[TSteven]

This was written back in November of 2003.

Chi Tau upsets frats
Kristina Seward
Assistant News Editor
November 19, 2003

If the Interfraternity Council gets what it wants, the Chi Tau fraternity house on Fourth and Chestnut streets would be stripped of its identity.

In an effort to distinguish IFC fraternities from Chi Tau, a local fraternity that was expelled from the university in 2001 for alcohol violations, the IFC is planning to ask the city to remove the fraternity's Greek letters from the front of its house.

"This organization (Chi Tau) is giving Greeks a bad reputation and a bad name," said IFC President Bobby Armstrong. "So we want to exclude ourselves from them."

Armstrong said that during the last two or three IFC meetings, fraternity representatives have vented their frustrations with Chi Tau members, whose fraternity became Chi Tau after it lost its national charter with Delta Sigma Phi.

Armstrong said these frustrations stem from the fact that Chi Tau does not have to follow the same rules, namely alcohol, party and violence policies, and that members have been abusing their freedom.

By having the "XT" letters removed from the front of house, Armstrong said the IFC is hoping community members will no longer associate Chi Tau with the Greek system.

"What we're hoping it will do is that when a police officer or anyone from the community drives by and sees a party there, they're not going to look up and see those letters and say, 'look at those fraternity guys,'" Armstrong said.

Armstrong said IFC fraternities hold themselves to a higher standard than Chi Tau. He said they focus on doing positive and beneficial things for the community and university, like holding blood drives and cleaning up the south campus neighborhood with their Adopt-a-Block program.

"We do all these things and the IFC fraternities feel like all these guys do is party," Armstrong said. "You get people who don't know the difference between IFC and Chi Tau and we want to set ourselves apart. Even though they have Greek letters on their house, don't throw them in the mix with us."

Jesse Chrisp, president of Chi Tau, said he acknowledges that the IFC fraternities are upset with his fraternity because it doesn't have to abide by the same rules.

"They don't like that we don't have to do deferred rush, that we can have socials still, that we own our house and that we can party," Chrisp said.

But Chrisp said that trying to get Chi Tau's letters removed would be a waste of the IFC's time.

"The city's not going to come and take our letters away any more than they would go take their letters away," he said. "They all party just as much as we do."

Bob Summerville, associate planner of Chico, said he would assume that if the fraternity permit was revoked, the letters on the house would come down. But he said he doesn't know what specifically the fraternity would have to do to have its permit revoked.

Chrisp said Chi Tau members are probably viewed as "partiers," but they still make time for charity. Chrisp said for the past two years, Chi Tau members have volunteered to cater a 600-person dinner for Psi World, a non-profit organization.

While Chrisp said his fraternity doesn't plan to stop having parties, he said he would like to see the fighting between Chi Tau members and other fraternity members stop.

"I am tired of all the fights," he said. "We had a big three hour meeting, and we discussed where we wanted to go with our fraternity in terms of fighting."

Chrisp said that the "hot-headed" members of the fraternity are going to cool down and stop fighting.

Nick Miller, pledge educator and member of Sigma Pi, said his fraternity has been involved in a couple disputes with Chi Tau this semester.

But Miller said he would like to see the fraternity be given a chance to improve before having its letters removed from the house. Miller said he sees two options for Chi Tau.

"The first option would be that they get back on track, possibly get back on IFC, and try to get along with other fraternities, which is something I know I would respect and IFC would respect," he said. "The other option is that they continue on the track they're on, and we would continue to try and shut them down."

Miller said if Chi Tau members continue to behave in the way they have, then taking their letters down would be a huge accomplishment for the Greek system.

But he said the ideal situation would be Chi Tau members making a conscious effort to do the right thing.

Connie Huyck, Greek adviser at Chico State, agreed that she would rather see Chi Tau work to improve rather than be pushed away from the Greek system.

Huyck said she would rather see the organization recognized by the university and following rules of Delta Sigma Phi.

"I would prefer to have them with us rather than against us," she said.

Huyck said she has been working with Chi Tau's leadership to become a chapter of the national fraternity Delta Sigma Phi again, but she is not sure if that is still the goal.

Chrisp said Chi Tau is no longer interested in becoming affiliated with Delta Sigma Phi. He said it would only impose more rules and would not offer any benefits.

Chrisp said he would be interested in becoming recognized by the university again because that would allow Chi Tau to participate in fraternity athletics and that his fraternity misses playing sports.

Chrisp said Chi Tau's image is important but they are just trying to have fun.

In an attempt to solve the problems between Sigma Pi and Chi Tau, Huyck has asked the presidents of both fraternities to meet with her and Sgt. Linda Dye, community liaison for the Chico police within the next few weeks.

"It will be an opportunity to air their concerns and differences and figure out a way they can coexist," Huyck said. "What I'm hoping is that we can create a plan of action that both organizations will follow and make peace with the situation."

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