Letters
"Now that the joke has been had..."

Our Big Fat Greek Mistakes
I just wanted to make a comment about the "Geeks Go Greek" article (October/02). The story missed one sorority and one fraternity. Sigma Lambda Gamma, a Latina sorority, was chartered at the U of C around 1994. Therefore, it was the third sorority activated on campus. The Delta Gammas originated after SLG had already been reactivated in 2000. Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity, a Latino fraternity, was chartered in 2000, I believe. Both are still active on campus.

Nubia Chaidez, AB'99
Chicago

The Rho chapter of the national sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma is indeed active, as is the Alpha Zeta chapter of Lambda Upsilon Lambda, whose members come from the U of C, Columbia College, DePaul University, and Loyola University.-Ed.

While reading "Geeks Go Greek," I think I discovered a big error. On page 30, the article says: "In 1983 Phi Kappa Psi became the first new fraternity on campus in 60 years." My husband lived in the Phi Psi house on the corner of 56th and Woodlawn during his graduate school years, 1964-66, and we are under the impression that at that time Phi Kappa Psi was an active fraternity, although my husband was only a boarder. Better check that fact.

Also, on page 61, "From Our Pages," under "1912" at the end of the paragraph it is stated that "Stagg Field was torn down in 1957 to make room for Regenstein Library." Sorry, I remember Stagg Field still extant in 1965 when I was a freshman, and I recall soccer games on the field as well as going to the bookstore or some sort of science supply store underneath the wall bordering 57th Street. Regenstein wasn't built until about 1970 or 1971, at which time I was a secretary for the Graduate Library School, which moved into the new Regenstein (southeast wing).

Oops, please check your facts.

Ruth Meszaros, AB'69
Ladysmith, Wisconsin

The Illinois Beta chapter of Phi Kappa Psi dates to January 1, 1865, and the Old University of Chicago. The chapter died, and revived, with the old University, reactivating on January 6, 1894. By 1962 it had disappeared from the pages of the Cap and Gown, though the fraternity continued to own its house at 56th & Woodlawn until the McCormick Theological Seminary moved there in the 1970s. Although the Beta chapter re-reactivated in 1983 and rejoined the national group in 1985 it is again inactive.

As for Stagg's demise, our writer conflated two facts: on August 15, 1957, demolition of the West Stand (home of the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction) began. The Stagg Field walls remained standing for another decade or so; indeed, Scot Campbell, AB'73, wrote, "As a student entering in 1969, I remember collecting pieces of the old Stagg Field."-Ed.

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