http://www.statenews.com/op_article.phtml?pk=18175
Fraternity story unfair, not helpful
While the article on the Theta Delta Chi house goes to great lengths to portray it as negatively as possible, the writers conveniently fail to mention several things ("Chapter found destroyed," SN 7/10).
First, State News members who entered the property to take pictures and rummage through the attic did so in violation of the law. They had no permission from the owners, only by the city, to enter our premises; as such, their actions constitute trespassing and violated our right to privacy. It is unlawful to enter a private dwelling without permission, and it is shameful to do so with the intent of disparaging it.
It is incorrect to say that the house is "abandoned." Rather, the national leadership asked fraternity members to leave for the summer so that renovations could occur. Likewise, the water bill and other utilities are the responsibility of the national organization, not the individual chapter. Despite this, our chapter has devoted thousands of dollars and expended a lot of time repairing our house. It is unfortunate that The State News has chosen to gloss over our efforts.
Finally, The State News has provided an excellent example of irresponsible journalism. They clearly understand the potential for third parties to vandalize an unoccupied home. Given this, I find it appalling that they would print a map to our house, as doing so merely invites future intrusion. Rather than helping us deal with an already difficult situation they have chosen to make things worse.
Daniel Grimm
international relations senior and treasurer of Theta Delta Chi
Hybrid Mode
