Citing a lack of "interest and direction," Susan Marine, coordinator of the Sexual Awareness through Greek Education, disbanded the organization, which was founded to address the problem of sexual assault and abuse.
SAGE operated under the auspices of the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council, which mandated that a representative from each fraternity, sorority and coed house be a part of the group and attend its weekly meetings -- something that Marine said bothered SAGE's members who felt they were "forced to come to the meetings."
Marine said confusion about SAGE's aims led to its lack of action.
"It seemed like the group was spinning its wheels and not accomplishing anything," Marine said. "I began to feel the group existed solely because I and some other administrators wanted it to."
Marine's decision to disband the group was supported by co-chairs Jay Cormier '00 and Posy Evans '99.
"I did not make this decision lightly. I put a great deal of effort into reviving SAGE ... The student vision to hold the group together simply was not there," Marine said.
Cormier, Evans and Greg Neichin '99 are in the process of forming a new group which will address some of the failings of SAGE, Cormier said.
Marine said some members of SAGE wanted to discuss other issues surrounding sexuality and gender. The new group, temporarily called Excellence in Greek Life, will have a broader mandate, Cormier said.
It will deal with issues of respect in three areas -- respect for gender, inter-house respect and intra-house respect, Cormier said.
In the area of gender relations, the group will deal with everything from offensive words to abusive actions, not just sexual assault, he said.
He said he also wanted the group to promote better relations and communication between different CFS houses and within individual houses.
Cormier said EIGL is designed to be run "by Greeks, for Greeks and to be about Greeks."
Membership will be voluntary and each new member will be trained in communication skills, he said.
Cormier said he hopes the initiative will encourage CFS houses to talk more openly about troubling issues.
Cormier said he does not think membership numbers will be a problem and said he hopes to have representatives from 15 to 20 of the 21 CFS houses.
The group will target the Class of 2000 for membership in the fall.
"I am very glad I am Greek, and I want that same feeling to be with everyone," Cormier said.
