Editor, Daily Nexus,

The decision made by the Office of Student Life and the Greek Affairs office concerning Fight Night will have lasting effects on the community and the greek system as a whole.

I worked very closely with the OSL and Greek Affairs during my four years at UCSB, and as the chapter president of Pi Kappa Alpha in 2003-2004. As a university-affiliated greek system, our focus was to give back to the community and we implemented rules that demanded all houses participate in community service and philanthropic events. Pi Kappa Alpha was always leading the way in this category.

During my time on the Interfraternity Council, we handed out punishments for misconduct but we never thought it would be a good idea to cancel philanthropic events or community service. The fraternity or sororities themselves were the ones who were punished.

I realize that there have been problems with the behavior of some of our brothers at the chapter, and I will not try to avoid any responsibility for that. For punishment, I would suggest increasing the amount of community service, in attempt to show continued commitment to the school and our community. Our house can survive punishments and we are willing to accept them; however, it is the survival of Fight Night – an integral part of the Santa Barbara community – at stake here.

I hope the people behind this decision are aware of the impact of the Say Yes to Kids program on the Santa Barbara community. It’s not just a boxing gym; it also helps kids with schoolwork and provides a safe place to go after school. Our charity to the program every year is integral to its success.

We need to find a solution to this problem that allows us to continue helping a great organization. We need to focus our goal on disciplining the members or Pi Kappa Alpha, not the community and the school, which has grown to adore and depend on this successful event.