After Syracuse University’s suspension of Theta Tau, a professional engineering fraternity, The Daily Orange spoke with students to get their reactions to the video showing students using racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic slurs.

Sam Ansell, junior in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

To Sam Ansell, the suspension of Theta Tau is different from past situations with fraternities and sororities because there’s video evidence that can be used to hold people accountable, including the university administration.

Ansell said in the past, without visual evidence, the university has overlooked some of these incidents.

“They’re trying to hush because students are coming in,” Ansell said, referencing SU’s Spring Reception for accepted students on April 20. “They want to keep it all hush hush.”

 

Ben Field, sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Ben Field said he was disgusted and appalled after reading Chancellor Kent Syverud’s email announcing Theta Tau’s suspension. He said it was hard to believe things like that happened on SU’s campus.

“That type of language, that type of action, this isn’t part of the inclusive community that I want on this campus,” Field said.

He also said he heard some students discussing banning Greek life from campus entirely, but he doesn’t think that would solve the problem.

“I think this is bigger, this is a bigger issue,” Field said. “It’s part of American history. This is something that has evolved.”

 

Briyana Henry (right), sophomore in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Briyana Henry believes students have varied opinions on the situation because people are from different backgrounds, she said. For example, the black community would have thoughts that are different from the Jewish or Latinx communities, she said.

She said some people have been misinformed, which has brought a lot of “negative energy to the conversation.”

“It’s just been pretty overwhelming,” Henry said.

 

Ja’el Jones, junior in the College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

There is no clear answer on what needs to be done in the wake of the Theta Tau suspension, Ja’el Jones said.

However, she said SU must have students participate in sensitivity training and a campus-wide discussion rather than holding events not everyone knows about.

“(Community members at the Hendricks forum) said last night there’s basically separate campuses — there’s the Asian population, the black population and then the rest of the white population,” Jones said. “And it’s like different campuses, and if you go here you kind of have to choose which one rather than just coming here and being a student.”

 

Mazaher Kaila (left), junior in the College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Mazaher Kaila said students in Theta Tau should be expelled. She understands the fraternity was suspended. But if the members aren’t expelled, she said it wouldn’t teach students that Theta Tau’s behavior is unacceptable.

“I hate bringing the race thing into it, but I feel like if it was any of the fraternities or sororities from NPHC (National Pan Hellenic Council) or anything, those students would have gotten expelled,” Kaila said. “Privilege. That’s what it is. It’s privilege.”

Kaila said her anger is mostly directed at SU because she feels it shouldn’t be the students’ jobs to hold rallies, marches and meetings to have a dialogue.

“I’m really disturbed by the process the school is taking,” Kaila said.

 

Pruthvi Kilaru, senior in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Pruthvi Kilaru said that he didn’t know how to react and still doesn’t.

He said that although he, as an Indian-American, is considered a minority, he’s aware of some of the privileges he has over other minority groups. He said he’s accepted because of his race and identity in the engineering community, but in different situations, such as with airport security and random searches, those identities may play against him.

Kilaru, a teaching assistant for a freshman class in the College of Engineering, said he offered to coordinate excused absences for his students during their class period so they could attend a town hall hosted by the College of Engineering and Computer Science in the Life Sciences Complex.

“This is the culture that they’re going to be setting for the next three years here, and if not beyond that,” Kilaru said.

 

Cole Massie, junior in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Cole Massie said he was not only disappointed in Theta Tau, but in the SU administration. He also said he was disappointed in Syverud for not attending the open forum held in Hendricks Chapel on Wednesday evening.

“It’s one thing to watch that over livestream, but it’s another thing to be there and feel the emotion in the air and feel people’s voices trembling and actually see people eye-to-eye and watch them share their stories,” Massie said.

 

Perrine Wasser, junior in the College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Perrine Wasser said she was anxious, frustrated and unable to focus on academics as the situation unfolded.

She wants SU to hold Theta Tau accountable, but said the university has a tendency to push incidents involving fraternities “under the rug.” She said the suspensions of several other fraternities at SU seemed to have been forgotten.

“(Chancellor Kent Syverud) only released a statement on this one because there’s a video that can go public, that has gone public, and is threatening the reputation of SU,” Wasser said.

 

Kingston Wei, freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Kingston Wei said he was shocked by Theta Tau’s behavior, but that he’s also experienced racism at SU. Several months ago, someone ripped his name card off his dorm room’s door and made rude comments about his race, he said.

Wei said he hasn’t had any other experiences with racism on campus since he reported the event, but he’s still shocked that something like this could happen at SU.

“It’s totally unacceptable,” Wei said.

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Published on April 20, 2018 at 1:33 am