Getting Disgusted...
 

It's getting worse:

Daily Lobo
University of New Mexico
April 24, 2002

Fraternity violations reach boiling point
By: Iliana LimÛn


University administrators are considering revamping how they treat
Greek organizations after one fraternity's national charter was
revoked and a member of a separate fraternity was accused of raping a
student.

The national office of Sigma Chi fraternity revoked the UNM chapter's
charter April 20 after reviewing a series of violations it received
from the Dean of Students Office.

The decision by the national office means the group cannnot use the
fraternity name and effectively has been dissolved.

In a different incident March 23, an 18-year-old student accused a
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity member of raping her during a party at
the group's house at 1705 Mesa Vista Rd. SE. The woman, who is a
member of a UNM sorority, told police that she had been drinking
alcoholic beverages. She named Matt J. Stafford, 22, as a possible
suspect.

"As an institution, we are again having to ask ourselves why we are
having these chronic problems," Dean of Student Randy Boeglin said.
"We may have to address what role alcohol plays with the Greek
organizations in terms of bad decision-making. This is a cycle that
we have to break."

The fraternities and the woman involved in the altercation could not
be reached for comment. Boeglin said that the University has
conducted a hearing with the Sigma Phi Epsilon members about alcohol
violations noted in the woman's police report.

He added that the individual facing sexual assault charges has a few
days to respond to a complaint from his office. If he chooses to
ignore the request, Boeglin may issue a judgment based on the
information his office has collected.

Boeglin said similar questions about problems with fraternities and
sororities had surfaced in the past and the recent problems only
punctuated the need for great University attention.

"We have to make it clear that this behavior is not acceptable," he said.

The problems that led to the national office's decision to revoke
Sigma Chi's charter began in December 2000 when a fraternity member
taped a swastika to a black female student's illegally parked car.

In response to the incident, which drew several campus protests and
received national attention, the University placed the fraternity on
probation.

Boeglin said the group proceeded to violate the probation and accrued
numerous rule violations during the past few months. The infractions,
according to Boeglin, included:

l Alcohol consumption in violation of Greek life policy;

l Alcohol consumption on the roof of the fraternity house;

l Catcalls from fraternity members that disrupted students'
educational experience;

l Damaging an Angel Fire, N.M., hotel during a recent fraternity event.

"We notified the national organization that we were pursuing an
investigation based on all of these reported violations, and they
decided to go ahead and revoke the charter after reviewing the
information we sent them," he said. "They benefited from not having
to worry about due process and being able to act quickly, while we
have to give so many days notice and allow for hearings."

The University will continue its hearing scheduled for Friday to
determine potential punishment for the violations despite the
national chapter's decision that effectively dissolves the group.

"We want to send a message to the rest of the Greek organizations
that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, so we will issue a
ruling," Boeglin said.

The Sigma Chi house north of Dane Smith Hall is owned by the national
organization, which controls the future of the property. The national
office could not be reached for comment.

While admonishing the two fraternities for the incidents, Boeglin did
note that the Greek community has made significant contributions to
the University.

"It has healthy elements to it and provides students with a sense of
affiliation, unique leadership and contributes tremendously through
philanthropy," he said. "They do many, many wonderful things and
those should not be overlooked but that does not say that we
shouldn't pay attention to the unhealthy elements. Something needs to
change."

Boeglin said that his office will likely revamp the basic community
standards students in Greek organizations must follow to be
recognized by the University.

"We need to continue measures being implemented by the Greek Life
Office to establish a more healthy lifestyle," he said. "We can set a
bar for ourselves that we must reach. To a certain degree, it doesn't
come from external enforcement alone and has to come internally.

"It's kind of like parenting ó you can't be a parent to a child all
your life. Just as is the case with children, at some point our
fraternal communities must accept responsibility for their actions."


Delt Alum's comments:

Is anyone else just sick of this crap? No, I'm not talking about the University attitude. It appears they've used some degree of restraint. I'm talking about "our" continued breaking of our own Nationals rules and the impression that we feel "above the law."

I don't intend to go back and count them, but from reading Fraternal News, I'll bet there have been at least 30 to 40 chapters closed this school year alone -- both fraternities and sororities. Maybe more. The themes have minor variations, but for the most part are sickeningly similar. Property destruction, gang fighting, ethnic/racial slurs, hazing, alcohol poisioning, underage drinking, date rape -- death.

