I know Greek Chat is mostly for current students, but I've posted here once or twice. Right now it is with a sense of embarrassment, betrayal, and some amount of anger.
I will never be sorry to say that I'm an Alum from Theta Chi at San Diego State. I publish the San Diego Area Theta Chi Alumni Association website, and take pictures at Founder's Day and other events like BBQ, tailgates, etc. Kind of like a historian who keeps getting elected
I don't pretend to speak for the Alumni Association, the Active Chapter, or the Grand Chapter - just myself. Because this board is mainly read by people in the Greek system, I would like to share my thoughts. One thing to know is that the San Diego alumni association had taken many painstaking efforts over the years to institute an alcohol-free house, zero-tolerance for underage drinking in any case, drug use, drug posession, hazing, and violation of risk-management and best-practices in operations according to National. This from a decades-long effort to prevent exactly this kind of thing from happening.
The undergraduates had the benefit of a very engaged alumni association - and I met more of the actives last month at our annual Founder's Day dinner. If these allegations turn out to be true (and it looks like the evidence may be overwhelming) - then I and probably a hundred other alumni are going to feel personally betrayed. The guys knew what we had been through, and what cost we'd endured to preserve our brotherhood and charter at SDSU.
Hell, we would have expelled them and reported them to the police if they were dealing or using drugs in the house; which is the major physical asset we posess.
I took down the alumni website tonight temporarily - as we have newsletters going back over 10 years with people's e-mails and professional updates- etc; and 60 years worth of scrapbook photos up there. Until I hear more, I'm assuming that it's over.
National Headquarters suspended the chapter today, the school also. We thought the trouble was going to be during the building-phase when the chapter would have to operate out of on-campus facilities. Re-colonization is a very tough road, and there is no guarantee the school or the Grand Chapter would even consider it. Putting myself in their shoes - I don't know I'd be receptive. Maybe 5 years - or more...
Sorry that this post is all from my perspective - and a little whiney. But this came as kind of a shock today - and it's like this chunk of my life has been ripped out by some punk kids that I extended a Helping Hand to...
- Rick