Anybody want justice?

Good. Here’s my two cents’ worth.

First, don’t blame or ostracize the entire Zeta Tau Alpha sorority for the actions of a few of its members.

The young women who initially were charged with the Chi Omega lodge vandalism, though charges later were dropped, were, indeed, punished for their actions. In fact, they continue to be punished.

From what I understand, their punishment included no participation in any Greek Week events (not just Steppin’); 15 hours of community service each; for two of them, resignation from their Panhellenic Council positions; probation for each through the end of spring semester; and unnamed punishments imposed by their sorority.

Also, Chi Omega has filed an infraction against ZTA, which will force ZTA members to work at a Chi Omega fund-raiser.

Last, but not least, the public humiliation of “everybody knowing what happened” and being in a Pacer story also is considered punishment, as it should be.

Second, I would ask that Chi Omega and Student Life remember the fall of 2000, when a couple of Chi Omega members and others "disposed" of a large number of the Nov. 9 Pacers because of anger over a Web site review.

I will admit that I was furious and thought seriously of pressing charges, but I chose not to because I preferred that it be a learning experience and because I tend to give people second chances.

If it were to happen again, I doubt I would be so kind.

Did I blame the entire sorority for the actions of a few?

Absolutely not; one of my Pacer staff that fall, in fact, was a member of Chi Omega. However, once I chose not to press charges, I did ask that I be allowed to help determine the punishment of those involved.

Was my request honored? No, and I have not forgotten that, nor am I likely to forget it, regardless of the reasons I was given for why it happened that way.

Were the “guilty parties” then punished adequately?

One went on to become a high-ranking Panhellenic Council member and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi.

I would argue that she certainly was not punished enough. Perhaps we should take another look at “consistency” of punishment.

So, while I believe Chi Omega has every right to file an infraction against Zeta Tau Alpha, I would like to point out that some of their own got off much more lightly for doing much more damage. And to those ZTA members who were involved in this latest incident, well, I figure you’ve learned your lesson.

Third, in response to a column we ran last week, I should clarify that the international student whose “pants fell down” in the quad had also been in a Pacer story.

Perhaps it was not well known on campus, but my sources say that he had some personal troubles that caused him to act in ways considered inappropriate.

Our report showed that he “stripped” in the quad, constituting indecent exposure, which my sources confirm and which they say was the last straw for him, giving the university ample reason to send him home.

Fourth, I have already heard complaints about the lack of coverage of black greek participation in Greek Week, and I apologize for just now responding.

The pictures we had of Phi Beta Sigma, the first-place winners in Line Dance, were too blurry to reproduce well in newsprint. That’s why we had an ATO photo in the Feb. 6 edition of The Pacer rather than a Sigma picture. However, the story and headline were quite clear on who won.

In the Feb. 13 edition, we ran photos of those who won, among others, in Lip Sync and Steppin’.

From what I understand, and please correct me if I’m wrong, those two events had no participation from NPHC groups, which is why no pictures of them existed and why they were not mentioned in the stories on those two specific events.

We did not run an overall, roundup-type story on Greek Week; if we had, all groups would have been mentioned in it.

Finally, as for justice, I feel compelled to remind all of you that our behavior should be determined by our beliefs and not by how others have treated us. I “hear” a lot of things in my position as Pacer adviser, not the least of which is how badly relations among a number of groups seem to have deteriorated and the “actions” that have been occurring among you lately.

Settle down or you, too, might become the next Pacer story. Our job, after all, is to cover the news, so don’t commit any.

If you really want justice, then live it and give it.

It is, or should be, that simple.