Dean Boeglin, quoted above, it seems to me, went out of his way to point out the positive side of Greek Life -- but the comment that struck me was his final one. The one about children taking responsibility for their actions. Are we?

I'll just comment on my own Fraternity and leave everyone else out for the moment. In the past month I've been highly chagrined to read about two suspended chapters -- one for alleged hazing, one for a huge fight with another group which ended in injuries and arrests and one alleged case of date rape. Three serious situations at three different chapters in a month.

There are a lot of things that make me proud to be an alum -- but these incidents are not part of them.

And there are groups I read about a lot more than us.

I know about the philantrophy. I know about higher graduation rates. I know about high academic standards. I know about higher contributions to alma mater. I know about higher retention rates. I know about character building. I know about leadership.

I've preached this stuff for years to those who simply want to stereotype us.

Then I read -- more and more often -- about the opposite behaviors. The bad stuff.

Please don't patronize me by saying these aren't just Greek problems. I know that. It doesn't excuse Greek Letter Organizations who do them. They're wrong, and we know it. There is no excuse. Period.

Don't tell me it's all the media's fault. That's bull. If the events didn't happen, there would be nothing to report on -- good or bad. Fairly or unfairly.

Don't talk to me about PC. That's a cop out. You can hide behind that for pretty much anything you disagree with.

I'm disgusted.

I don't want to, but I'm getting closer and closer to giving up. I can still go to alumni chapter meetings and be a part of the Fraternity without worrying about chapter closings and lawsuits in my division. I can contribute. I can still enjoy the brotherhood of other alums.

What I want to do is believe in the system and continue to try to work with the good chapters and individuals.

Maybe the man who said, "The best thing about beating your head against a brick wall is how good it feels when you stop," is right.

I don't want to stop, but I don't know how much longer I can rationalize and justify this kind of behavior -- even if it's only in a small part of the system. It poisons the entire body.

Are you undergraduates Greek men and women -- or are you petulant children who have to be led by hand through your college years, as Dean Boeglin implies? Do we need to move back toward "In Loco Parentis" with more restrictive rules, or can you act with dignity and decorum? Can you be the ladies and gentlemen your organizations are trying to build?

Do you care whether there will be Greek Life for future generations, or are you just in it for a few good times in the present and to hell with everything else?

Show us.

Clean this mess up. Stop destroying Greek Life.

It's important to us. Hopefully, it's important to you. You took a fraternal oath. Live up to it.

Fraternally,
DeltAlum

Delt, I think you're preaching to the choir here. Most of the folks on GC are concerned about the same things you are. Undergraduate and alums alike.

I think that college fraternities are not unlike most organizations that exist in multiple locations. Some are destined to be exemplary of the ideals of the organization, some are destined to be the exact opposite.

The solution I think lies with the kind of ladies and gentlemen that we recruit into our ranks.

Most organizations during rush (at our school at least) recruit with "C&P" (Chicks & Parties). We tried something different last semester. We recruited with our values. We told people what we're all about and then of course the other two things come along with that but primarily emphasize values.

If you recruit the right kind of leaders you will not have these types of problems.

LHT
Kevin

Kevin,

I mostly agree in terms of the people on GC. Even here, though, there are numerous members who think hazing is OK, that stretching the rules is normal and that breaking the law is just part of the game.

The laws can be dumb and the rules too restrictive, but they are facts of life.

What some members don't understand is that their actions reflect on the system. Until membership selection is based more on organizational values than apperance, money, and popularity or anything that doesn't relate to charachter, these problems will continue.

I hate how they make fraternities and soroities out to be some alcohol binge fest. All you hear from the media is how some frat guy was drinking and some girl got raped. They never ever talk about the good that we do. You know, you are jsut as likely to be raped going to a bar and getting drunk, as you are going to a fraternity party.
If girls are being raped at fraternity parties, it's not the fraternity, and it's not the alcohol that are the causes of this, it's the guy who can't take no for an answer and can't keep his pants on. If he's doing this at fraternity parties, he would probably do it just the same if he we're not a member of a fraternity.


Emily
[IMG]C:\My Documents\My Pictures\letters_pbp2[1].gif[/IMG] - Cultivating Sincere Friendships Since 1867

Lady,

In all due respect, please read the article again. It pretty much says the same thing you did.

The problem goes a whole lot deeper, unfortunately.

If this woman had been raped by an independent, the story never would have made the paper. The media wants to portray greeks in a certain way and they certainly did with this article.

