December 13, 1994
A flyer posted by the fraternity Zeta Chi Epsilon with a picture of a busty half-naked woman has resulted in a conflict between some students.
After seeing the flyer, Asian Student Union Coordinator Elizabeth Suk wrote a letter to ZXE President Leo. D. Rodriguez, blasting the fraternity for publishing and posting a flyer of a half-naked woman to advertise a dance.
"It is inconceivable to me that a fraternity that should seemingly attempt to better their community has taken such a giant jump backward in objectifying women," wrote Suk in the letter dated Nov. 14.
Rodriguez responded to Suk in a letter four days later which explained that the flyer Suk saw was not authorized by the fraternity's executive board, and it had been pulled and replaced.
But the conflict didn't end there.
Rodriguez also wrote, "We, as an organization, in no way condone or encourage the exploitation of women ... How dare you question our motives."
Suk and other members of the ASU went to the Nov. 30 Fraternity/Sorority Council meeting to discuss the matter, according to Maxwell Leung, administrative assistant to the dean of students.
The representative from the fraternity at the meeting said the fraternity had fixed the problem themselves, and added that the fraternity could do what they want anyway, Leung said.
"It got kind of hostile," Leung said. "All she (Suk) wanted to do was talk about it, but they were unapproachable."
Chancellor of ZXE Francis Dy said the fraternity had hired a promoter to throw the party for them. When the flyers they had made with a picture of a male model were taken to the printer, they couldn't be printed because of copyright laws. The promoter then chose the picture of the woman.
Dy said he "feels that it is a dead issue. It is unfortunate that a few (flyers) got out. But the problem was corrected."
The exact number of flyers that were posted is still undetermined, Dy said.
FSC President Paul Sachdev, reprimanded ZXE and agreed with Suk that the flyer was "disgusting," and Rodriguez's response was inappropriate. But he also said that this was between the organization and her, and didn't concern all other Greek organizations.
"They did change the flyer even before the letter was out for one day, which was good," Sachdev said. "I was impressed that they took care of this internally."
Sachdev is helping to arrange a meeting between Suk and ZXE to discuss the issue and to come to an understanding.
Sachdev said he defended the ZXE representative's behavior at the meeting because the representative wasn't the one who had put up the flyers, and he had no idea that Suk was coming to the meeting.
The ZXE representative at the FSC meeting tried to tell Suk that he couldn't speak for the whole fraternity, but only on how he felt, said Sachdev.
"He felt so overwhelmed," Sachdev said.