Remarkable Maturity...House Trashed...

DeltAlum · #1 06-07-2003, 11:55 AM

How often have we seen this happen? These guys not only destroy property, cost the chapter dearly, but also make it much harder to ever recolonize the chapter.

There have been a couple of threads on this kind of situation in the past -- and it has happened to at least two Delt houses I'm aware of in the past.

What does it prove?

Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 11:31:01 -0700
From: Fraternity/Sorority Newsclips <Doug.Case@cox.net>
Subject: U. Arizona Pike house vandalized after charter loss

Arizona Daily
University of Arizona
June 5, 2003

U. Arizona Pike house vandalized after charter loss

By Aaron Mackey, Arizona Daily Wildcat

Vandals visited the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at 1525 E.
Drachman last week, causing what former fraternity president Drew
Baxter called damages "beyond repair."

The vandalism came approximately two weeks after the UA chapter of Pi
Kappa Alpha, also known as Pike, lost its national charter, which
according to Baxter occurred on or around May 16.

"It is actions like (the vandalism of the Pike house) that only
justify the painful decision made by nationals," Baxter said in an
electronic posting on Pike's Web site.

Vandals apparently threw a piece of firewood through this window
looking out to the back courtyard at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
house.

Fraternity member John Clark said the first acts of vandalism
occurred on May 28 and subsequent ones took place for the next three
days.

According to Clark, the original damage was allegedly caused by older
members of the fraternity who "weren't really part of the house
anymore."

Among the damages to the house, nearly all of the windows on the
house had been smashed, graffiti lined the hallways and papers and
trash had been strewn all over the building. Three expended shotgun
shells were also found in a parking lot west of the building.

One graffiti message read, "Gayheart is a backstaber. We worked so hard."

The source said that the remark was a reference to Pike adviser Ron Gerhart.

"Ron Gerhart ... did everything in (his) power to ensure the future
of our chapter," Baxter said on the Web site.
Baxter also said that if it weren't for Gerhart's actions, the
revocation of the national charter might have occurred sooner.
Gerhart could not be reached for comment.

Approximately six former Pike members were living at the house when
the vandalism occurred. They were told they have until June 7 to
vacate the house.
According to the Pima County Assessor's Office Web site, the house is
owned by Gamma Delta Holding Corporation, which is located at a
Catalina Foothills address owned by Pike alumnus Stephen Lyders.

The Pi Kappa Alpha International Headquarters could not be reached for comment.

The UA revoked its recognition of Pike on Dec. 13 as a result of an
alcohol infraction that occurred Sept. 13 when Greeks Advocating
Mature Management of Alcohol (GAMMA) officials found bottled alcohol
at a "dry" (non-alcohol) bid night party.

The University originally revoked Pike's recognition until December
2005, but after Pike filed an appeal, the term was reduced to January
2005.
Earlier, in February 2001, Pike was placed on probation by UA for
hazing violations. The house violated its probation in October and
March of the same year when Pike members were involved in several
fights.

Without formal UA recognition, Pike was not able to take part in any
university activities or use university facilities under the
fraternity's name.

(C) 2002 Arizona Daily Wildcat

PM_Mama00 · #2 06-07-2003, 01:09 PM

Did these guys want to get shut down? They were pretty much asking for it.

steelepike · #3 06-08-2003, 12:24 AM

That's just not cool. They aren't on campus till 2005 and then some vandals who are upset with their advisor who probably did all he could to keep them on campus, trash the house. That's not brotherhood and maybe that's why they "aren't part of the fraternity anymore". Too bad that things went down like that for the guys at Arizona and hopefully the rechartering can bring in men who can trully uphold the ideals of our founders and can live up to jjKa. The actions of the members before they lost their charter wasn't good either, hazing violations and then alcohol at rush, those are two things nationals have been against since their popularity sometime ago.

AXWhoah · #4 06-08-2003, 12:53 AM

Ah that's so sad. I thought that Pike had been doing better, they had held their annual date auction and raised a crap load of money for the Bobbi Olson Ovarian Cancer Research Fund near the end of the year. It's so sad to see yet another fraternity go. Next up, adios Delt. I have to ask you Steele Pike....why does your signature mention Steve Prefontaine? Are you a fan? Because if you are implying he was a Pike, he wasn't in a fraternity at all.

KEPike · #5 06-08-2003, 03:30 AM

Pike had been doing better at U of A. I know John Clark, who was quoted in the article, he is a standup guy that is an awesome Pike. Nevertheless, it sounds as if the chapter needed to be shut down. MHQ will come back there in a few years, use their expansion program and dominate.

Oh, and Prefontaine was a Pike from Oregon according to the Pike website.

