Exactly! There is a balance of power in many chapters. Day to day affairs are run by undergrads. Alums step in on matters of survival! Without a strong alumni base stupid decisions could kill many chapters. You need well-grounded (sometimes more mature) individuals to be able to step in and take care of business when it needs to be tended to. I've seen the positive fruits of this relationship in other chapters being saved. When you graduate it is every bit still your chapter as it once was. You just serve it in a different fashion.

I agree though... alums serving in the capacity of selection? Dude.. move on!

If you know anything about Sigma Chi you will notice a lot of similarities between Sigma Chi and Sigma Chi Omega...they used to be a petitioning colony until they were denied by our IHQ. Here is a article from IHQ. It was a very good read and reassuring.

SIGMA CHI & REALITY TV
MTV’s Fraternity Life Sigma Chi Omega has no affiliation with Sigma Chi Fraternity


The fraternity Sigma Chi Omega portrayed on MTV’s Fraternity Life has no relation to the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The local fraternity at the University of Buffalo did apply at one time to become a petitioning local of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, but its application was denied.

Sigma Chi is watching Fraternity Life carefully and will take neccessary action if it is determined that Sigma Chi's licensed trademark rights have been violated. The use of the name Sigma Chi Omega and the colors do not currently violate these rights.


MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND CONSUL REGARDING MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF FRATERNITY LIFE


Did The Bachelorette portray a realistic dating experience? Did the Joe Millionaire ladies love Evan Marriott for his class and quick wit? Does NBC’s upcoming Who Wants to Marry My Mom? sound like a good idea?

I feel assured that you responded, “No” to each question.

I also presume that you would answer the same when asked whether Animal House, Old School, and MTV’s Fraternity Life accurately portray your fraternity experience. Let’s face it: Reality television isn’t very real.

The problem is that people believe that these shows accurately portray fraternity life today. Unfortunately, the proper portrayals of fraternity life are not sufficiently sensational for mass media consumption. As a result, the general public accepts a parody of Greek life as truth. In a sense, it may be easy to accept these programs as just another negative media stereotype. However, Sigma Chi is not about passive victimization – we are about action!

We must help ourselves and be the ones to accurately and honorably represent our Fraternity to the outside world. We can do this by constantly and proudly living up to the obligations we took upon ourselves. We can do this by continuously representing ourselves and our Sigma Chi values as honorable and good citizens in our respective communities. We can do this by living up to our potential and reaching for our goals and not lowering ourselves to shoddy media portrayals.

We must respond with integrity and class to ensure that Sigma Chi and the ideals it represents are not tarnished by third-party representation. Represent yourself and our Fraternity well. Through your individual and brotherhood activities keep accomplishing incredible philanthropic feats. Keep raising your GPAs. Keep giving of yourself to others. Let’s take this as an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the values and ideals we strive to embody. Rest assured you can count on me, as I will on you.

Godspeed and In hoc,
~Doug Carlson

This was already mentioned a couple of times upthread - I archived the frat's "history" page on my website (before they removed it), and they were essentially denied a chapter because the greek system at UB is dismal. Up until right before the show was filmed, they were still trying to get that charter - even after the denial. As has also been mentioned several times, there is no way they'll get one now.

what the hey???
 

why is the only black pledge's pledge name "token"?:eek:
what is going to happen when they show that on tv? i can think of a whole bunch of people who already aren't too happy and are probably going to get a lot more unhappy.
(Muchas gracias to Tap that Keg, Dude where I learned this info and am I hopelessly devoted to:) )

Re: what the hey???
 

:confused:

"Sir yes sir" ??? :eek:

Here's a good line up question...

"When did Sigma Chi Omega lose their recognition from the University for hazing on national television?"

Did anyone in this chapter have an I.Q. bigger than their shoe size and think this might be a bad idea?

Ok, Earl is a crazy mo' fo'. I'm scuuuuuured of him! :p Um, they need to kick Steve's ass out :mad:

Re: what the hey???
 

Awww, thanks Excelsior301!

Yeah - I wondered about that. You'd think that with the cameras at least they'd tried to be a little more couth, and not destroy the little diversity they have by singling out their black pledge as "Token".

Yeah, lol.

I hope you DIE! :mad:;)

Is that a rhetorical question? :p

I sat in front of my television saying the same thing

:)

Yeah, Earl is insane in the membrane! LOL Steve does need to be kicked to the curb. How are you going to let the girls in two minutes after being told not to? Any idiot could tell you Big Ron was coming back around the corner. And then he says "I'm not much of a follower, I'm more of a leader".:rolleyes: Well Steve, you're going to be LEADING yourself out of the pledge process if you continue. Plus, he lies too much for me. He should hook up with Karissa from SL2.:p

I started busting up when I heard that. How immature is that!?!
I think I was laughing the whole show, it is so dumb its entertaining!I love it.

