Alpha Tau Omega: Moving forward
Photo courtesy of Brent Slotoroff
By the Brothers of Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Upsilon Chapter
Our organization made an insensitive mistake. There is no other way to define it and we will not try to persuade your mind otherwise by this article.
A September party mixer theme allowed for members of our organization to act out of character and not in congruence of Alpha Tau Omega’s core competencies of scholarship, community, brotherhood and leadership.
Our myopia towards our own actions not only augmented the bifurcation of campus, but also left us with a feeling of disgrace within our own chapter.
In the aftermath of our bias incident, we worked with the Office of Greek Life and College Life to not only help us recognize our mistake but to help our chapter rebuild.
Members of our organization leveraged many of Gettysburg College’s resources to first educate ourselves as to what a bias incident can be and more specifically, how Alpha Tau Omega can be a part of one. Our education was tested, but also guided and opened up in our discussions with student groups on campus such as the Black Student Union, Latin American Student Association and a select amount of faculty and administrators, all of whom helped us grow and become more self-aware of our chapter’s image.
Bias incidents break down our community at Gettysburg College and exclude rather than include others. Threats to our community create disequilibrium and leave others feeling inequitable in a space where everyone can add and create value.
Dr. Scott Hancock stated at the Town Hall that we have a responsibility to take action in matters of social injustice.
We, Alpha Tau Omega, have a responsibility because as one of the largest organizations at Gettysburg College, our action’s ripple effects can be felt in most, if not all, pockets of campus.
From classrooms to student senate to athletics, our member’s presence on campus demands that we not only take responsibility for our insensitivities but work assiduously to now educate others on how we can improve our campus community, together.
We look to add Alpha Tau Omega to the list of valuable resources on our campus about matters of injustice. We will look to help with the education of other Greek Organizations about bias incidents.
By continuing to leverage the many resources on campus, we can deepen the impact of Gettysburg College.
By being more inclusive we can not only begin to understand others better, but also understand more clearly who we are and how we can add more value to the community.
This is not an insuperable challenge; this is merely the beginning of our journey of responsibility to act on matters of social injustice.
We hope to grow side by side with the campus community for many years to come by being a strong voice of inclusion and education.
