Greeks discuss campus race issues

Four Greek organizations aim to 'plant the seeds' for increased racial harmony. In an effort to battle racism on campus, the members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Kappa Alpha Theta led a discussion about race Tuesday night at DuBois College House. As part of the Campus Organized Lectures on Racial Sensitivity program, known as COLORS, the chapters -- representing the Panhellenic Council, the InterFraternity Council and the BiCultural InterGreek Council -- have led similar discussions all week and will feature yet another tonight. Around 40 people attended Tuesday's event, which was moderated by Walter Palmer, a professor in the School of Social Work. Prior to presenting the issues, Palmer urged participants to speak openly about controversial racial topics and "check your PC at the door." "The best way to alleviate racial tensions is to get the students talking to each other," said COLORS Co-Chairperson and APA brother Paul Alvarez, a junior at Haverford College. COLORS Co-Chairperson Melissa Pierre, a College sophomore and Theta sister, stressed in her introduction that the purpose of COLORS is not to improve racial relations in one week but, rather, to "plant the seeds" for gradual change. Although Palmer was the moderator, the audience guided the discussion -- often temporarily setting aside his questions in favor of its own agenda. Students at the discussion examined the existence of racially based housing on campus, citing DuBois as a prime example, while Palmer interjected with questions like, "Do black people have the power to segregate?" Events kicked off Monday night at Harrison House, when Off the Beat and Inspirations shared the lineup at an ice cream social and sang for approximately 200 people. COLORS will host New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial -- an Alpha Phi Alpha brother -- tonight at Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, where he will speak on race relations. COLORS Co-Chairperson Daniel Leberman, a College sophomore and Sigma Chi brother, noted that COLORS will be "more social" this year than in years past. They held a party last night on campus and a party is scheduled for Friday at Eden Rock between 18th and South streets. The COLORS program -- started in 1988 by Sigma Chi and continued annually by Sigma Chi and Alpha Phi Alpha -- disbanded in 1996 due to a lack of effort from both chapters. This year, however, Kappa Alpha Theta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon "jumped at the chance" to help the brothers in Sigma Chi and APA rejuvenate the program, Alvarez said.

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