Say good-bye to Culver-Stockton chapter

[hoosier]

C-SC shuts down women's fraternity

Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2002 by Webmaster
By Phil Weber
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
CANTON, Mo. — A possible hazing incident that sent an underage student to the hospital with alcohol poisoning is forcing the national board of Alpha Xi Delta women’s fraternity to close the Culver-Stockton College chapter immediately.
“The chapter was not following Alpha Xi Delta policies in our national constitution and by-laws, and for that reason the chapter was closed,” AXD National Director of Communication Ruth Goodman said.
Goodman said this is not the first time the C-SC chapter has been in trouble, so it was not offered probation. Goodman declined to elaborate on previous problems with the chapter.
Both the school and the fraternity have refused to identify the victim or say where she is from. Goodman said the young woman was admitted to Blessing Hospital after an Oct. 16 fraternity party and was not released by doctors until Oct. 18.
C-SC Public Relations Director Sharon Illa said the student has returned to campus and attended classes Monday. Students who asked to remain anonymous said the fraternity was engaging in hazing at the time of the incident. Goodman said the fraternity violated “risk management” policies, but declined to elaborate.
College President Edwin B. Strong said he feels for the injured student and the other women in the fraternity, but he is in agreement with the national fraternity’s decision to close the house.
“First and foremost, Culver-Stockton College is deeply concerned with the well-being of our students,” he said. “We are sorry for the women of Alpha Xi Delta and their alumnae. However, the national organization and the college must take the position that violation of a range of policies, including the improper use of alcohol, cannot and will not be tolerated.”
Culver-Stockton College is a dry school, meaning alcohol is not allowed anywhere on campus. All of the Greek houses are owned by the school and are considered part of the campus.
“We don’t allow drinking on campus and that applies to all of our students — sororities and fraternities, too,” Illa said.
Canton Police Chief Mike Bringer confirmed that his department is investigating “the improper use of alcohol and (fraternity) activities which occurred on and off campus” but he declined to say whether criminal charges will be filed because the investigation is not complete.
Canton adopted an anti-hazing ordinance in 1997 after police investigated five possible hazing incidents on campus that year. The law makes hazing a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, 90 days in jail or both. The college’s student policy manual states that students can be expelled for participating in hazing activities.
The college has given the fraternity women until 11 a.m. Sunday to move out of the building. The 27 residents will be transferred to unused rooms in the college residence halls. The fraternity has 58 members on the C-SC campus.
Illa said the students will not be allowed to live off campus. All C-SC students who receive financial aid, including all of the residential members of the fraternity, are required to live in on-campus housing unless they are married or live with parents who are within commuting distance.
An Alpha Xi Delta member who refused to give her name said the members of the fraternity were not pleased with the decision but would abide by the ruling. “We’re making the best of it,” she said. “Residential life and Culver-Stockton are trying to make this as easy as possible for us.”
Illa said the school will keep the building in the hopes that the fraternity will be able to return to campus.
“It is our hope that it could be reopened in the near future,” Goodman said. “We would need to look at the atmosphere on campus and see if the campus is ready for us to come back.”
The fraternity organized on the C-SC campus in 1943.