Since Chancellor Kent Syverud announced the suspension of the Theta Tau fraternity on Wednesday morning, The Daily Orange has published 33 news stories, 16 letters to the editor, six videos, four editorials and three photo galleries, including two videos that were fuel for the initial suspension.

As The D.O. continues to pursue coverage related to the videos and the fraternity’s expulsion, The Daily Orange Editorial Board encourages members of the Syracuse University community to contribute ideas, leads and tips for stories regarding the Theta Tau incident and the larger culture of individual and institutional discrimination on and near the SU campus.

The D.O. Editorial Board recognizes the importance of community activism in combating bigotry, prejudice and racism at the university. We also recognize that our majority-white staff has a limited perspective on stories to explore amid the wave of activism — especially that of the student coalition Recognize Us — that has emerged in the wake of the campus-wide email Syverud sent Wednesday announcing Theta Tau’s suspension.

If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts on Theta Tau, on-campus discrimination, institutional racism or The D.O.’s coverage, please consider sharing a 400-word-or-less letter to the editor with our Opinion staff by emailing opinion@dailyorange.com. The D.O.’s full letter to the editor policy can be found here.

If you have any tips or information related to the Theta Tau investigation, feel free to fill out this form, or email our News staff at news@dailyorange.com. Please also reach out about stories regarding ableism, assault, discrimination, harassment, homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia — stories that go beyond Theta Tau and demonstrate the extent of hateful acts and sentiments at SU. The D.O. partnered with ProPublica on its Documenting Hate project in November to show the community that we want to share these stories. You can also submit tips through the Documenting Hate form on dailyorange.com.

In a campus-wide email Saturday, Syverud responded to the second Theta Tau video published by The D.O., which showed students inside the Theta Tau house miming the sexual assault of a person with disabilities. Syverud wrote that he was “deeply concerned about how the continuing exposure to hateful videos is causing further hurt and distress to members of our campus community who are still dealing with the last public display of bigotry and hatred.”

Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado also sent a campus-wide email that evening providing an update on the investigation into Theta Tau, writing: “In addition, my office will not be party to the distribution of this hateful and hurtful content.”

The D.O. Editorial Board believes SU community members and those affected by the Theta Tau videos have a right to know about the hateful behavior taking place in a house neighboring Syverud’s own home. We believe these videos are powerful indicators of the extent of the campus’ problem with harassment and discrimination, and we will continue to pursue coverage of that problem, which will be “hateful” and “hurtful” regardless of whether it’s covered up.

The D.O.’s independence from the university allows it to report on stories that expose the ugly discrimination that is unfortunately part of the collegiate experience for many students with marginalized identities. As an editorial board, we hope members of these communities and members of the SU community at large will help The D.O. uncover those stories that are under the radar and deserve to be told.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.

Published on April 23, 2018 at 12:08 am