Sounds like LXA & NIU has done the right thing to NIU

[hoosier]

Northern Star
Northern Illinois University
July 16, 2003

Former Lambda Chi member reveals 'severe' initiation traditions

By Aacia Hussain, Northern Star

While some of Lambda Chi Alpha's former members continue to appeal a
Northern Illinois University decision to expel the fraternity from campus,
one man hopes to forget frightening memories of the fraternity.

"They treated us like prisoners of war during initiation week," said a
former member of the house, who agreed to speak to the Northern Star on
condition of anonymity. "They made us go crazy."

Even though other fraternities chose to carry out initiation traditions,
those at Lambda Chi were unreasonably severe, he said.

Members repeatedly were forced to drink alcohol in excessive amounts, he
said. Some members became violently ill from ingesting alcohol and using
illegal drugs, but the fraternity members in control refused to let them be
taken to the hospital.

During initiation week, the source said pledges were put into what he
described as "P.O.W. blocks." Pledges were blindfolded for 14 hours while
they were constantly watched. They were stripped down to their boxer
shorts, then wrapped in towels and placed in a room with a heater turned on.

Throughout the initiation, members endured various other mental tactics,
including not being allowed to sleep.

Pledges were kept in these blocks while they were forced to listen to a
deafening blend of satanic music and nursery rhymes. The nursery rhymes
were remixed to repeat words over and over to increase mental agony, the
source said. The music was blasted through loudspeakers while the pledges
sat blindfolded with their arms raised.

The source said pledges also were subjected to verbal abuse. Fraternity
members screamed at them and called them names to "make them crack." Some
of the pledges broke down and cried, he said.

Many of the members had their rooms broken into and their personal
belongings searched by other residents of the house.

Other members were kept under strict control and were threatened with grave
consequence if they disobeyed, he said. They were discouraged from getting
good grades if it kept them away from the house. Having a girlfriend or
doing anything that included people not affiliated with Lambda Chi was
frowned upon, he said.

"There are guys that feel they are scarred for life," the source said.

One member expelled from NIU declined to answer questions relating to the
hazing allegations.

It wasn't until seven members of the fraternity decided to come forward
this spring that the allegations came to light. After they agreed to make a
written statement detailing everything they had witnessed, University
Programming and Activities took action.

The fraternity received an appeal hearing June 23 from NIU when members of
Lambda Chi met with Michelle Emmett, associate vice provost of Student Affairs.

The university charges against Lambda Chi included physical abuse;
excessive hazing and intimidation by certain members within the fraternity;
using and selling illegal drugs; and alcohol abuse.

There are no police charges against members of the fraternity.

"I did a lot of listening," Emmett said. "They explained to me why they
felt their charter should be reinstated."

Emmett remains undecided on the decision for an appeal, and she is
investigating the case further.

"She's trying to piece together what really happened," Greek Affairs
director Chris Juhl said. "It's all up to her now."

Part of the problem is that up until the appeal hearing, members weren't
open to explaining everything that happened, Juhl said.

Several members of the fraternity have been expelled from NIU.

Judicial Director Larry Bolles doubts the appeal will succeed easily.

"It will be difficult to overturn the decision when they're still suspended
by [their national headquarters]," Bolles said.

Emmett is waiting for a response from the headquarters before casting a
final decision on the matter. She said she wants to take the time to make
her decision a fair one.

"This is their last appeal," Emmett said. "It doesn't go anywhere after this."

If an appeal is not granted, there will be no chance of the fraternity
existing at NIU for the next five years, Juhl said.

"If she does not change a single thing, that's it," he said.

Juhl has stated that some of the members within the fraternity --
especially the seven who came forward with the allegations -- felt
threatened and feared for their safety.

If Lambda Chi's suspension is not overturned with an appeal, its national
headquarters will order the letters removed from the house.

Representatives from Lambda Chi's national chapter and those appealing the
sanctions were unavailable for comment at press time.

[LXAAlum]

This is also posted in the Risk Management/Hazing Forum....

IF these allegations ARE true, these "boys" were not brothers - they completely missed the meaning of LXA....

