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Sorority faces punishment

by Jessica Calefati

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Julia Friedman and Kappa President Lyndsee Fitzgeorge oversee the kickball event in which Sigma Alpha Mu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon participated.
Media Credit: Sam Sherraden
Julia Friedman and Kappa President Lyndsee Fitzgeorge oversee the kickball event in which Sigma Alpha Mu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon participated.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority will receive "harsh penalties" for allowing two unrecognized fraternities to participate in their kickball tournament, Panhellenic Association officials said earlier this week.

Panhellenic Association President Courtney Tallman described the sorority's actions as a "major infraction" according to National Panhellenic Conference rules and said the group will be "subject to harsh penalties." The Panhellenic Association is the governing body for GW's eight sororities.

Student Activities Center Director Tim Miller expelled unrecognized groups Sigma Alpha Mu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon from the Nov. 7 sorority-sponsored kickball tournament. He said the sorority was in violation of a relationship statement that all eight sorority presidents signed last April prohibiting formal association with unrecognized groups. Kappa Kappa Gamma leaders did not respond to multiple interview requests for this story.

There are four unrecognized fraternities on campus, according to the Student Activities Center Web site. Unrecognized groups are not subject to University regulations and do not receive funding or on-campus housing.

Tallman said the Panhellenic Association created the relationship statement to "make it clear to unrecognized fraternities that they will no longer be tolerated."

On Monday, the sorority will have a mediation session with an unbiased arbiter, which will determine its sanction from the University, Tallman said. The group's national organization will also be involved in the judicial process and may choose to discipline the group. Panhellenic Association and Kappa Kappa Gamma national officials said they have not yet made any decisions about how to discipline the group.

Sanctions can range from educational sanctions - where sororities review their group's values to reinforce their mission - to losing University recognition.

"Unrecognized fraternities are infringing on our Greek community and are continually ruining our image," Tallman said.
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