Yes, it was.

But with the definition (or lack thereof) of hazing these days, you can still lose your charter for those seemingly harmless things.

Sigma Nu has lost university recognition for no less than 3 years. At the end of 3 years (assuming they get their charter back) they will recolonize and be allowed a position as an associate member of IFC. Before the university will grant them full recognition, they must receive enough votes to be allowed to join IFC as a full member.

At least, that's the way I understand it.

Which is why it's mandatory in our organization that there be semesterly Risk Reduction meetings which are mandatory for all members to attend. We have to have everyone sign a sheet. Said sheet is mailed each semester to HQ.

In other words, there's no excuse for ignorance. Everyone should know that dressing up in a manner not normally publicly acceptable, scavenger hunts, etc. are verboten.

Also, I doubt HQ would close a chapter based on "harmless" evidence as you call it -- even if it were hazing. There are much less extreme ways of dealing with a chapter. I have no inside info, but I tend to think that the only way HQ closes a chapter is when that chapter is not being forthcoming with HQ regarding whatever conspiracy or HQ thinks that the culture of the chapter has become so corrupt that the only way to "fix" the chapter is to take the scorched earth approach, destroy it and then rebuild it.

Quick Question
 

My cousin is a Sigma Chi from WSU. I am just curious as to when they lost their house? I have not taked to him in a while and have not been to campus in years, but last time I heard all the fraternaties had houses.

Sigma Chi has not had a chapter house since I've been on campus (fall 2005). If they did, I assume they sold it when they left campus (I think the group now is a re-colonization, but I could be wrong).

TKE is also unhoused - when they were shut down Phi Kappa Sigma/Skullhouse moved in.

SAE is unhoused as well, but only until December when renovations are complete.

The rest of the WSU fraternities and the NPC sororities (+ Ceres) are housed.

I thought I saw a banner on a house with Sigma Chi's name and Cross on California on the same block as APhi. It wasn't a very big house, but I walked by it on the way to my house.

Oh, maybe! Next time I'm over on California I'll look. I just checked the WSU website and it says "Sigma Chi: Not living in chapter house during reconstruction." So it appears you're right.

It'd be nice to have all the chapters housed again. It seems like a big disadvantage to not have a house when everyone else does.

While I agree. I think it is also important to use situations as educational oportunities. There is no need for groups to repeat the bad decisions and mistakes of others. As a greek community we should be willing to share our mistakes and successes to help improve the greek community as a whole. While it is great for one chapter or group to be great. What good would it be if all the other orgs are struggling or getting closed? Just a thought.

Also, I just began working at WSU and from talking with Greek life staff, there was an investigation (not just pics) and there were previous issues with the chapter. It is very sad though, sa their house is beautiful and they were excelling academically. Again, maybe other chapters can learn from this and when they come back in the future they will be better off if they learn from this experience.

There are a number of chapters at WSU that have begun making some good strides and a few other chapters may be following soon. The Greek life office is doing a great job of making changes to help improve the greek community as a whole here at WSU. I would be careful to qualify or quantify a Greek community based on hearsay and without expereince at the university or in the chapter.

Also, the new president who has just taken office is really dedicated to helping out the Greek community at WSU. Unfortunately, no matter how much a university does for its Greeks many will think they are trying to shut it down are out to get it, etc. Granted a few schools are but most want to have a strong, successful greek community. if they didnt want Greeks, they'd be gone already.

Part of me wishes to believe and think this. But another part does not feel right about "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas".

And yes, I know that there is a great deal of gray.

If one is talking about a chapter house and problems within it, all that is going to happen is that matters will get worse. I am judging that from personal observation and experience.

If you are talking about National matters, policy, procedures, protocol's et al, that is a different matter.

And as part of "the gray" we have seen all to often how little Greek problems become very large, very quickly. And rather public.

In general response to the last few posts, while some matters might rightly be called no one else's business but the organization's, there is also another very important aspect of these sorts of threads. Most college kids believe that these kinds of things (actual consequences for hazing) can never happen to them. These sorts of threads show even when we're talking about elite chapters, the rules still apply.

Maybe there are 2 lessons here:

1) Don't ignore your organization's risk reduction policies; and
2) Don't post things on facebook/myspace/etc. which you wouldn't want your national officers to see.

Actives read this site, chapter advisers (who might not even know what facebook is) read this site, university officials read this site, policy makers read this site. If we can influence any of them, we've done a good thing.

Those of us who have been on GC for 4+ years probably aren't going to learn anything new. There are others who actually do read this site for new ideas that they can bring back to their organizations.

I heard a few days ago that buying the Sigma Nu house is going to run in the $3 million area.... so I guess we'll see if any of the chapters are interested at that price.

