That's the one I was talking about.


ETA: This may just be the finance person in me, but I would also like to know who was paying for this. Buying alcohol for 60 underage girls isn't just illegal and dumb. It's also expensive.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...801170388/1007

Some reactions from the parent of one of the freshmen members.

Parents of banished sorority girls upset

Earlier trouble signs existed before an investigation.

Steve Koehler
News-Leader


The newest members of a Missouri State University sorority banished for hazing and underage drinking are caught in limbo.
Sigma Sigma Sigma members were left without a house to live in, the option of joining another sorority or a way to appeal the decision.


Parents expressed anger Tuesday that the sorority's national council pulled the sorority's charter for four years, leaving their daughters without a second chance to experience sorority life. It's the first sorority on campus to lose its charter.

"My daughter's only crime in this whole mess is that she chose the sorority that now appears to have been a sinking ship," Julie Zvacek wrote in an e-mail to the News-Leader about her daughter Kathryn, a freshman. "MSU and TriSigma should not have offered sisterhood to 59 unsuspecting girls going through recruitment in the fall."

For the record, I think it is unfair to blame Tri Sigma national hq for what happened. Why not blame the sisters who allowed it to happen?

Funny you should ask...Some of the houses look nothing like that, and some of them are off the main row and renting old residential buildings. But all the sorority houses there are really nice.

KSUViolet-

I understand that all of the girls are put on alumni status. I was wondering this scenerio: Tri Sigma has 7 other chapters in Missouri. If one of the sisters decided to transfer to Central MO or Southeast MO next year, could she become an active sister again?

(And before anyone jumps one this, I know that you go to college to get a degree, not join a sorority. I am not suggesting that any of the Beta Beta chapter members do this, it was just a thought that popped into my IFC brain last night.)

But if they were on Alum status, could they then go back to active status? Esapecially under the circumstances?

Average-looking girls FTL.

An article with a little more background and comments:

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...76/1013/NEWS01

Edited to add link for January 23, 2008 editorial in local paper:
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...801230361/1091

I respect Tri Sigma HQ's position. A new member class of 60 and a chapter of 140. I'm sure they are feeling the heat from members, parents and parents' lawyers! Hang tough. It's important to enforce the rules.

And the members still don't get it. Blaming headquarters and the "old rules". Little do they know - those rules aren't all that old. It's a shame they aren't going to learn anything from this.

I can't help but wonder what these women will think of the whole thing in 15 years...

I can't speak for the members, but the new inititiates feel ripped off. They had no idea that the chapter was even in danger of being removed, were never notified that they were on probation, AND feel especially unhappy that Tri Sig was removed only 10 days after they were initiated, thereby effectively ruining their collegiate Greek experience with no chance of pledging elsewhere.

Surely, at the very least, a group should be obligated to let its new members know about probations, etc. We make sure gpa's, costs, etc are available.

Yes, a chapter should let the pledges know about that. But on the other side of the coin - the national office knew when initiation was (or should have) and could have come in and pulled the charter before that or told the chapter that they needed to delay initiation until an investigation could be made.

Both sides are in the wrong, IMO.

:(those poor tri sigmas! why wouldnt they just suspend them socially or something like that. you know community service hours or something??? i just feel so bad for all those girls!

Exactly, 33Girl - I would really like to know the timeline of events regarding their decision to pull this chapter. Where were the chapter advisors? Where were the national reps and what steps were taken that led to this decision? Repeated infractions are usually more commonwith frats who often have less involved advisors (IMO). Surely there was LOTS of interaction between the local campus panhellenic, national and regional officers, etc before this happened. And, if there was, and the members were repeatedly violating the rules, then why were they even allowed to recruit this year? Seems like a punishment like that would have opened a few eyes and got their attention! (not to mention making it common knowledge that this group was in peril)
To my knowledge (and I live in Missouri) a lot of people were blindsided by this decision.