Some students, faculty and staff object to the silhouette of a naked woman used on the Derby Days hats and shirts.
By JJ Bowman
Associate Editor
Sigma Chi raised $3,500 for charity — and some controversy — during its annual “Derby Days” philanthropy event.
The money went to Sigma Chi’s primary charity, the City of Hope cancer center. The controversy stemmed from shirts and hats the fraternity used to promote the event. The Derby Days logo had a silhouette of a woman similar to those found on the mud flaps of tractor-trailers. Along with the image read the slogan “Talk Derby to Me” and a fake phone number, “1-900-EX-Derby.”
Student Organization’s Coordinator Chris Van Velzer said the Derby Days issue was brought to his attention by numerous students, faculty and staff upset with the insinuations on the shirts and hats.
Sophomore Laura Cook said she supports Sigma Chi’s effort to raise money for City of Hope, but did not appreciate the merchandise.
“I’m all for supporting charity,” she said. “But when it comes to using — kind of — porn imagery, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
Although the slogan had been used before without generating strife, the combination of all the elements angered some Pepperdine students and faculty. Sigma Chi president Nate Rulis said he understood why some people took offense.
“Some students, as well as some in administration, felt that the design was not in concordance with Christian principles and could be construed as degrading to women,” he said.
“I completely understand where they are coming from,” he continued. “In talking with Student Activities we came to the conclusion that the right thing to do was not to wear them anymore.”
Van Velzer said Greek organizations are required to present materials to the Student Organization’s office so that a group does not waste resources creating material unsuitable for a Pepperdine-sponsored activity. Sigma Chi did not follow that protocol and agreed to stop selling the shirts and hats and to offer a refund to anyone who purchased them.
Sigma Chi Vice President Mike Umbro said he was unaware of the policy to check with the Student Organizations office.
“We’ve designed shirts for … all sorts of stuff, and we have never run (the ideas) by the school,” he said.
Rulis acknowledged that not following the policy this time placed the fraternity into an unenviable position.
“We kind of hung ourselves out to dry,” he said. “It’s our fault that we didn’t go and get (the design) OK’d.”
However, in the end, the merchandise controversy did not harm Sigma Chi’s philanthropic efforts, Umbro said.
“Had we not pre-sold the merchandise, we would have lost money rather than make money,” he said. Rulis sent an e-mail to the sororities offering full refunds and asking those who keep their shirts not to wear them on campus. No one has asked for a refund, he said. Umbro said members of Sigma Chi purchased most of the remaining shirts and hats that could not be sold on campus.
With that effort and the effort of the sororities participating, Derby Days became a successful venture for Sigma Chi’s primary philanthropy.
Derby Days is a four-day-long contest in which sororities compete in various events, including ice-block racing down the hill by the Theme Tower, beach volleyball, skits and costume designing.
Umbro said the participation was excellent, despite the lack of external rewards for the women who participate.
“We were happy to see how many girls came out to everything,” Umbro said. “They really don’t win anything except for the satisfaction of winning and donating to the City of Hope.”
Besides purchasing merchandise, sororities could raise money during the coach’s auction, in which Sigma Chi members would present themselves in hopes to receive high bids from various sororities.
Delta Gamma, this year’s runner up, showed its philanthropic spirit by donating $506 to the “Derby Darling” fund. Each sorority showed pictures of various members to entice people to donate money into large water jugs. Although Delta Gamma edged Kappa Kappa Gamma in that competition, Kappa took the overall prize.
Kappa senior Kate Whitfield said she was impressed with Sigma Chi’s efforts.
“The Sigma Chi’s were enthusiastic all week,” she said. “They have a great heart for charity.”
Whitfield said she did not hear any negative comments from members of her sorority regarding the T-shirts.
“I understand if some girls didn’t like it,” she said. “But I thought it was catchy.”
With the success of Derby Days following the spring’s “Run/Walk for Hope,” Sigma Chi has now raised $11,000 for City of Hope in the span of two semesters.
October 23, 2003