It'd really be nice if they could just lease it until they're allowed to recolonize.

Sigma Chi house
 

I realize that a lot of this thread was posted a while ago- In repsonse to Sigma Chi, the fraternity never actually shut down.

In 2004 two things happened:
1) the alumni did some "house cleaning" on some members who were engaging in some inappropriate activities
2) the house was condemned for safety reasons, and torn to the ground.

There was a brief fund raising drive, but when total membership in the chapter dropped to 3 people...well, construction of a new house was put on hold- indefinitely. The chapter never shut down, but growth has been slow (4 years later we have 10 people and two pledges).

Currently, Sigma Chi is located next door to Alpha Phi (in the small white house). The big parking lot in between this house house and pikes' is where the Sigma Chi chapter house used to be. The parking lot is maintained by Sigma Chi.

Update: According to the latest Sigma Nu Delta magazine, the Washington State (Delta Iota) chapter will be coming back on in the Fall of 2009.

Any WSU people around? What happened to their house?

http://www.wsu.edu/%7Esigmanu/reunio...s/image017.jpg

Can someone explain to me how a scavenger hunt is hazing? When I was pledging a fraternity at a school up North, one of the most memorable and enjoyable pledge education events was a scavenger hunt, but with my current fraternity we weren't allowed to do anything like that. (Long story why I've pledged 2 fraternities but I promise it's legit)

Considering the amount of cash they have in it, the house corporation probably rented it out and will continue to do so until Fall '09 (unless they smartly had enough socked away to make the mortgage payments for a couple of years).

That's just speculation on my part.

http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/27356

"This house gives students the opportunity to live in a house with no alcohol, no drugs, no premarital sex, things like that".


I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Wow...that just blows my mind. I find it interesting that they list Muslims and Agnostics as potential residents, but not Jews or Hindus. It isn't a house for Christians, but for followers of Jesus...(paraphrased). Taking away the sleeping porch as a porch is sad, they had heated floors, and in the winter that is amazing.

:confused:

Looks like they are going forward with the re-colonization this coming Fall ('09). Does that mean they are booting out those god people?

http://www.wsusigmanu.com/

I'm guessing that the colony will form and with enough men return to living in the house in fall of 2010 with an established group.

BUT, the article from January said they were owners and bought the house, which seems odd considering getting land for a house is near impossible. Maybe it was a semantics error on the part of the Daily Evergreen reporter. Nu house is still operating this fall according to their website.

The way the website seems to be featuring the house, I'm guessing the Christian group only rented. I can't imagine that a house corp with that much on the line and plans for nearly immediate recolonization would sell the house in these circumstances. Nor would I buy the possibility that some random Christian group would just have a couple million dollars or so sitting around with which to buy the WSU Sigma Nu house.

The only thing that sticks out to me is the article mentions remodeling, especially in regards to the sleeping porches, and that house had massive work done because of the fire in 2000. However men's chapter in the local area have been considering or doing away with sleeping porches and trying to change the living style a bit with bathrooms in suites and what not. It just doesn't jive to spend the money to fix up the sleeping porch and then let the renters remodel.

I really don't find it logical to sell the house considering how there isn't any land to build a new one since the town and school are one and the same now. I am also impressed with the tenacity of the alumni, as this is the second issue with RM in a decade (a kid was found duct taped in a room when the fire happened in 2000). There are news articles about that I can access, but I'm not posting the links as most of you would have to pay, but it is something one can google.

Ok so I know this is an old thread but I'm here to help clear up some questions you guys have had! As far as The Delta Iota colony of Sigma Nu at WSU, we have already begun our re-colonization. This last fall (2009) we recruited 42 men, the largest pledge class on campus, to join the legion of honor. As the last two semesters have gone on we have lost a few members and we had a spring pledge class of 6 which is 3x as large as any other Fraternity on campus. As far as the house is concerned, it burned to the ground in 2001 and was completely rebuilt at a cost rumored to be around $4 million. After the last chapter lost their charter the alumni couldn't afford to keep it without a return on their investments. In steps a very generous alumni from our Epsilon Omicron chapter at USC who decided that he would like to own the Delta Iota house located at 640 NE Campus St. After the first year of owning it and no tenants he decided to remodel the house yet again to be more renter friendly environment; i.e. axing the sleeping porch. The current value of the house is rumored to be in the $5-$7 million dollar range, though with the economy and housing market the way they are I'm not so sure. Anyways, for the last two years the Nu House, as the tenants so affectionately dubbed 640 NE Campus St., has been home to a "faith based living" organization. The current owner of the house has pledged to provide housing for them until the Fall of 2011 when the Delta Iota Chapter will resume living in the house at 640 NE Campus St.