ATO Fraternity plans return to UGA

[hoosier]

Fraternity plans return to UGA after hazing death

The Associated Press

ATHENS — A fraternity is planning to return to the University of Georgia, three years after a hazing death caused the group to be kicked off campus.
Alpha Tau Omega held its first meeting in three years Monday, attracting a handful of men who want to re-start the chapter that was at Georgia from 1878 to 2000.
ATO was disbanded after a hazing prank killed one of its members and placed four others on trial.
Ben Grantham, 20, from St. Simons, died in a car accident near Athens. Police determined he was handcuffed and possibly blindfolded in the back of an SUV. The plan was to drive the student to a nearby county and leave him in the woods to find his own way back.
The car flipped, and Grantham was thrown from the vehicle and killed.
Four fraternity members who were in the car with Grantham faced criminal charges. The driver pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, and three others pleaded guilty to misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. All were given probation and community service.
No former members of ATO will be allowed to join the new group at Georgia, school officials said. The new chapter wants to attract 20 men to become an official club, then apply for colony status, where a national fraternity sets up a chapter.
‘‘We want to look forward and not backward,’’ ATO alumnus Huxely Nixon told the campus newspaper, The Red & Black.

[AOII_LB93]

It doesn't seem to matter what forum you post in hoosier, but your headlines for your posts seem to be inflammatory. Have you ever posted a positive article?

[amycat412]

thread name changed to something less inflammatory.


Amy

[Tom Earp]

NO COMMENT!

Glad To Hear ATO is Returning!

Is this OKAY TO SAY?

[CC1GC]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
NO COMMENT!

Glad To Hear ATO is Returning!

Is this OKAY TO SAY?

Tom, why have you always defended hoosier...if this individual (who you say is greek) has something constructive to say about the negatives within the greek system, then perhaps he/she should give objective comments instead of immature taunts found common among 10 yr. olds.

[Tom Earp]

CC1GC, maybe I do this as I get all of the information that Hoosier does!

He Posts before I do!

His Post reflect what is said via other servers that we both get!

Do you really think that there is that much good posting accross servers, NOT!

I just feel he is pointing out things that while we all may not like it , it is a fact! T/F?

This is no differrent than wptw posting about Badges!

He catches a lot of heat, and if anyone with any common sense listens to him, he post helpful knowledge! I too back him!

Ergo, you can jump on me also! But Facts are Facts!

Maybe he is trying to make a point, and while sometimes I do not agree, his points are well taken in the Name Of Stupidity!

[33girl]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
This is no differrent than wptw posting about Badges!

He catches a lot of heat, and if anyone with any common sense listens to him, he post helpful knowledge! I too back him!
(

The big difference is that wptw himself doesn't seem to be so negative- there are just people who don't like the fact that he collects pins. He has had some really kick-ass posts and always has a well thought out point.

Hoosier's posting articles isn't the problem - Brandon does that too and everyone likes Brandon. It's the fact that he always has to put a nasty spin on it with the thread titles. This is a perfect example - it IS a positive article and he manages to find the ugliest part of it and point it up. He knows that people will see "fraternity" and "hazing death" in the same place. That is not opening our eyes to the good and bad in the Greek community, that is being destructive.

[PrettyGirl03]

Well, I'm not on this board often, but I did graduate from UGA, and knew a couple of ATO's there (I can't believe it's been three years since the incident). I'm glad they are getting back on campus, and I wish them good luck in all their endeavors.

[UGAGal]

www.atouga.com

State of the Chapter (April 2003)

Dear Brothers:

I have GREAT news to report! Both ATO National and UGA have given their okay to our return to campus this fall (2003), thus clearing the path in our journey to become an active chapter again. This progress would not be possible without the hard work of many alumni, in particular the willing support of the local Athens area alumni. My personal thanks to everyone involved.

Reprinted within this newsletter is a letter from the CEO of ATO National, Wynn Smiley, which outlines the re-colonization process and covers some of the ground rules the Alpha Beta Chapter must abide by. The most significant of these requirements is that we will be an alcohol-/substance-free house. This does not mean we will be a fraternity of teetotalers, but the house must remain free of the like. Every re-colonized and new ATO chapter since 1998 has had to return under these guidelines. This also holds true for many other fraternities and universities across the country.

A logical question is, “How have these chapters faired?” They have thrived! Among this group, 30 percent earned True Merit honors compared to 8 percent for the other chapters, and there have been zero “risk management” violations reported. For example, The University of Alabama ATO Chapter (similar culture and demographics as UGA) was re-colonized in 1999, and today, they are 40 members strong, had the highest GPA of all fraternities on campus (3.50) and had five members of the 12 Capstone Representatives (the top men’s honorary society at Alabama). They were the first substance-free fraternity on campus. Alabama, along with the ATOs at Emory and Mercer, are examples of re-colonized chapters working well, and we have great confidence that we can replicate their success at UGA.

Currently, there are two substance-free houses at UGA, Phi Delta Theta being the first. I know of one other fraternity that has just been allowed back onto campus, and they are to also be substance-free. This is the direction that many schools are heading toward, and we will be ahead of the curve. Today’s UGA student is a different breed from our days on campus. They are more serious about their studies and future careers, but they still want to have fun and enjoy their collegiate experience. The average high school GPA and SAT score for the 2002 freshman class was 3.64 GPA and 1225 SAT, respectively. Our job as Alpha Beta alumni is to adjust our model of the past and provide an environment that is supportive of today’s student and additive to their overall experience in Athens and life beyond.

Regarding a new house, ATO National’s preference is that we not be encumbered with a house during the first year of our return. We have agreed to follow this recommendation; however, we will remain diligent in keeping our eyes open for good real estate options. It is simply not a requirement for our return this fall, but it is no doubt an important component in the future livelihood of the chapter. There is an alumni committee presently looking to obtain a suitable site to relocate the “caboose” from 130 River Road so that alumni will have a meeting place in the Athens area for football games.

Lastly, thanks to all of the alumni who have supported the Seed Fund, Alpha Beta Lives, Inc., which is critical to our re-colonization and future housing needs. We cannot re-colonize without money, and your financial support is extremely important to our long-term success. Currently, there is over $65,000 contributed and pledged to the fund, but our goal remains at $500,000 ($2,500 from 200 alumni). Your donations should be sent to:

Alpha Beta Lives, Inc.
P.O. Box 586
Alpharetta, GA 30009-0586

[damasa]

Originally posted by AOII_LB93
It doesn't seem to matter what forum you post in hoosier, but your headlines for your posts seem to be inflammatory. Have you ever posted a positive article?

I'm sorry but what is so bad about the title of the post? He posted exactly as the article describes. A fraternity is trying to recolonized after a hazing death took place three years ago. That seems to be pretty positive to me.

To the question of posting positive articles, what's the difference? Yes he has posted positive articles, but why should he not be allowed to post negative ones?

If greeks keep giving him a reason to post negative articles, he will keep posting them and I don't see anything wrong with it.

I'm so sick and tired of people trying to sugarcoat greek life. We can't because the system is flawed in a many ways, IMO.

It's up to us to not give Hoosier a reason to post "negative articles."

[kddani]

Blaine- the thread name was edited by Amycat. I forget what exactly it had originally been, but it was quite inflammatory

[AGDLynn]

http://onlineathens.com/stories/0829...30829080.shtml