The beautiful building above is Chi Theta Chi, the place that I have called home for the past four years. This house and community are important beyond measurement to me.
I recieved word just over a week ago that Stanford University is revoking our lease. This Spring quarter they plan to integrate Chi Theta Chi into the university system, taking away our independence as one of the only two houses on campus not owned by the university and stripping us of many of the most important features of our home. Some of the University’s reasons for this are unfounded and some are more substantial. All are listed and responded to on our Tumblr page: SaveXOX. Regardless, they sprung this on us without warning and they are not giving us any opportunity to address the concerns that were raised.
Those of you who know me well will understand the significance of this event to me. For those who don’t, I can easily say that this decision and not being there to help mobilize against it has been by far the hardest part of being in Rwanda for me thus far.
Our Alumni Board and the current residents are working incredibly hard to respond to this situation. The outpouring of support from the Stanford student body, friends and family of residents, and XOX Alumni and community members from decades back has been inspirational and a source of supreme pride for me. I am writing this post to ask all of you who care about me and like the person I am to help me save the place that made me this way.
Below is my letter that I sent to the Stanford decision-makers on behalf of Chi Theta Chi. Please read this and consider doing as many of the following as possible:
– Sign our Petition in support of Theta Chi’s independence.
– Write your own letter to the Stanford Housing leadership by following these Instructions.
– Join our facebook group: Keep XOX Weird.
– Read other community letters, view photos, watch the video my amazing friends made, stay updated and learn more at SaveXOX.
– Help us raise money to pay for our lawyer by purchasing Chi Theta Merchandise, also created by current residents, or donating here.
One of the T-shirt/poster designs:
February 14, 2012
Dear_______________,
I lived in Chi Theta Chi from 2007 to 2010 and for me those years encompassed the most formative and beautiful experiences of my entire life. I am deeply saddened by the university’s attempt to revoke the house’s lease.
I can proudly say without a doubt that Chi Theta Chi made me into the person that I am today. The lessons about adulthood, friendship, and life that I learned in that house are innumerable and invaluable. Yes, Chi Theta Chi teaches its residents the same life skills that you learn at other co-ops, how to cook and clean for yourself and the importance of teamwork and community. However, what is unique about Chi Theta Chi, and what you are threatening to take away by revoking our lease, are the lessons about ownership. We own that house and we were reminded of that every day when one of the toilets would break, or the courtyard would flood, or the roof would start to leak. We were the ones who had to figure out how to fix those things, or who we were going to call and how we would pay. That kind of ownership and responsibility creates a pride in where you live and a lasting bond between community members that you cannot replicate.
Furthermore, the community that exists at Chi Theta Chi is unique and valuable and it is directly supported by the responsibility and ownership mentioned above. The degree of diversity and openness in that house does not exist anywhere else on campus. I cannot count on my hands the number of people I encountered in my time there who were ready to leave Stanford before they found that place. Chi Theta Chi allows people to discover and be celebrated for who they are in a way that is rare and crucial to the period of growth we undergo in college.
I think of Chi Theta Chi every single day and knowing that I am still connected to that community through our alumni network is a source of comfort and pride. For me, the Stanford experience is that house and while I am not earning nearly enough yet to make donations, if that community is eliminated, I will not be sending my money to Stanford University in the future.
For all of the reasons above and so many more, I implore you to give the residents and the Alumni Association of Chi Theta Chi the opportunity to address the concerns you have raised. We are willing and capable of making the changes necessary to preserve the independence of this vibrant community and ensure a safe and happy living environment at Chi Theta Chi for generations to come. That place is still home to so many of us and we will all work tirelessly to see that your requirements are fulfilled. Please give us a chance.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Ariel Kapur
BAH International Relations, Class of 2010 Agricultural Assistant, Akilah Institute for Women, Kigali, Rwanda Former Chi Theta Chi Resident and House Manager 2007-2010
Photos from 2009 and 2011 Spring Work Weekends (a quarterly event where we all work on the house from 9am to 5pm for a week in fall and a weekend the the rest of the year – this will be eliminated if the lease is revoked).
That part of the wall that every real home has where everyone measures their heights…
arielinrwanda 