F ap An Open Letter to the Fenn State Community The spint of Penn Statcis special and undeniable. We all have seasons for falling n love wath this university and its community, ani anyone who has exper enced what t means to be ¢ Nittany Lion val tell you—chaosing Penn Siate is one of she best decisions of hear lives Seventy-five days ago, ou Pean State family csperienced heart-wrenching tragedy when we lost onc of cour avn, The freternity community continues to send its thoughts aad prayers tothe family ofTira Fiszza, We ate sorry for your wemendous loss. The fraternity experience failed your soa We are commitied to cnacting significant measures to increase safety and enance accountability voughout cur community. We cannot do this lane and need the support of the Penn State family we love so much, To President Barrow We went to works with you to address critica issacs through measures we now arenccessary. We arcreadyto change, but transformation cannct hapoen without peitacrship and a villingness to listen to and werk with one ancther, Instead of talking through open letersi the media— i's diseppointing we have to communicale in this manuer—anect with us, work with us, and colleborate with us. We are your students, too. We also need consistent support om the University with « eterits/sorority life staff focused on the nerds of one of the largest Greek communities in the counisy We appreciate the support ofthe current siall but itis extremely concerning our communisy has been without a full-time Director of Fret=nity, sand Sorority Lif for almost two years. We have one of the least supparied commuitics, not only in the Big 10, but the cotire country. Further, rauch of what has been tried inthe past has been focused on top-down, universty-man dated policy or programs After promising to engagc usin critical change conversations, yot again, sacininistrators passed down mote edicts without student input, We may have fallen short in the past, but for culturd change to occu. studeats must be atthe core of those effais through meaningful gattacrship We Are a community 0f8,000 sindetis, and inside that community ies the solution, Because we have ‘agein boon cat out of the process, it will be cwen harder io orcat> ovenership for change. To the Fraternity/Sorority Community; We need to mae real change, and each member musi share responsibility inthat. We oeed! to work together across chapters and councils and begin to have the difliculs dialogue to address the issues of alcohol abuse, hazing and sexual musconduct that plague Pema State We ust tbe responsibility for our community and cau no longer make excuses for bal bchavior‘To the Penn State Student Body: We Are Penn State, Many of the challenges we have in the fraternity and sorority community exist in varying degrees throughout the university. Beyond us, they exist across college campuses, but Penn State can and must be better. Change willbe difficult, and it will take We are committed to partnership with any organization or group of students who share our desire to ‘ereate meaningfal change, ‘To Penn State Alumni: We need your help and mentorship. Thank you to those who have supported us and continue to invest in the Penn State fraternity experience. Much has changed over the past decades, ‘but we continue to need active alumni to serve as advisors, coaches and mentors. Before we arrived in Happy Valley, Penn State chose us to be students, to be part of this family. We Are ‘committed to living up to the responsibility that comes with that privilege. We ask that President Barron, the fiaternity/sorority community, the student body, and alumi join us in a commitment to work together {0 address these problems. ‘The leadership of the Interfraternity Couneil has one overarching goal—to ensure we never again need to ‘order 1,500 candles fora vigil for one of our beloved peers. Taking responsibility for our challenges is the first and only way to start significant change. Itis time to stop trying to save reputations and repeating the ‘same failed approaches, because that will not make Penn State a better and safer place. Its time to adress these problems head on, together. We Are willing o take accountability. We Are Penn State Sincerely, ‘The Penn State Interfraternity Council Executive Board