Colleges make peace

One month after a bottle-throwing incident bruised relations between two Atlanta-area schools, Morris Brown College officials are attempting to put the incident behind them — although they’re still awaiting an apology from an Oglethorpe University frat.
“[Morris Brown College President Delores] Cross received a verbal apology from Oglethorpe’s president, Dr. [Larry] Large, and we are satisfied with that,” says Karen Daniel, spokeswoman for Morris Brown. “We’ve discussed holding some joint events like forums on race relations, and we’re looking forward to the letter from the fraternity.”
The incident occurred Sept. 29, when a cross-country meet on Oglethorpe’s campus took runners by the university’s fraternity row. One African-American runner reported having a beer bottle thrown at him, while another said students shouted racial epithets at her.
Oglethorpe officials and fraternity members say the bottle was an empty plastic Gatorade bottle; the Morris Brown student, Kevin Oteg, says it didn’t hurt him but may have interfered with his performance.
Four fraternities were disciplined for their involvement in the incident. Chi Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Phi are on probation — banned from hosting social events — until Dec. 4. Kappa Alpha’s probation extends until May 12, 2001 because one of its members is accused of shouting racial epithets.
Oglethorpe’s Student Judiciary Council ordered Delta Sigma Phi, the fraternity of the bottle-thrower, to write a letter of apology to Morris Brown’s track coach and track team.