Editor's note: Erica Lizarrago is the current Spartan Daily Arts and Entertainment editor.
Members of Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) sorority house at San Jose State University demanded that its headquarters address binding housing contracts and racial injustices during a news conference last Wednesday.
Sorority members are requesting that AOII headquarters be transparent about its budget, financial accessibility and create an agency to oversee development in international fees.
Delta Sigma Phi SJSU members and San Jose/Silicon Valley National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gathered in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in solidarity with the SJSU AOII collegiate members.
“We understand that [AOII headquarters] is charging $3,500 for annual membership this year despite the fact that San Jose State University has transitioned to online classes,” Rev. Jethroe Moore II, San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP president, said.
He added that the AOII headquarters, which is located in Brentwood, Tennessee, is not being transparent about where the membership dues will go. He said the headquarters should strongly consider that 73% of the members of Delta Sigma are unemployed students and 43% are low-income, which means many may not be able to afford extra costs right now.
AOII chapter member Erica Lizarrago said the demands must be met if the sorority wishes to make chapter membership more accessible to all collegiate members and students, especially those who identify as Black, indeginious, people of color (BIPOC), undocumented, first generation or low-income.
“Budget clarification, meaning that headquarters must inform members of the legal weight of all financial contracts requesting legal signatures and that they produce an accurate list of any and all third-party collection agencies it uses to collect debt on our members and to what credit bureau,” Lizarrago said, when referring to the first demand.
She said that any excess funds that AOII does not use through the academic year, which consists of supporting events and membership programs, is allocated back to headquarters. However, headquarters “have failed to provide [AOII] with any evidence as to where this money goes and what it’s being used for.”
AOII is also demanding that the headquarters needs to provide disclosures of all financial transactions between it and Delta Sigma, as well as reporting all wages and earnings the headquarters makes.
Thirdly, AOII is asking to be allowed to make informed financial decisions such as refuting costs that do not meet the needs of their financial or current health situation during the coronavirus public health crisis and thereafter.
“I find it very suspect that financial gain would be put in front of the actual health and safety of our students,” said William Armaline, co-founder of the SJSU Human Rights Institute. “I unapologetically support their efforts to both remain involved in their organizations and in their school activities and also care for their health and the health of their loved ones and family members.”
Brendan Quock, Associated Students vice president and Delta Sigma Phi fraternity member, said the values of the National AOII website states that they will strive to in no way sacrifice the best interest of the universities for the advancement of the fraternity.
He added that if these are the values of AOII headquarters, then AOII collegiate members should not be in this predicament.
“Through this situation, I can only see the hypocrisy and lack of trust coming from the national headquarters,” Quock said.
Moore II said that while there is no explicit evidence that race is a factor in this situation, San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP and AOII collegiate members will be looking into it.
“We understand that the corporation is directed by all white women, in the state of Tennessee,” he said. “Mistreating people here will not be tolerated or allowed.”
This resonated with Lizarrago who said she did not come from generational wealth and has to struggle through college.
“The issues of finances does not come without addressing the systemic oppressions of our institutions including this very organization,” Lizarrago said. “As long as they don’t address this, colleges, universities and great communities will remain primarily white.”
Terra Walls, vice president of Silicon Valley NAACP youth branch and SJSU Alpha Xi Delta alumna, said the coronavirus has created unprecedented hardships everywhere and, while a pandemic like this is far from predictable, it shouldn’t be handled by greek organizations as poorly as it is now.
“Our organizations are supposed to be our homes, full of the cultural understanding and awareness that we can't find elsewhere,” Walls said. “[AOII headquarters] has refused to allow its members out of their contracts, therefore binding them to inescapable financial ruin.”
