Fight Erupts at SDSU Yard Show

[DeltaSigStan]

I was there last Friday, but had left right when Sigma came on and did not see the fight. The Deltas and AKA was quickly resolved and the show went on. All of that crap aside, all the orgs that took part did a great show.

Fight erupts on Free Speech Steps

Crowd of more than 300 witness violence during dance performance

By Joe Zarro, Editor In Chief

About six young men wearing Omega Psi Phi letters interrupted Phi Beta Sigma's dance performance and assaulted the performers in front of more than 300 students last Friday afternoon.

Students had gathered around the Free Speech Steps to watch members of Phi Beta Sigma perform. The fraternity was participating in a step show, an annual tradition among African-American fraternities and sororities, which are geared to draw interest in the organizations from new students.

The incident quickly turned into a brawl, with members from both fraternities throwing punches, while others attempted to break up the situation.

"As soon as I saw commotion I went over and saw a large group huddled and fighting," SDSU alumnus Derek Koehler said. "It looked like a large group of mixed people. Definitely a lot of people fighting.

"I noticed people who looked like they were in the same club breaking it up. They were breaking it up themselves before any officers got there."

A non-student punched a man wearing Omega Psi Phi letters involved in the initial assault. At least five men wearing Omega Psi Phi letters punched and kicked the man.

When campus police arrived, the fighting had been reduced to pushes and shouts. The suspect, believed by campus police to be the primary instigator, had fled the scene along with several others.

Student witnesses who did not flee were cleared from the area. Suspects were interviewed by officers. According to campus police at the scene, no major injuries occurred and nobody was taken into custody.

Omega Psi Phi, a national African-American fraternity, does not have a recognized chapter at SDSU. The fraternity has only one member who is a student at the university. He was not involved in the incident.

The men who started the fight are believed to be alumni and members from other campuses.

"It's unfortunate (the incident happened) because the step show has been a successful event," Doug Case, coordinator for fraternities and sororities, said.

"It's shameful some non-students marred a good tradition."

Earlier in the afternoon Alpha Kappa Alpha, an African-American sorority, offended the Delta Sigma Theta sorority during its portion of the step show. It started an altercation between women in the audience, but it was resolved without campus police.

"There was a smaller fight between girls who were spectators," biology senior Jeff Rush, who was near the incident, said.

The incident was minor in comparison to the violence that erupted later, but both disputes concern university officials. According to Jack Beresford, assistant vice president of marketing and communications, a university meeting will be held this week to discuss the safety of students during activities on the Free Speech Steps.

A video camera was present during the fraternities' fight and may help campus police in its investigation of the event. Anyone with specific information about the incident is encouraged to call campus police at.