TIGERS DROP
FIRST CAA MATCH
TO DELAWARE
Page 24
Fraternity, Sorority Life aims to integrate LGBT members
JEREMY BAUER-WOLF
Arts & Life Editor
When Steve Crndele graduated high school, he almost
immediately formed a niche for himself in the Towson com¬
munity.
He held a Student Government Association position,
worked as a Community Center worker,
and participated in several student orga¬
nizations, all the while harboring what
he said was his secret: he is gay.
"I was over-involved,” he said. "I used
it as a way to try and meet people, but
not get close to them. I did it as a way to
distance myself from reality.”
But Crndele avoided one aspect of
campus life — he chose to distance him¬
self from Greek organizations. He said
he thought no one would give him a bid
because of his sexual orientation.
In his sophomore year, Crndele was
made aware of Pi Kappa Alpha, a new
fraternity on Towson's campus that
recruited brothers based on the principles that everyone
is important and everyone has experiences to contribute.
Crudele was impressed and secured a bid.
He returned home for winter break, still wrestling with
the idea of revealing his true identity. But some news put
his life in perspective: Sandi Vanderpool, his high school
mentor, had cancer and would likely die within the year.
"I found out she'd known that I was gay the entire time,
but her yearbook message to me was to ‘live to free up my
anxieties and live life and enjoy it," he said. "I took that
message with me, and I wasn't sure
what to do with it”
More than a year later, Crudele
took Vanderpool's advice. The
seniorfunctions as an out gaymanin
his fraternity and formed the Greek
Alliance Program, an organization
designed to educate Greek commu¬
nity members about lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender issues.
“We want this to be a nation¬
ally recognized benchmarking pro¬
gram," Director of Fraternity and
Sorority Life Matthew Lenno said.
“It is needed in the Greek commu¬
nity and the community at large. In
general, I have seen many atrocities done toward or against
students/people that are LGBT [lesbian, gay,
See LGBT, page 18
If 10 percent of
the population is gay,
then 10 percent of
Greek life is gay, and
with 1,300 students
in Greek life, that’s
130 gay members.
STEVEN CRUDELE
Pi Kappa Alpha brother ,
Greek Alliance Program founder
Pi Kappa Alpha's Policy
The Lambda 10 Project, started in 1995, works with fraterni¬
ties and sororities to develop inclusive polices that eliminate
sexual orientation intolerance and educate on sexual orienta¬
tion issues in the college Greek community, according to the
Project's website.
“Each chapter shall make a good faith effort
to recruit and pledge students representing
varied backgrounds. Each chapter shall not
discriminate in recruitment or in membership
on the basis of race, color, creed, national
origin, disability, sexual orientation or
religious affiliation.”
Other Towson University fraternities and sororities with
Lamda 10 Project “OUT in Front" policies: Delta Delta Delta,
Delta Sigma Phi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Sigma Kappa, Phi Sigma
Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Have an eating disorder?
Or know someone who does?
Get the facts on eating disorders b their treatment in a public lecture
Wednesday, November 2, at 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Jennifer Moran of the Sheppard Pratt Center for Eating Disorders
will speak on eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia,
at the Church of the Redeemer, 5603 North Charles Street.
For further information, please contact the church at 410-435-7333.
