By The Brothers of ChiPsi

This wespeak is a response by the brothers of Chi Psi to a recent Faculty Student Affairs Committee (FSAC) decision that denied our appeal to retain our program housing status for the next academic year. We would like to present our side of the story to the student body in an attempt to raise awareness about, and rally support against, questionable administrative conduct. 

First, a concise chronology of significant events since the end of last spring semester is necessary. Over the summer the Chi Psi Lodge lost its affiliation with the national fraternity. On September 8, 2000, one week after classes started, Residential Life revoked our program housing status because of this loss. This happened despite the fact that we were in good standing as a program house, and our mission statement did not mention a national fraternity affiliation. ResLife had informed us on numerous occasions that a house in good standing
would need to fail two consecutive FSAC reviews for their status to be revoked. After re-establishing the lines of communication between ourselves and the national fraternity, we proceeded to raise and pay $5000 of back debt, update the national’s records and paperwork, and travel as a house to North Carolina in November where we stated our case before the national executive council. Currently, we are less then sixth months away from a vote for full reinstatement at this summer’s national convention.

As soon as our program housing status was revoked, ResLife began systematically and meticulously gathering evidence to show that they had made the right decision. Housing inspections increased in both frequency and intensity, and since our status was revoked we were not given credit for any programming we participated in last semester. Anyone with an elementary knowledge of science can tell you that when information is collected with such a strong confirmation bias, biased results can be expected. 

After a semester of intense scrutiny and even at times persecution (note the $6,000 of personal property removed from the house in September), ResLife recommended to the FSAC that our appeal to regain program housing status be denied. 

We are not absolving ourselves of responsibility for the present situation. We failed to adapt quickly enough to the University’s changing alcohol policy and to the microscope that was
placed on our house. We provided ResLife with too much ammunition to present a conspiracy theory. In spite of this, Chi Psi President Jeff DelViscio and Vice President Charlie McNally
did hear Jeff Ederer, the head of Residential Life, talking about plans to convert our house at 200 Church St. into freshmen housing next year. We are all aware of the renovation situation at Clark.

We had hoped that the FSAC would recognize the positive things our house has accomplished in the last three semesters, including our accepting responsibility for past mistakes, as well as the active steps we have already taken in addressing and rectifying ResLife’s concerns. Furthermore, we had hoped that FSAC would be attentive to the administrative politics factoring in to ResLife’s recommending out of program housing status. Unfortunately, in our attempt to show our willingness to work constructively with ResLife to solve our problems, the point that their report was biased and unfair was downplayed. 

During the meeting our successes, improvements, and future plans were devalued or ignored all together. Chi Psi is a diverse group of individuals who represent a broad range of Wesleyan students. Our fraternity is 1/4 Jewish. We have Latino members, African American members, and an international student, all of whom pledged within the last two semesters. We also operate a successful co-educational residential unit. Last year, the Chi Psi Lodge held a wide variety of programs. Our programs included live jazz and cocktails, the film ball, a staged reading of A Statue in the Park (a play by Wesleyan alumni David Jenkins ’00), a Desperate Measures show, an open mic (for members of the senior class), and a can-drive in association with Community Service house. The first floor was also used as a rehearsal space for numerous productions and directing assignments. 

Last semester, our successful effort to reaffiliate with the national took time and resources away from programs like the ones mentioned above. We did, however, find time to participate in a community service project called Halloween Halls in which we decorated our house for Halloween and opened it up to Middletown youth. Already this semester we have initiated a film series, and begun to place more emphasis on community service. On February 3rd, Chi Psi brothers helped to clean out a downtown building to prepare for its conversion into a community art house. 

We feel that it is a dangerous precedent to allow ResLife to manipulate information in ways that fit their economic and residential needs, ignoring successful programming and a genuine
desire for improvement.

If you know a Chi Psi brother, if you have ever enjoyed yourself at Chi Psi, if you feel we have been treated unfairly, or if you want to see us continue our program of social events and community service, please email FSAC chairs Professor Peter Kilby  (jkilby@wesleyan.edu) and student representative Joey Wender (jwender@wesleyan.edu). Tell them you think the FSAC needs to review their decision. 

We have spoken with members of the FSAC who said that ResLife pressured them into making a decision by the end of the meeting. Dean Mike Whaley, however, has informed us that the deadline for the decision is Spring Break – so it is not too late for the FSAC to consider our case further. Chi Psi president Jeff DelViscio (jdelviscio@wesleyan.edu) would appreciate copies of any emails sent to further help us in protesting this decision. 

Finally, the brothers of Chi Psi would like to state that regardless of the final outcome of our house next year, we will continue to exist and prosper as an organization. In spite of the feeling of disenfranchisement among the 23 people living in the house, we will make sure that Chi Psi will continue into its 158th year at Wesleyan. 

Chi Psi, a 157-year old campus institution that has been residing at 200 Church St. for 75 years, would like to give a word of advice to all program houses: tempt not the ire of ResLife. After their wrathful and hasty response, you will find yourself homeless before you know what hit you.
 

ChiPsi is a fraternal organization at Wesleyan University.