Last week, a letter to the editor entitled “Disrespected Vets” (Nov. 15) caught my eye. As president of Phi Sigma Kappa, I would like to offer my apologies to Emily Cummins for the way a member of my fraternity acted toward her uncle. My fraternity stands for principles that bind me to respond to any situation bringing Phi Sigma Kappa or the Greek community into disrepute. One such principle, the one we taught our new members on the morning of Nov. 11, is brotherhood.

Twice a year, my fraternity congregates at the Vietnam Memorial to honor our brother Robert V. Gray, a beloved veteran and brother who died in the Vietnam War. We also gather to instill in our prospective members what it means to bond with another person – like the bonds veterans and those they fought with typically develop.

Since the wall is a public memorial, we understand anyone can view it. If a family or group of veterans wishes to view the memorial, and they come during our event, one member usually explains our event and politely asks them to return in 15 minutes. If they insist that they be allowed to view the memorial immediately, we oblige and pause until they are finished.

Unfortunately on the morning of Nov. 11, such a situation occurred and was not handled appropriately. For this, I apologize to Cummins and offer condolences to her uncle for the loss of the brothers he fought with in Vietnam.

-Barron Gati
senior