peers. The Kansan has respected those requests.
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