ZT,

I strongly beg to differ.

Just today, in the Rocky Mountain News, there are two major stories about campus area rapes -- neither committed by fraternity members. One was allegedly by football players and recruits, and the other by an airman stationed nearby.

In the reported Delt rape case I mentioned, the incident in question happened in a Greek annex. If it had been in a dorm, that would certainly have been reported as well.

The media is not always fair, but we simply have to stop hiding behind supposed unfair treatment and face the fact that a crime was probably committed.

As regards this article, the writer was under no obligation to quote the dean when he talked about the philanthrophy, leadershp and other qualities and ways Greeks helped the campus. The impression would have been much more damaging if that had been left out.

Of course the problem is much deeper. This is not a GLO problem, nor is it a university problem. It is a societal problem, and it stems from the lack of respect that some have for their fellow person.
The question is what is to be done about it? Banning alcohol isn't going to solve the problem. I'm saying I have the answers, but it is unfortunate when one group seems to be targeted more often as the cause.

Now, this is just my opinion, but we can't blame one side for this. We can't blame the males. No one forces these girls to drink at the parties. It is their own choice. They know how alcohol affects people, and they know how alcohol affects themselves. If females want to protect themselevs, maybe they shouldn't drink, or at least limit their alcohol intake. Everone needs to take responsibility for their own actions.

Emily

I have more to add. :)

You stated that we should try to be the men and women that are organizations are trying to build.
Many people out there do not hold the ideals of their organizations as high as they should. Maybe they should...but they don't. But, at the same time, I think about the times I have made stupid mistakes and what was running through my head. That last thing on my mind was, "Man, if I do this, my organization would look down on me." Maybe this should be the first thing and it might be for you. But, it's not for me. The first thing that runs through my head is, "Would I be able to live with myself if I do this?" and "What would my parents think?" I respect myself and my parents more than anything in this world and no organization will come before these two things. I do love my sorority but the ideals were created by someone else. The only people's ideals and expectations of myself that I care about are mine and my parents. That is it. Is it wrong? Maybe.
I suspect that the these men who committed these rapes were not thinking, "What will my fraternity think of this?" I'm sure they were thinking of their own expectations for themselves which obviously were not very high. And, in a case like this, I don't think that any moral regulations of any organization can help someone who is as cruel and as mean to rape a woman.
There are all kinds of people out there. Crazy people are out there in the world. And, yes, some are part of our organizations. We bid the wrong people all the time. It's hard to get someone's life story from a five minute conversation. Most of us are hard workers who want to better ourselves. I just think that it's maybe only a handful of these crazy people who make greek life in general look awful. And it's these crazy people who seem to get their name and organization in the newspaper. Why must newspapers put someone's fraternity/sorority affiliation in the article. If someone was part of the math club on campus, do you think their organization would be reported in the paper if they committed rape? "John Smith...part of the math club...committed rape..." No way....it's boring and un-newsworthy. Now, a member of a fraternity committing rape...as angry as this makes me...the general public enjoys reading about it. Which brings me back to my point....if the rape was committed by an independent, it would never have been reported.

If the rape had been committed at or after a Math Club party, you bet your life it would be reported.

But media coverage isn't the point here.

The point is that people are beaking the law, hurting other people and bringing problems to their organizations and to the Greek System.

I will say one more time, if the rape or hazing or drinking or destruction didn't happen, there would be nothing to write about. Whether it was a GLO or the FFA.

The point is cleaning up our act so that we stop losing chapters and members.

If we want to have a knock down/drag out fight over media coverage -- cool. But let's do it in a media coverage thread. That isn't what this one is about. It's about breaking the law and the rules, and common sense and decency. Let's not beg the question and try to transfer blame.

I feel your pain, those of you that grow exasperated at hearing about chapters being closed and the antics that lead to the closing.

And certainly news organizations such as Fraternal News exist to share with us the negative aspects of Greek Life. And they have no obligation to do Greek Human Interest stories either.

You have to admit, most of us take what we read at face value.

Even though we are often allowing the press to create the famous "box" (the one we are supposed to think out of) for us, where the problem is both created, defined and proven, often independant of any type of rigorous empirical proof.

We also know that the simplest and most emotive messages are what get across to the largest audiences. So by using words like binge drinking, and casting allusions to "rape cultures", its a lot easier to sway the general audience than try some highly learned approach to some of our social issues.

