Yeah I'm aware it's illegal, that is just what I think one of the flaws in the law is. It just seems like an oxymoron to me. You can beat someone in the street and if they drop the charges it's over you know what I'm saying. It's interesting that that option doesn't exist in this law.

Hazing laws are very shady....I think we can all agree on that. I do think that HQs who are investigating hazing incidents are going to look at what was being done and evaluate on a case by case basis. Just because the action is considered hazing doesn't mean they are going to rip your charter off the wall and put a black cloth over it.

....power and prestige of the chapter involved are going to play some roles too.

Pike has been vacant for less than a year... Last I heard there was some dispute with their House Corp. and the university over usage. I know there are plenty of unhoused GLO's who would love to have the land, if not the house and I hope they resolve it soon. Are the letters still on the Pike house?

The other problem is that the Pike house is in such bad shape that many of the unhoused GLO's won't pay the money to fix it or bulldoze it even if Pike Nationals relinquishes control of it. From what I hear, the SAE house is in good condition so I'm curious to see which fraternity buys it...if any of them do.

I'm sure it's been said, but they're shutting UCF SAE down.

The Pike house is empty because it is not up to code from hurricane damage etc. The leases at SAE are still being honored, noone is being forced to move out.

The press release posted on Sigma Alpha Epsilon's IHQ web site says:

Press Releases

Central Florida Chapter Closes
ORLANDO, FL – The Sigma Alpha Epsilon headquarters has closed its chapter at the University of Central Florida. This move comes as a result of hazing allegations that took place on October 26, 2006. All members of the chapter are now considered suspended, and the pledge class will be disbanded. In addition, the board of directors will seek to revoke membership rights from those members who took part in the incidents at the chapter house that night.

University of Central Florida administrators support the decision and continue their investigation. The chapter must still appear before a university judicial board, where it may face further sanctions. In addition, university law enforcement may come forth with charges against individual chapter members.

The decision comes on the heels of an ongoing investigation by the fraternity headquarters after officials reviewed university police reports detailing hazing and other inappropriate behavior. Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s leadership will not condone behavior that violates risk-management policies or the general guidelines for chapter operations. Details in the police report disturb fraternity leaders.

“These types of behavior go against everything we stand for, especially being gentlemen,” said Brandon Weghorst, spokesman for the headquarters. “But we’re taking it a step further. We plan to make an example of this chapter by revoking membership from a large number of brothers. Hazing will not be tolerated, and their actions will suffer consequences.”

A chapter advisor who lives in Orlando notified members in person on Wednesday of the closure. The chapter’s charter will remain suspended, not revoked, for an indefinite period of time. Depending on what university officials decide, Sigma Alpha Epsilon may choose to return with a new group of students in several years.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon operates 215 chapters across the country. The chapter at the University of Central Florida is classified as the Florida Epsilon chapter.

http://www.sae.net/?r=newsroom&sr=pr...=115&art_cat=2

Among other things. There were some structural modifications made to the house, beams removed to make a loft, load bearing walls compromised etc etc etc that (from what the fire marshall told me) have contributed to the house being deemd "unsafe". It needs a lot of work.

The SAE house isn't in bad shape, before I graduated Theta rushed out of there. (I should mention that the guys were never anything but amazingly nice to us and helpful) and we also worked on homecoming stuff over there. It's really a very nice house inside.

Actually, yes they are. Hazing laws are not thorough and are very hazy at best. My favorite was this definition: "Hazing is something done to pledges that active members don't have to participate in." Great, that's really defined.

Sorry, you can't just say.."Well, people have been killed...so lets just ban it completely..." People have been killed shooting shotguns on hunting trips........I guess we should just ban guns. People have been killed crossing the street by cars. Maybe we should ban crosswalks.....or how about cars? Fraternity members have been killed falling down stairs...mabye we should ban steps...or perhaps second and third floors on buildings.

It is just shocking to me how narrowminded some of you people are concerning hazing. As i've said before......you can haze without it being dangerous or life threatening in a manner that actually serves a purpose.

And I hate to say it.....but when I think "prestige and power" SAE at CENTRAL FLORIDA doesn't come to mind. I generally think SAE at UGA, SAE at Texas, SAE at Alabama, SAE at SMU, etc. Many of these chapters have had some pretty serious things happend to them.......and came out of the situations with little more than probation and a slap on the wrist. So, if you are going to argue with me that power, money, prestige, and reputation nationally don't play a part in decisions.......you are going to fight an uphill battle. I've been around it and i've seen it first hand.

Holy cow. I'd forgotten all about the Pike house "lofts." LOL.

ETA: With there being two vacant chapter houses on campus, I hope that Chi Omega will finally be able to get on-campus housing. Anyone who goes to UCF will (for the most part) agree that sorority housing should take priority over the fraternities.

Just out of curiousity, why should sorority housing have priority over fraternities?

Amen to that, sister!

FL-E1973, it's basically because recruitment is a nightmare for unhoused sororities there. The first word out of every girls mouth is "Why don't you have a house?" The housed sororities always make quota, while the unhoused ones have to struggle to make decent numbers.

I was once told by a GCer that the housed sororities were in trouble when the unhoused ones finally got houses. Basically, the reasoning was that we have to work really really hard for every small gain we make, while the housed sororities have it easy and make quota with no problem. And as a an alumna of an unhoused sorority at UCF, I agree with that statement.

According to Sigma Alpha Epsilon IHQ: "The chapter’s charter will remain suspended, not revoked, for an indefinite period of time. Depending on what university officials decide, Sigma Alpha Epsilon may choose to return with a new group of students in several years."

I bet dollars to donuts, that SAE will be back on campus sooner than later.

I have a feeling the house is going to stand alone for the next few years-- I hope they'll at least lease it out to someone.

I have a feeling about that, too. It's sad; the unhoused sororities would really kill for the Pike or SAE houses. I was on campus recently and the Pike house looks really bad, too.

Stupid frats who can't behave themselves and then can't even give up their empty houses!