[LXAAlum]

Spring, 1989, Cross and Crescent: George Spasyk:


Reflections... on Opportunities Lost

Spring 1989 -- Some time ago, Lambda Chi Alpha chapters were cautioned about "rough initiations. Here's what the message said:

"A few chapters, usually because of stupid local customs, have confused 'hell week' practices with initiation, and as a result, have caused the regular, formal ritualistic initiation (the only initiation in Lambda Chi Alpha) to be entirely misunderstood. There is but one type of initiation in Lambda Chi Alpha and this has but one purpose. It is not disciplinary in character but is primarily spiritual. It is not for the purpose of amusement, but is intensely serious. It is not supplemented by any preliminary 'rough' tactics, but stands alone, a unity within itself. Horseplay, rough stuff, zero degrees, walks, hell week and hazing in any form, regardless of what it is called, is unauthorised in Lambda Chi Alpha. Such proceedings are outlawed by nearly all well-established fraternities and the National Interfraternity Conference. Educators universally condemn them. They have been the greatest cause of anti-fraternity agitation."


Those words might have been written to our chapters in 1960, when a strong anti-hazing statute was inserted in our Constitution and Statutory Code; or in 1978, when a strong anti-hazing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly; or in 1988, when an even stronger anti-hazing resolution was adopted by another General Assembly. No, those words were written in 1929. They appeared in the Expositor, a publication designed as a training manual for chapter officers.

Yet here we are, sixty years later, still grappling with the problem of hazing.

Lambda Chi Alpha was the first fraternity to develop an alcohol awareness program -- that was in 1976 -- thirteen years ago! We developed a drug awareness kit in 1972 -- that was seventeen years ago! Yet we are still grappling with those problems...

Opportunities lost! But for the actions of a few chapters, and a relatively few stupid members, Lambda Chi Alpha could have an unblemished record as a partner in higher education with the colleges and universities from which we sprang.

But the reality is that the problems fraternities have are also the problems of society as a whole. Various studies suggest that some 91 percent of college men use alcohol to one extent or another. Since fraternity men constitute only about 10 percent of the male student population, that leaves 81 percent of non-fraternity men who use (or abuse) alcohol. But the problem goes beyond that. Over 50 percent of students in high school use (or abuse) alcohol.

It has often been said that "fraternities are a microcosm of society," and I've always believed that. But I've also said that fraternities should be a cut above society. We have emphasised "quality, not quantity." We have looked for "the cream of the crop." What's wrong with expecting higher standards from our members than we would expect from the general student body?

The answer to our problems is two-fold. Our approach is naturally and logically in education. That's an ongoing process, since we bring in new members every year -- and we have a 100 percent turnover every three to four years. But there are times when education is not the only solution. We must enforce our policies with firmness and fairness, and we're doing just that. During the past few months, three chapters have lost their charters -- two have since been re-colonised. Others will follow.

The policies mandated by the General Assembly last August are simple to understand and, more importantly, they were adopted by our undergraduate members to apply to all chapters:


Do not sell alcohol to anyone, either directly or indirectly.
Do not host open parties.
Do not ever purchase alcohol with chapter funds.
Do not permit underage members or guests to consume alcohol.

We call on our alumni to support and assist in enforcing these policies. We need the support and assistance of college and university administrators in dealing with these problems.

These are critical times for the Fraternity and the entire fraternity system, and Lambda Chi Alpha cannot afford the luxury of carrying on its rolls any chapter that is jeopardising the future and the existence of other chapters and of the General Fraternity.

Once again, Lambda Chi Alpha has the opportunity to be a trend-setter on the college campus. Let's not blow it!

[Tom Earp]

Hoosier got this posted before I did!

It is a sad state of afares for LXA! I met some NIU Brothers at a Conclave 5 years ago and were a great bunch.

This is a black mark against all of us!

If true, they were not true Brothers of LXA!

[SniffDNZ098]

This is very dissappointing...

[pman233]

I partied with some NIU guys at spring break in '92, and we definately had some eye opening discussions. Although nothing to the degree of these allegations came up, they certainly had a unique interpretation of what hazing meant to them.

pman

[john1082]

For those of us who fought the hazing battles in the late seventies and early eighties, it is far more than disappointing to still see this nonsense going on. We know what the rules are and we agree to abide by them. It's real simple.

That being said, i know how deeply ingrained it was at California and how some of my brothers would literally be shocked at present day activities, but I believe that we are all better for the changes.

