This Spring 2011, our chapter co-sponsored
two lectures with the Classics Club.
The first, scheduled for February (to coincide
with Carnival season), was entitled
“The Greek Way of Mardi Gras” and
was a lecture on Greek festivals, by yours
truly. The second lecture, given in April,
immediately following the Eta Sigma Phi
initiation ceremony, was given by Professor
Katherine Welch, of the Institute of Fine
Arts at NYU, and was entitled “Judicial
Process and Public Visibility in the Greek
Agora, Roman Forum, and in Pagan and
Early Christian Basilicas.”
We initiated eleven new members in
April, with a dinner and dessert reception
following. Our new officers are eager to
return in the fall to brainstorm ideas for
increased chapter activities. We are in a
strange position in terms of student government;
Tulane does not give any student
organization funding to “discriminatory”
organizations, defined as any organization
with membership requirements that
exclude any student, faculty, or staff member
at Tulane. With its Latin and Greek
requirements, Eta Sigma Phi is classified as
a discriminatory organization. Right now
we are co-sponsoring events with the Classics
Club, which has open membership, but
in Fall 2011 we are hoping to talk to other
honors fraternities to see how they are
handling Tulane’s stringent policies about
funding. Until then, the co-sponsoring
arrangement has allowed the Alpha Chi
chapter to remain active at Tulane.