Ole Misc. - Sig Ep Closed Post Meredith Statue Vandalism

Sigma Phi Epsilon's national organization has closed it's Mississippi Alpha chapter at Ole Miss after it was revealed that the three students involved in placing a noose and an old Georgia state flag on James Meredith's bronze statue were members of said chapter. The students had already been booted from the chapter, and were speculated to have no longer been in school - making it seem that they voluntarily withdrew from the university once they realized that their stupid act of bigotry wasn't received by their peers as work of tomfoolery but, rather, an awful and avoidable black eye on a community working to improve its reputation.

It is important to reiterate that is is not the doing of the university itself, but rather the fraternity's national organization. Their decision is obviously in line with the perception of their organization nationwide, something which is valuable enough to them to forego whatever value the Ole Miss chapter - presumably one of their larger chapters - brings to them. Because it was Sig Ep nationals' decision to make, it both quickly ends the discussion and squashes what would have been an embarrassing discussion of university oversight had it been Ole Miss' to make.

So, if you're not a Sig Ep, it's a win-win. The Ole Miss administration and community gets to rid themselves of a problem chapter without actually having gotten rid of them under their own volition.

Still, if you are a Sig Ep, and not one to do dumb shit, it's gotta sting a little bit. That said, fraternities do preach brotherhood and togetherness, and nothing says "band of brothers" quite like taking the fall together. Don't let dumb, racist assholes join your fraternity, and your fraternity won't have to face up to the consequences of associating with dumb, racist assholes.

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