How cute was it that Tim's mom and g-ma made their lil pledge shirts!! I was like ahhhhhh...then he blamed the hole in shirt on grandma! Timmy don't blame Grandma!!

Last week I thought Alum Ron was scary, but now I hella like him! Man, steve set himself up for that one. (I was cheering when they were all, lets drive around the corner and come back.)

Can't wait to see what comes next.. :cool:

duh....
 

lots of stupidity and immaturity at work here...
steven, oh steven, did you not have a notion that big ron would be back?
and let's talk about the ladies...sheesh

Re: Re: what the hey???
 

Knowing these guys, they probably didn't do it to be mean... they named him after the character from South Park, which is common around Buffalo, across the fraternities, there are a lot of guys who are named after characters from the Simpsons, King of the Hill, and South Park. They probably didn't get the subtle satire Parker & Stone were going for when they named the character

Recap for PM Mama:

The pledges already have a strike against them because they are late getting to wherever they need to be. They have to go to the study hours and "sets" together. Steve is always late and causing them all to be late.

Steve has a serious attitude problem. He says he wants to pledge and complete the process but he continues to do his own thing. Ron (Alum) pulls up and sees a group of girls getting ready to go in the house. He tells Steve, NO GIRLS. Steve is like, "ok cool" Ron drives around the block and guess what....Steve has let the girls in. Steve is also supposed to be at these little gatherings in which the pledges and brothers can get to know each other and talk about stuff. Steve barely comes and used lame excuses. When he was explaining why to a brother, his voice began to rise and he let a curse word fly. The brother was pissed and said, "don't ever talk to me like that again." The other pledges are trying to work with Steve to get him on track.

Earl is an only child...he's spoiled...and has a MAJOR temper problem. The other pledges hate it when he drives because he has road rage. They were on their way somewhere when Earl was talking to his Mom on the phone. Earl told everyone to be quiet and not curse. Earl cut some women off and Tim yelled out the window, "moooove bitch, get out the way!" Then some guys in the back thought it would be funny to say the F word. Earl got pissed and when he hung up from his Mom, he slammed on the breaks and crushed a soda can. He went off! Tim and Earl got into it and Earl wished death upon Tim. Nice.

In the nightly "sets" George asked the pledges to dress alike with shirts that were half yellow, half dark blue/black. Tim's grandma and Mom made them. In the basement, the brothers quiz the pledges on information they should know.

Hmm, that's all I can remember right now. I'm sure a funny recap will be up on Double Sweetie.

I was LOL at the entire episode...what kind of pledges are these?? Why are they bothering with this if they are not taking it seriously?

I was screaming at Steve, "Would you do better!!" I do not care for Steve right now. Get it together Steve!!! Earl was also a HOT mess...road rage is not necessary, bruh. I believe it's time for you to have your nap and juice...you are acting like a little kid!

As for filming what's going on during "set"...not necessary. You have just signed your death certificate at UB. Straight hazing there...

I don't even know where to begin. My feelings range all the way from being supremely entertained to :eek:! I'm sure we'll be hearing ANY DAY NOW about their recognition being yanked.

Wow. Just wow.

Re: Re: Re: what the hey???
 

No doubt, but like I said, you'd think that with the cameras there they would have been more savvy about that. I never accused them of being anything but stupid - using a pledge name like that is dumb anyway, but on camera is nothing short of stupendously stupid.

I am sitting here watching the reruns of FL. I am thinking how can Alex pretend that he is this all knowing person about pledging and giving his opnion about Earl and how he should "embrace" the pleding process.:rolleyes: As I recall, Alex was the one that depladged or did not accept his bid once before because his girlfriend did not want him to. Now it seems, from previews, that she is going to either ruin the pledge process for Alex. Hopefully he will take his own advice and drop her.

so how many episodes do you think we will see before they lose recognition?

i think that article from sigma chi is great!!!!

Are we starting to take bets yet of how many pledges are going to be left standing at the end of the semester?

Can I join the pool if we do start to take bets?

Yes, so I can have him! I think he's hot!:D

Before the season started, I had heard there were pledges, 6 of whom depledged... but MTV has only shown 11 pledges. I saw the other 2 "ghost pledges" in episode 2 - and put together some info about them here. Who are these guys - and why didn't MTV just acknowledge them??

Interesting . . .

I would assume it's mostly just because they were boring and MTV didn't want another couple of Dedes taking up space. We're already following a lot of the pledges and probably MTV didn't want us to get unnecessarily concerned with two guys who weren't going to affect the "plot." And maybe they'll show up later . . . in SL1 we didn't really get to see any of the non-pledge house pledges until the infamous "Sylvia slapped meeee" episode.

