UI alumnus and former Greek Life member Morgan Chaffee said she saw a Confederate flag hanging in the window as she drove past Alpha Gamma Rho on Oct. 19. She didn’t have the time to take a picture at the time, but when she returned later, the flag was no longer there.
Chaffee’s boyfriend, a current UI student, saw the flag as well, she said. She said the flag was hanging “in the top floor farthest right window if you’re facing the building.” Benjamin Uptmor, president of AGR, said he ran around the house Oct. 20 looking for the flag but could not find it anywhere. He took photos of the house with timestamps before going to class for the day.
Uptmor searched all members’ rooms at around 6:30 a.m. that day and conducted a more thorough search of the house with executive board members later in the day. He said he contacted AGR’s national organization and their chapter advisor, Zane Gardner, telling them he was aware of Chaffee’s post but did not find a flag.
Gardner then contacted Nick O’Neal, director of UI Fraternity and Sorority Life, and determined the AGR members would have a mandatory meeting to discuss the situation and why they wouldn’t have a Confederate flag in the chapter house.
O’Neal responded to Chaffee on Oct. 21, thanking her for bringing the issue to his attention, encouraging her to reach out to him if any other issues arose and saying his office had “taken immediate action to connect with chapter leadership and their national organization to address this holistically.”
“I have seen people consider (the Confederate flag) as a piece of history and heritage and doesn’t represent hate,” Uptmor said. “And they believe that it is their First Amendment right to be able to fly the flag. The other side that I have seen with the Confederate flag is that it is a symbol of hate. And that it stands (for) oppression and white supremacy. These two very different views make it a sort of grey area in society because there is such a contrast in beliefs instead of one common thought about it.”
Uptmor said he’d be willing to have a conversation with Chaffee about the issue. Chaffee was not contacted again after O’Neal’s email, but she said she plans to reach out to the Greek council about the issue. She hopes the university will hold AGR responsible for their actions.
“It’s very sad that members of (AGR) are refusing to acknowledge their own blatantly racist displays and would rather dispute the issue instead of solving it,” Chaffee said.
After talking with Uptmor, Gardner also contacted AGR’s national organization. Uptmor said they believed AGR was taking steps in the right direction and did not see the need to step in.
“We never want to see allegations like this happen against our house,” Uptmor said. “This one was an untrue statement made about us, but it’s also a chance for us to learn as well and further educate ourselves on why issues like this should not be an issue.”
One of AGR’s vice presidents, Anthony Buzzetti, is the student Chaffee accused of displaying the flag in his window. He said he’s had the same gray blanket in the window as a blind for the past two years. He believes the house and a lot of its members wouldn’t stand for the Confederate flag or anything like it.
“This issue took a lot of my attention off of schoolwork because it was so stressful and hurtful,” Buzzetti said. “It deeply saddened me that we would be accused of such thing. As far as my leadership position, it just adds more unwanted work to my plate that I didn’t need with this already stressful semester.”
Dean of Students Blaine Eckles said UI’s goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome. He said diversity is highly important to the university and he wants to help facilitate discussions when students feel excluded for any reason.
Chaffee said she enjoyed her time in the Greek system because of how much it emphasized diversity.
Eckles was pleased when he heard about how AGR addressed the issue, saying one of the best ways to solve problems like this is through civil discourse, which helps students understand how their actions impact others.
This is not the first time UI has had an issue regarding Confederate flags, Eckles said. He mentioned a truck driving around campus with one. To his knowledge, though, it doesn’t happen often. It’s been an issue within both Greek Life and residence halls, but it has not resulted in any disciplinary action. Greek Life chapter facilities are independently owned private property, but leaders coordinate with UI on certain issues to inform and educate their members on inclusivity.
“It’s a great opportunity to help students understand the different viewpoints and perspectives,” Eckles said. “Our job is to help facilitate that understanding and growth for students so they see how their actions, while not intending to impact others, definitely can and do impact others at times.”
Kim Stager can be reached [email protected].