6 Duke pledges dropped off "miles away"
 

Officials suspend Sigma Nu
Hazing is suspected in the case of six pledges who officials said were dropped off miles away and told to walk home intoxicated.

by Dave Ingram
April 15, 2003

Student Affairs administrators placed Sigma Nu fraternity on "interim suspension" Monday after Chapel Hill police officers found six of the group's pledges wandering intoxicated near Old Erwin Road.
Administrators said they were going to complete their investigation before issuing any judgment, but were looking into the incident as an act of hazing. They said they hoped to finish their work in about a week, and members of Sigma Nu have been prohibited from having any activities together in the meantime, including meetings and parties.

Police officers found the students, all of whom are freshmen, around 4 a.m. Monday morning near the Duke School for Children Middle School. Sue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, said the students had been dropped off several miles from campus on Old Erwin - a long, winding road with few lights - and had been expected to find their way back. Officers from the Chapel Hill Police Department picked up the students and transported two of them to the Duke Emergency Department for treatment related to alcohol overconsumption. They were later released.

Wasiolek said suspension is a common way to prevent a living group from promoting any harmful activities while an investigation is ongoing.

"The totality of the circumstances dictated that we issue a suspension until the case can be resolved," she said.

Andrew Axelrod, president of Sigma Nu and a sophomore, declined to comment. Jeremy Morgan, president of the Interfraternity Council and a senior in Sigma Nu, could not be reached for comment.

Kacie Wallace, associate dean for judicial affairs, said the alleged incident follows several recent cases against Sigma Nu, including one for noise and one for damage to the residence halls. If administrators find evidence of hazing, she said, disciplinary action against the fraternity or its members could range from educational programs to dissolution of the living group.

"We are trying to figure out what happened before making any judgments," Wallace said. "We have no idea how many individuals were aware, were involved, that sort of thing."

Although four living groups have left campus in the last four years for various reasons, no living group has been dissolved for hazing in at least 10 years.

The University's bulletin describing student policies calls hazing a "serious infraction of university regulations." It is also a misdemeanor under North Carolina law, punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or six months imprisonment, according to the bulletin. Under the law, any student convicted for hazing, or aiding or abetting hazing, must be expelled from his or her university.

My dad's fraternity did that when he was a pledge. They just hitched a ride back to campus.

If they're actually guilty of it, it's something that's expressly forbidden in our risk reduction policy.

They're one of our oldest chapters so it's a shame to see them in trouble. I believe their designation is Gamma -- the 3rd chapter. For perspective my chapter, Mu Tau is #272.

The article said that it's been 10 years since a group was dissolved so that does bring me hope.

Gamma will survive
 

The Herald-Sun
Durham, NC
May 14, 2003

Duke punishes frat for hazing, alcohol violations

BY HUNTER LEWIS, The Herald-Sun

DURHAM -- Duke University officials have issued sanctions against a
campus fraternity found guilty of hazing and making alcohol available
to minors after six of its pledges got drunk and were dropped off at
Duke Forest in April.

The university also found the Sigma Nu fraternity guilty of
irresponsible behavior, violating a clause in Duke's alcohol policy
and contempt. The contempt ruling stems from a party on the last day
of classes Sigma Nu held on April 23, eight days after it was
suspended by the university and ordered not to hold any
fraternity-related activities. No alcohol will be permitted in the
common areas of the fraternity's section of the dorm either.

As a result of the incidents, Sigma Nu will not be allowed to hold
any fraternity activities on or off campus during the fall semester,
said Sue Wasiolek, dean of students and assistant vice president for
student affairs. The only exceptions are brotherhood meetings or
group community service, she said. No individual members face
sanctions.

The fraternity must also post an ad in The Chronicle, Duke's daily
student newspaper, apologizing for the incident on two consecutive
days during the first week of the fall semester, Wasiolek said.

"[The ad] is a public apology as well as a public explanation of how
[the fraternity] plans to change their activities and operations in
the future," she said.

The fraternity is also required to send letters of apology to the
Duke School for Children, the Durham County Sheriff's Office and
Chapel Hill and Duke police, and to remove its wooden bench from
Kilgo Quad, Wasiolek said.

The six pledges, all freshmen, were dropped off at Duke Forest on
Erwin Road and expected to find their way back to campus early in the
morning on April 15. But a Chapel Hill police officer driving home
found some of the students wandering along the road near the Duke
School for Children, while others remained in a portion of Duke
Forest.

Two of the pledges were taken to the emergency room to be treated for
excessive drinking.

Dropping off pledges in Duke Forest is a common hazing practice for
some UNC Chapel Hill fraternities, Wasiolek said, adding that she has
heard students tell of the practice at Duke.

"Other fraternity members have come up to us in past and said, 'we
did this,' " she said. "The message is that this is clearly hazing
and it needs to stop.

"We take the incident very seriously, and the Greek Judicial Board
takes it very seriously," she said. "The good news is that the
chapter is permitted to continue and operate, but only under very
strict guidelines."

Wasiolek also said Sigma Nu must have a representative from its
national office educate fraternity members during the first two weeks
of the fall semester. David Glassman, a spokesman at Sigma Nu
headquarters, said he was unaware Tuesday of any specific penalties
meted out by the national office. However, he indicated that Duke's
chapter might go through the LEAD program, Sigma Nu's national,
four-phase "member development" program.

All chapters must undergo the first phase of LEAD, which involves
pledge education, he said. The next three phases are designed to
educate members about the fraternity's values and to promote
leadership in junior and senior members.

"We've had a cooperative series of talks with [Duke]," Glassman said.
"The university, fraternity headquarters and student leaders have a
shared commitment for a place for Sigma Nu at Duke."

Andrew Axelrod, a rising junior and president of Sigma Nu, could not
be reached for comment Tuesday.

URL for this article: http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-352154.html

© Copyright 2003. The Durham Herald Company.

My boyfriends a Sigma Nu from NC State, which is 30 minutes from Duke. He doesnt think they will be kicked off my the university but would hate to be there after your internationals reem them.