PiKA Natl. tells CSU to "eat dirt"
 

Fraternity Won't Revoke CSU Charter After 'Rise And Ralphs'

University Officials Disappointed With Pi Kappa Alpha's National Board

September 22, 2005

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The national headquarters of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity said it will not revoke the charter of its Fort Collins chapter, even though Colorado State University is withdrawing official recognition of the group for the next seven years.


The school said Sept. 8 that it was stripping Pi Kappa Alpha of its status as a student organization -- one week after early-morning binge drinking parties called "Rise and Ralph," involving eight Greek organizations.

Pi Kappa Alpha was the most-severely punished of the groups.

Executive director Eric Wulf of the Memphis-based fraternity said punishing an entire chapter with no formal charges or hearing is not a proper educational response -- and that withdrawing recognition does not address personal accountability.

Investigators at CSU said the "Pikes" not only kicked off one party, but also had a long history of alcohol-related problems.

Campus life executive director Anne Hudgens said it's the first time in school history that CSU hasn't "worked in partnership" with a national organization like the fraternity's headquarters.

She said the group is no longer accountable to its peers or the university. Because its school recognition has been revoked, the fraternity can no longer have a presence on campus or interact with other Greek organizations, she said.

Many of the students who attended the parties either skipped school, or went to class drunk, she said. The parties are called "rise and ralphs" because they occurred at about 5 a.m. and students try to drink until they vomit.

The parties took place Sept. 1 and held at several fraternity houses and private homes. The parties were to celebrate the end of sorority recruiting. But the parties also occurred nearly one year to the day after a CSU sophomore Sam Spady died of alcohol poisoning at another fraternity house. After her death, the school banned alcohol inside all the Greek houses.

The Phi Kappa Phi fraternity, Chi Omega sorority and Delta, Delta, Delta sorority were also suspended and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi and Gamma Phi Beta sororities have been put on social probation.

Education problem here? No!

Just the Adm. employing We Will Tell You what to do? Maybe Yes.

In seeing so many problem sites and seeing ADMs. fighting Greeks and others building Greek Relationships, I just wonder who is right.:)

I would say that The Colleges who are changing Their attitude are far more reaching than say the Alfred , CSU, and Un Co. Schools ETAL.

Is it enough, not at all.:(

We as Greeks know What We do in so many ways, but there are so many ways that We as Greeks just screw up and look STUPID!:eek:

Re: PiKA Natl. tells CSU to "eat dirt"
 

Do they mean Pi Kappa Phi? Phi Kappa Phi is an honorary society. Also, HUGE style issues with The commas between Delta, Delta, Delta. That's just wrong in any system, AP or otherwise.

Man, just seems like they really need to crack down on the schools in Colorado. I didn't realize until the last couple of years that there seem to be many greek related problems in Colorado.

Sounds like our version of Kegs and Eggs. The point it not to puke as soon as possible though...

It's to wake up 4:30ish, and start tailgating correctly.

I'm not at all surprised with Pi Kappa Alpha's National Office. Pike had an racial incident (that while inappropriate was blown out of proportion) on our campus a couple of years ago and the chapter was on university suspension for a semester. The university received no cooperation from the National Office. They said it was a local matter and didn't even send anyone to the hearings or to deal with the media. I truly believe that if the National Office had shown just a hint of interest the men of the local chapter would have at least gotten to keep their university charter. Not to mention that the incident would have been resolved much quicker and much more to everyone's satisfaction.

Nationally, some of the mens fraternities have got to take a more hands on approach with their chapters!

If it was blown out of proportion, the national office probably realized this and wasn't going to send someone there just because it's the politically correct thing to do. They're allowing their members to learn from their own mistakes and deal with the situations themselves like adults which is part of what being in a fraternity or sorority is supposed to teach you. Bravo, Pike.

According to my younger sister who is a Theta at CSU, the whole thing got blown way out of proportion. The fact that everything happened nearly a year to the day of Sam Spady's death didn't help matters at all.

But on the other side of the coin, "Rise and Ralph" has only one conotation.

Maybe for once the Moronic Adms. did get something correct. But that may be a long shot in a two horse race.

Someone died last year, and you turn around and do the same thing that killed them the next year... you deserve to get kicked off campus. Nationals should atleast investigate further.