How emotional is the word Rape? How hard is it to even have discussions about issues involving Rape?

I'm rambling a bit because I am working on 1/2 hours sleep (I feel for you ZTAngel) so back on track . . .

It is a test of leadership to be able to create a cognitive framework that allows us to read both intellegently and be aware of the box we are in as well as what lies outside that box. A box that is created for us by the perspective, beliefs, and agendas of others.

We see some good thinking here when people say: Wait, Greeks do good things also which aren't covered, and Greeks seem to get more attention when they do what others are also doing.

When I am reading articles Like Delta Alum was talking about, and the read his comments, I sit back and try to place it in perspective.

As a specific incident it doesn't look good. But is it something that that should prompt such general feelings of digust? Generalized to the entire system?

As Delta Alum said earlier we lost 40 chapters this year to incidents ranging from silly to dangerously stupid to just tragic accidents.

But . . .

I don't how many of you think about this but there are over 5145 Male Fraternity Chapters currently active as well as over 2936 female sorority chapters active! OVer 8000 chapters active total!

If we lost 40 chapters this year to dumb stuff, we lost .005% of out Chapters. Even at a hundred chapters lost we lost only .012% of the chapters that are existing on our college campuses.

Given that perspective, perhaps, just perhaps, we have gotten a little too focused on the negaitves, too bitter, too consumed with what we deem to be social problems.

And dare I say it? We have gotten so used to seeing ourselves through the eyes of those people that hate us, or don't approve of us that we have become like many victims of abuse, we have come to abuse our selves.

And by abusing ourselves, we come to merit abuse because we accept the image that others have given us.

Thanks for taking the time to read my rant :)

James

James as always, very eloquently stated.

I had not thought of it in this light yet and you make a very good point.

Greek Life accross the nation is currently in a great state!

Shutting down these underpreforming chapters is what we must do according to Mr. Darwin.

Perhaps in 5 or 10 years they can be recolonized and can come back in a strong way (with better people).

LHT
Kevin

Ummm....

I'm not sure I understood every point you were making, James.

My impression is that Fraternal News is simply a service which gathers and passes on stories -- good and bad. They are not an editorial organization. Kind of like a clipping agency that businesses use.

My numbers (40 chapters) were a guess. The number might be much higher (or even lower, but I don't think so). I said that I wasn't going to go back to count them. I'm still not.

I know that Delta Tau Delta has lost at least 5 chapters this year. I also know our total number of chapters is down to 115 from 130 or so four or five years ago. I'm not a math whiz, but that first example is more in the neighborhood of 4 to 5%, I think. The second one is probably higher -- quite a bit. I know we can't colonize or recolonize chapters as fast as we are losing them.

So, are we "worse" than other fraternities? Well, I can't prove it, but I don't think so. My admitedly highly unscientific mind thinks it has read about Sigma Chi, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Alpha and others more often. I could be wrong about that, too, and am certainly not pointing accusing fingers at them. I'm more concerned about getting my on house in order.

Again, respectfully, it just doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me whether the number is .0000001% or 80%. We need to stop doing things that hurt the system. I suspect that murderers make up a smaller percentage than we're talking about here. Does that mean they're not a problem?

I've said before that I've worked with journalists for many years. Some I like, some I don't. That doesn't matter. If we don't give them the material for stories, they won't write about us. If we don't play into their hands -- don't give them anything of interest to report -- they'll take their ball and go home. That would be OK with me.

Again, though, news coverage is not what this thread is about. It's about breaking rules and laws. It's also about maturity and responsibility.

Lenoxxx's 2 cents
 

My two cents-

1- Bad things have been happening with teenagers and college kids for as near as I can tell. And in fact after reading some minutes from another PA chapter of my fraternity from the 1970's I beleive that behavior is actually improving with regards to drugs/alcohol and silly behavior. This stands whether they are greek or not- however reporting and prosecution has increaased leading to the perception that "things are worse"

2- If kids drive you nuts- ala greek undergrads- take a break- they are most likely bound to dissappoint you more times than not- I know I did as an undergrad member. And now as an alumni housing volunteer- I recognize that college kids are VERY imperfect. Now that doesnt excuse rapes or swastikas on cars; but when you are too down on undergrads in general- take a year or two off- clean the palate so to speak!
Everyone needs to take "5"

fraternally

Jason Lenox
Lambda Chi Alpha '97