Brothers, I have recently been informed of and personally witnessed

misconduct performed by members of Phi Mu Alpha. These actions are of varying

degrees of severity, from not upholding the values of a true Sinfonian, to borderline
sexual assault. Members of other musical organizations on campus, including the
sisters of SAI, members of the marching owls, and fellow students in the school of
music, are starting to see a distorted image of our fraternity due to our actions as
individuals in our brotherhood.
We must remember, as individuals, we represent this fraternity. We represent
a brotherhood of musical students whose goals are to advance music in America.
We represent the mutual welfare and brotherhood of musical students. We
represent not only our chapter, but all Sinfonians across this great country, and we
cannot condone the actions of members in this fraternity.
One member of SAI said to me in confidence, Sometimes I forget youre in
Phi Mu Alpha because youre not a scumbag. [Pause] What does that say about
our chapter? What does that say about our fraternity? What does that say about us?
In our risk management policy, it states that we will not tolerate or condone
any form of sexually abusive behavior or sexual misconduct from its members,
whether physical, mental, or emotional. People are always listening. What we say
when we are standing in the hallway, sitting in the commons, or hanging out in the
music lounge can be heard by anyone who happens to be near. Even under the
guise of humor, any unwanted verbal conduct of a sexual nature can fall under
sexual abuse. If we consistently objectify women and make inappropriate comments
about women, what will other people think about us? It is also important to keep in
mind that sexual abuse is not just a physical action. Under our bylaws, mental and
emotional abuse are prohibited. How we handle our individual relationships with
people outside the fraternity can also contribute to our image. We must remember
to treat people with respect and be true with our intentions. Deceiving people we
work and study with leads to negative images of our brotherhood and destroys
relationships and bonds we build with other musical groups on campus. We also
need to be aware of our social media presence. What we post on the internet,
whether you think its private or not, can always come back to you. Posting
inappropriate pictures objectifying women through mediums such as Facebook,
snapchat, and Instagram, are to be highly discouraged. Let us also remember that
the public objectification of women does not just apply to our peers, but also to
member of our faculty and to strangers.
It is important to remember that our general conduct is also important. I
know many brothers partake in certain activities of varying levels of legality, but it
is important for us to make sure we keep those actions private. We have found
ourselves in a reputation of partiers, even though we are meant to be a
professional fraternity. While I think this will be remedied when we start doing more
events, and show people we are more than a bunch of guys who throw parties, but
it is also important to consider keeping these activities off other peoples radars.
Brothers, I know what we do in our private lives shouldnt affect what people
think about us as a fraternity, but when our private lives start to become public and
tarnishes the reputation of our brotherhood, it must be discussed. These actions can
be even more damaging when it is not just one individual member of our group but
also committee chairs and members of the executive council, people who are
supposed to lead and set example for our brothers. Im sorry that I have to bring
these things up in a time when we are trying to strengthen our bonds of
brotherhood, but these are important issues that will distinguish us from some
music fraternity, to the music fraternity. I am also not nave. I understand that some
of my actions may have contributed to the image our fraternity now holds, but I am
willing to change how I handle myself for the good of the brotherhood. Thank you
brothers, for allowing me to speak with you today, and if possible, I would like to
hear your thoughts on this subject.