As initiation approaches, we should plan activities so that our brothers and associates are sharp as Rx approaches. We don't need gimmicks and we don't need exhaustion. We do need to be grown ups about the process.

With respect to NIU, if what they are acused of doing is true, then they have to go!

John Gezelius
California, '78

[lenoxxx]

Lambda Chi appeal denied
Fraternity’s suspension shortened from five to three years


By Aacia Hussain
Staff Reporter

The appeal to overturn Lambda Chi Alpha’s five-year suspension from NIU was denied; however, it was shortened to three years.

Michelle Emmett, associate vice provost of Student Affairs, said the decision was a difficult one to make.

“Lambda Chi has been an influential organization on this campus in the past,” Emmett said.

However, it was found that the allegations were too serious to justify a complete appeal.

“There was information brought forward that was definitely actionable material,” Emmett said.

Lambda Chi was brought up on NIU charges of excessive hazing, physical abuse and intimidation, among other things.

NIU officials began investigating the fraternity last semester when several of its members came forth with incriminating information. Several members were expelled as a result of individual judicial hearings.

The manner in which former members of Lambda Chi approached Emmett about an appeal was crucial in the decision to lessen the term.

“They were very cooperative,” Emmett said. “Before, no one was talking. When they came back and asked for an appeal, they pleaded their case.”

Lambda Chi’s national headquarters kept close communication with NIU with the exchange of information to consider the case.

“We found that some of the information that we originally received had been blown out of proportion, which is why the sentence was lessened,” said Betsy Bly, editor of Lambda Chi National’s Cross and Crescent magazine.

However, none of the members who were involved with Lambda Chi this semester will be allowed to be in the fraternity if it resurfaces on campus in the future.

This was the first time Emmett could recall that members from within a fraternity came forward with allegations against their own house.


*Earlier versions of this story, when listing NIU’s charges against the fraternity, contained two charges that NIU officials say were not on the list.

[lifesaver]

I had the opportunity to eliminate a few "less than official" elements from ritual and pre-ritual activities when I was chapter Phi in 95. The reaction from brothers was less than receptive at the time, but it enhances the overall experience of the new brothers and now the chapter is known as a leader in exemplification and understanding by brothers. Makin me proud of the progress they have made.

(Of course it was never like the NIU brothers alleged activities.)

[Tom Earp]

Brother lifesaver, thumbs up and kuddos to you for what you did!!

As you know, I am the Founder of the Local that became LX Z and I forbid any type of Hazing as was known back in the 60's! It really enede up being the Tenet that George S and I talked about into the wee hours of the morning upon Colonization! How prophetic was that that we meshed so well just feeling each other out.

If you go back up and look at (?) pman or Lenoxx post he did not understand some of the things in their disscussion. To damn sad to think about when is done.

We all lose in situations like this from the comments made of what they had done on campus!

[lifesaver]

So true brother tom.

I had the opprottunity to see a Ritual performed in 1994 as an instillation of the West Texas A&M Chaper and Andy Olenik as ELC encouraged me to stay and watch it after conclave. It was an amazing experience. To see it done right. He opened my eyes. To take the emotion of the experience and use it, to good and right purposes, not squandering it. Was simply amazing. So many chapters, dont use it to its fullest extent. Its 10 times more powerful when used properly, and I mean really properly, than wrongly. You can get a huge impact if you know how to work ritual. And in Masons intent. Seriously. I've seen the transformation in my own chapter. And it has translated into members living ritual, not just in exemplification. Isnt that what its all about?

[Tom Earp]

Andy, what you said!

Sometimes when I see things like this and others trying to find out about Rituals, that everyone could see OUR Ritual. The imprtance, teachings, and all of the other things that I wish i could think of would be in awe!

No matter how many times I see it, I get Hair raising on the back of my neck about what the symbolism is.

Thank God, we get to choose thoughs who will have the experiece that only some can see.

We have Ritual with an Honor Associate at Founders Day and many Brothers return to see each other and renew the Ties of The Brotherhood. See The Ritual and feel the bonding of it and what it means to each of us. What a weekend!

There is a great need for Brothers such as yourself, LXAAlum, Jono, pman, Corbin Dallas,Matt T, and the many that I cannot remember who are doing what we all feel !