'Notorious' party stirs bad memories

By Kurt Wagner

An off-campus sorority theme party pushed student groups affiliated with the Multicultural Center into emergency meetings this week after images of partygoers depicting African American stereotypes surfaced.

MCC Director Jose Arreola discovered pictures from the Sept. 30 party on Facebook.

The "Notorious P-H-I" party, a reference to hip-hop artist Notorious B.I.G., was hosted by Alpha Phi, one of four traditional sororities that offer membership to Santa Clara students.

Pictures from the party show sorority members and their dates wearing bandanas, sports jerseys and fake teeth. One partygoer wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "ghetto certificate" under which a fake report card displayed an "A+" next to subjects like sex ed., physical ed. and criminal history. Multiple students had written "thug lyfe" across their knuckles and used make-up to create fake black eyes.

In a statement, Alpha Phi said that they never intended for the party to be derogatory.

Pictures from the party were still up on Facebook as of Wednesday night.

Arreola recently brought the issue to the MCC Executive Board before calling in student leaders from all nine MCC clubs for a series of meetings to specifically address the theme party.

Arreola thinks there needs to be more discussion about diversity and cultural identity on campus. He felt the pictures portrayed a "simplistic and superficial representation" of the African American community.

"There is an obvious disconnect between our values as an institution and the experience of students of color on this campus," he said. "That needs to be addressed and I think that, at the heart of everything, that's where the discourse needs to be."

The Alpha Phi party is quickly drawing comparisons to another off-campus theme party at Santa Clara that gained national media attention. The "south of the border" party in February 2007 showed students, including several student-athletes, portraying Latino stereotypes by dressing up as janitors, female gangsters and pregnant women. The story was picked up by the "San Jose Mercury News," CNN and the Associated Press, in addition to other national publications.

"In its development, I think it's eerily similar," said Arreola in comparing the two parties.

Pictures from that party were flagged on Facebook and brought to the attention of then-MCC director Bernice Aguas.

The revelation prompted a silent march of at least 250 students, faculty and administrators to the State of the University speech by then-university President Paul Locatelli, S.J.. Locatelli touched on the issue in his address by encouraging students "to be vigilant to create and maintain an environment that will foster a community of inclusive excellence."

"I think it's somewhat disheartening to think 'Oh it's happening again,' but I think each experience provides an opportunity for us to open a dialogue," said Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life and dean of students.

Santa Clara initiated the University Council on Inclusive Excellence in September of 2007, in part, to counter the events surrounding the theme party earlier that year.

The council, chaired by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lucia Gilbert, is comprised of 12 faculty members and administration officials. Four undergraduate students and one graduate student sit on an Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Panel. Both bodies are tasked with designing activities and structures in the curriculum and in the community that focus on diversity.

The council planned to add discussion of the theme party to their agenda for a meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Arreola thinks the theme party is an example of students misrepresenting themselves and their peers.

"This is about what our connection is as college students to the communities we portray," he said. "Obviously that connection is weak or misguided or superficially caricatured."

The MCC Executive Board passed a resolution Monday night specifically addressing the theme party and discrimination at Santa Clara.

The document outlines a specific plan calling attention to race and diversity issues, including an awareness week and petition asking students to pledge not to attend racial or derogatory theme parties.

Additionally, the resolution asks Associated Students to write an official letter condemning the events, and calls on University President Michael Engh, S.J. to write a letter to the university community and to parents of students concerning the party.

AS President Sean Brachvogel said that he plans to look further into the issue before making any official decisions.

"As far as writing a condemning letter to an individual or a group of individuals, I don't see how two wrongs in this case make a right, particularly when I don't have the knowledge base," he said.

At least one elected member of AS was present at the party.

Amechi Okechukwu, one of the co-chairs for IGWE, Santa Clara's black student union, did not feel that the intent of the party or pictures were malicious or hurtful in nature.

"Obviously the message didn't get across the first time with theme parties," said Okechukwu, who echoed Arreola's stance on avoiding placing blame on any one group or individual. "I was frustrated to see in the pictures the extent at which they took the theme. I thought the party was a simple case of subtle ignorance."

While the MCC director was personally offended by the actions at the party, Arreola does not believe individual students should be singled out.

Alpha Phi President Jessica Canalin said the party aimed to capture hip-hop artists' fashion style and was never meant to be hurtful.

"It was certainly never our intention to offend anyone with a "hip-hop/rap" theme and apologize if we inadvertently did so," said Canalin in her e-mail.

Okechukwu is choosing to look at the situation as an opportunity for change more than anything else.

Said Okechukwu, "I think the response to the situation will define Santa Clara a lot more than the situation itself."

Christopher Woodhouse contributed to this story. Contact Kurt Wagner at editor@thesantaclara.com or (408) 554-4849.