AXWhoah · #6 06-08-2003, 03:55 AM

Um, well I have NEVER heard that not even from the Pike from Oregon that I used to know. I think that they would have publisized that a little better, for example I know that Phil Knight was a Fiji there. If you didn't read my location I am from Eugene, born and raised and thought I knew just about everything there was to know him. I grew up literally a block from where he died and my dad used to be the meet director of the Prefontaine Classic. He's from Coos Bay, blah blah blah and I will restate that I have never heard that he was in a frat, something that both of the movies based on his life left out which leads one to think maybe that is just an urban legand.

CatStarESP4 · #7 06-08-2003, 05:13 AM

Not only have these guys had their national chartered taken away, but they f***ed up any chance of recolonizing. What a payback for the advisor who busted his ass to keep the Pikes on campus. What were you thinking!!!!!!!!

HPU PIKE · #8 06-08-2003, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AXWhoah
It's so sad to see yet another fraternity go. Next up, adios Delt.

It is a shame to see this happen to brothers in ANY fraternity, not too mention my own. It is even more of a shame to see someone reveling in the downfall of others. I can't imagine what I would feel like if that happened to my chapter. Best of luck to the brothers at UA in hopefully someday recolonizing.

DeltAlum · #9 06-08-2003, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AXWhoah
Next up, adios Delt.

It's really sad to hear that. What's our problem there?

SigkapAlumWSU · #10 06-08-2003, 04:21 PM

Something similar to this happened at my campus. I won't mention the fraternities names though. One fraternity got their charter pulled and proceded to vandalize the house, and throw a huge kegger - and I'm talking 40+ kegs and 3,000 people in attandance. The house was trashed. When another fraternity needed housing, they fixed up this house, and moved in for about 1 1/2 years, at the end of which, they left the house a disaster. When the original fraternity came back to recolonize, the chapter house was vandalized by former members who were still in attendance at the University. Spray paint and broken windows were among some of the damage. The worst part was that they were doing it to their own brothers.

AXWhoah · #11 06-08-2003, 05:38 PM

I am not reveling in the fact that all of the fraternities are getting kicked off. But they did do something to deserve it and so I'm not that sad to see them go. The frats here haze like none other and it is about time that somebody starts cracking down on that. Delt hazed and they are currently suspended. The Delts I have talked to are convinced that they will be kicked off. I know that they are having some internal problems as well as external ones....like getting in 10 man fights with Sigma Chi in the middle of the street...They're all so damn stupid. The administration will put them on probation or suspension which means they aren't gone, all the have to do is be good for one semester and they just can't seem to do it.

CatStarESP4 · #12 06-08-2003, 06:29 PM

This is not a lecture, so forgive me if you think it sounds like one to you. If you guys know that you could face suspension and at worse expulsion, why do you behave in a manner that will get you those things. This is a self fulfilling prophecy. Also, it won't work if you conduct in a civil manner that one semester to earn back your charter/school recognition and revert to your old ways the next and beyond. Changing your ways for the better should be an ongoing process. If you are so scared to lose your house, do something about it.

KillarneyRose · #13 06-08-2003, 11:40 PM

This is so stupid

I've never understood people who get angry and trash their own home/neighborhood/school

Even animals know that you don't doodoo where you eat and sleep

steelepike · #14 06-09-2003, 12:44 AM

On Pre, yes i am a fan and for him being a Pike i have to believe both the Oregon website saying he is a famous greek from there and the Pike national website.

DeltAlum · #15 06-09-2003, 12:53 AM

The Beta Kappa Chapter of Delta Tau Delta was huge at the University of Colorado. It was one of the very first Greek Letter Organizations West of the Mississippi. I can't give you the exact chronology because I wasn't part of the drama over the past however many years, but the chapter was suspended some years ago. They recolonized and were suspended again.

When recolonized yet again, local alums raised over $1.5 million dollars to refurbish the beautiful three story stone structure in one of the best locations on campus. I hear it had the Delt Crest inlaid in wood in the entryway, a spiral staircase -- even a grand piano. There was an open courtyard and a balcony with views of the nearby mountains. I have seen the Delt letters in stone above the front door, and in iron in the front sidewalk. They're still there.

Within months there had been so much damage that the Delt Central Office decided to revoke the charter again. Third strike and you're out? Probably. When the final suspension came, the brothers reportedly punched holes in the walls and totally vandalized the property and trashed what was left.

It left such a bad taste in the Fraternity that a former international president told me that we would probably never recolonize there. Even many older Beta Kappa alums say they wouldn't support another chapter there. What a shame to not have a presence at such a great university where we had been so strong in the past. Many of the "movers and shakers" in the Denver area are alumni of Beta Kappa, as well as Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter.

Today, the shelter belongs to the university and is the home of the Department of Continuing Education. When I taught at Colorado, it was in a building right across the street.

I have seen slides of the same kind of destruction at our house, I think at West Virginia. A total mess.

It is just so sad that a bunch of idiots can ruin such a good thing for all of the future.