TO THE EDITOR:
First, let me express gratitude for The Daily Tar Heel’s coverage of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s chartering this weekend. The article published was informative and a great opportunity for positive Greek press coverage here at UNC. (“Pi Kappa Phi frat will return to Greek system,” Jan. 29) We look forward to being a solid addition to the Greek community at Carolina.
I must take issue, however, with the title of the article. Specifically, the reference to Pi Kappa Phi as a “frat.”
We feel this is a grave injustice to the work we have done in the past 12 months on campus. This is more than semantics, as the word “frat” perpetuates many negative stereotypes people have with the Greek system.
The description of “frat boy” and “fraternity man” conjure up two very different images, and it is the goal of Pi Kappa Phi to be associated with the latter. As a group of men committed to improving Greek life on campus and redefining “fraternity” as a more positive experience, we would hope for the courtesy of printing our full name, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, or at least noting a correction, like you did online.
We have worked tirelessly over the past 12 months recruiting 51 men of class, holding philanthropy events raising thousands of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours and improving relations between fraternities, sororities and the Greek community as a whole.
This continued effort, to be blunt, should merit the additional six letters that separate “frat” from “fraternity.”
Gerard Bifulco
Vice President, internal
Pi Kappa Phi