Probably several reasons for the Ghost Pledges.
 

[list=1][*]They were way boring.[*]They were smart enough to not sign the release.[*]They rushed to become part of SXO not FL so they DP'd. Maybe they'll go through next semester.[/list=1]

Course none of that explains why Mtv would say 11 bids out of 18 rushees were given if it was in fact 13. But this also brings me back to the question of who actually made the 90% cut. If 13 of 18 (or would it actually be 20?) were cut in the first vote I'd be pretty annoyed if you then turn around and bid 13.

Texas-Gal~
You should check to see if you can spot the Ghost Pledges in any of the rush scenes. Or the waiting to be interviewed scenes.

Get as mad as you like, but this stuff was filmed on and off campus last semester. They are a local fraternity, they don't have to follow University Hazing guidelines, just the state law. Most colleges are more strict than the state law, yet in ROTC and athletics the activities go unpunished. I don't see anything wrong with the lineups and verbal discipline of the pledges so far. In fact, I'd go as far to say that they are doing (or should I say did) a swell job in pledging the new guys. There has been no physical violence, no alcohol pressured on them, just good old traditional rule enforcement.

I don't see any reason for the University to pull their recognition just because of push-ups and yelling, get over yourself, this is not hazing...


- RUgreek

It's kind of a discussion without a possible resolution when we aren't even approaching the definition of what we are discussing from the same angle. My fraternity's definition (and most NIC, maybe all) specifically includes activities such as pushups, lineups, etc.

Before we can argue whether or not it's hazing it would be helpful to be arguing about the same thing :D

If you take what national orgs describe as hazing to be the true definition of it then you'd be pretty hard pressed to say what they do doesn't constitute hazing.

Good point. It's just my opinion, didn't mean to start a ruckus. However, other people here seem so bent on these guys getting nailed because of their choice of a pledge program. Whether it's hazing or not, I don't think people here should be judging them as a bad fraternity just because they don't have everyone's version of a "perfect" program.


- RUgreek

My viewpoint is from University recognition. They are a U Buffalo recognized organization. Therefore they have to follow University policies if they wish to maintain recognition. Also individual members are subject to University discipline. Check out the website at http://www.greeklife.buffalo.edu/announcements.shtml

It states that these students will be held accountable by the University for their actions.
It doesn't matter whether they are a local or a national organization.

I'm still not getting this entire reality TV thing... oh well

Our pledge program looks nothing like that. It seems really really dramatized,

BTW, do they show them doin' any community service or philanthropy. 'cause that's a BIG part of my fraternity.

Re: I HATE THE THEME SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Okay, I'm seeing that quite a few people think that Alex is a puss b/c he threw up. Okay, well here's a thought, maybe he was stressed. SO he has this control freak of a girlfriend, which I completely agree he should just dump the selfabsorbed whine girl--but, ya know. But haven't ANY of you been so STRESSED out that you've made yourself sick? I know I have.


As for Ron, don't you people have chapter advisors? They are alum! Come now!

None of them. They'll all be down on the floor doing push-ups. :p

In the commercials this weekend they were using the "Sigma Chi" name again...but I think that all of the "I love you" stuff that they are spoofing (re:Alex) in the commercials is hilarious.

Re: Re: I HATE THE THEME SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Only two excuses for a guy to throw up, too many shots on 21st birthday and scarfing down 3 day old burritos.

3 day old burritos?! uck! Yea, I can see how that would make anyone sick!

I wouldn't take any bets, b/c they probably won't make it through the pledging process--they keep screwing up!

Re: Re: Re: what the hey???
 

Sorry, but I don't believe that lame excuse. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but anyone who doesn't understand the use of the word "Token" in a context of race and diversity (whether it's something they saw on SouthPark or not) shouldn't be in college. I could MAYBE accept, "Oh it's just a joke amongst brothers and Mr. Token isn't offended"... but assuming that they are ignorant of the words connotations beyond a cartoon television show is too much.

Re: Re: I HATE THE THEME SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I have been so stressed that I was physically effected but never so stressed that it made me throw up.

The reason I think he's a puss is because he doesn't have the cajones to tell his girlfriend "I want to pledge, I'm going to pledge, deal or move on." (Hell, even if he just said it to save face, I'd feel better about it.) He's never onced professed his love for her so therefore he's to much of a puss to cut the relationship loose and be free. Maybe he's been in that relationship so long that he's scared to move on.

eta
RE Token

Stephen is far from the only minority. And unless Aaron is not just a lighter skinned black man, then it's just (imho) an allusion to the only dark skinned kid on South Park. (I won't argue that it's bad taste though, cause, it is.)