Nebraska DUs caught by photographer

[hoosier]

Monday, Mar. 4, 2002

UNL: Delta Upsilon to be spanked for alcohol violations
BY MARTHA STODDARD Lincoln Journal Star
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The photograph e-mailed to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Greek Affairs late Tuesday afternoon revealed more than the bare bottoms of two Delta Upsilon fraternity members.

It also showed a clear violation of university alcohol policy and a possible violation of rules against hazing and physical abuse, said Jim Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs.

The photograph depicts nine young men in the corner of a large room, several holding beer cans. Two of the men are bent over, with their pants lowered to display dark red marks on their bare buttocks. A third man crouches between them, holding a wooden paddle with the Greek letters delta and upsilon.

Griesen said preliminary investigations confirmed that the photo was real and was taken in the basement of the Delta Upsilon house, 1548 Vine St.

"Conclusion one is, yes, Delta Upsilon is going to be in trouble for having alcohol in the house," he said. That violation already has been turned over to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

Conclusion two is that at least one pledge and his pledge "father" traded swats with a commemorative fraternity paddle, Griesen said. The incident apparently occurred following the initiation banquet for fraternity pledges.

Spanking rituals have been a tradition in fraternities across the country for many years, he said. Both he and a younger student affairs staff member recall such during their college days, although there have been no reports of such at UNL before.

"We are led to believe that this was just the traditional trading of swats," Griesen said.

Whether the behavior violated the Student Code of Conduct or state law remains to be seen, especially because the acts were reported to be voluntary, he said. Griesen said he is reviewing the rules and has asked UNL Police Chief Owen Yardley to investigate further.

Yardley said he doesn't expect to finish the investigation until early next week.

The local fraternity also may be subject to disciplinary measures by Delta Upsilon's alumni chapter and international organization, said Andrew Carr, chapter president and a junior from Nebraska City.

He said he first learned of the photo through a phone call from a friend last week. He said the men in the photo are current members, but an internal investigation is under way to find out the circumstances of the photo.

"I'm aware of the situation," Carr said. "It's very disheartening to me. It does show bad judgment on the part of a few people. Our alumni chapter, our international chapter and the university are working very hard to make sure it doesn't happen again."

[hoosier]

Monday March 04 07:43 PM EST

U. Nebraska frat suspended after suspected hazing
By Billy Smuck Daily Nebraskan
(U-WIRE) LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Delta Upsilon fraternity undergraduate chapter at University of Nebraska-Lincoln was suspended temporarily Saturday by its international fraternity after a photograph illustrating possible hazing activities surfaced last week.

Linda Schwartzkopf, director of Greek Affairs, said control of the chapter now is in the hands of its local alumni advisory board.

Schwartzkopf said she received word of the suspension Saturday through a letter from Abraham Cross, executive director of Delta Upsilon International Fraternity.

UNL's Delta Upsilon President Andrew Carr deferred comment on the suspension to Cross.

According to the letter, Cross said the suspension would be in place until an investigation is completed.

"In order to establish a full assessment and accounting of the situation, the international fraternity has acted to suspend operations of the Nebraska chapter of Delta Upsilon," Cross said.

Schwartzkopf said the letter made it clear the UNL Delta Upsilon chapter still remains. She said the suspension was not related to the university's own investigation.

"The two processes are working independently of each other," she said.

Eventually the international fraternity and the local alumni advisory board will need to partner with the university, Schwartzkopf said.

"It will be in everyone's best interest to work together to develop a plan of action and move (Delta Upsilon fraternity) forward," she said.

[Betarulz!]

Okay well I've been trying to post the picture but unfortunetly I can't get it to work all the time.

Try this address to possibly see the picture.

http://www.geocities.com/skurz2001/du_boys_gettin__whacked.jpg

(it only seems to work for me when I copy and paste it into my browser so try that)

It's really done a lot to discredit all the houses here at UNL, particularly in our claims of not hazing.

Finally it is dissappointing b/c DU was a fairly respected house and one that was strong in numbers.

I'd be interested to see what the fellow DU's think about the whole thing.

[volgirl2376]

hoosier is there a reason why you only post the closing of chapters? just curious as to why you are so fixated.

[KSigkid]

Hoosier, I believe that the DU's are well aware of the chapter closings. Once again, just as in the case of the "costs" thread in the SAE forum, this thread was not needed.

Collin

[antidrama]

Originally posted by Betarulz!
I'd be interested to see what the fellow DU's think about the whole thing.

okay, i think i'll jump on this grenade.

i personally had no idea of this chapter's activities or its suspension...i have my own chapter to worry about. i'm all for that chapter being reorganized or suspended for a few years to get its act together. my current chapter has its ups and downs, and we're getting reorganized right now.

but it is a sad thing that such a good house with good numbers had fallen on bad luck and made some bad choices. i dont want this thread to become some kind of hazing discussion, what's done is done. but this was newsworthy for DUs that dont hear about things like this happening to our other chapters....i'm pretty sure the reason for me not knowing is our fraternity not wanting to hang out dirty laundry for all to see...much like any other organization.

"Delta Upsilon Fraternity is ready to impose strict probation for chapters which won't correct hazing problems. We are prepared to clean house at chapters and expel men who want to haze. We are prepared to suspend or revoke charters of chapter; DU is over (167) years old, and can afford to wait three or four years for the stupidity of a few undergraduates to fade from collective student memory, if necessary, to crush hazing and restore a chapter to its real purposes." - The Cornerstone, page 128

[33girl]

Originally posted by volgirl2376
hoosier is there a reason why you only post the closing of chapters? just curious as to why you are so fixated.

my only guess is, he's choked his chicken to death and it no longer works, so this is all he has.

[KRAMER_DU]

Why are you DU's hazing. We are supposed to be a non secret non hazing fraternty. If you so called DU's take pride in the letters you are wearing, the stop this hazing crap!!!

[Jim_Hoegaarden]

Anything is considered hazing now-a-days. If you don't have pledges go through a tough pledgeship, they won't have earned their right to be a DU. If your chapter sucks, make a tougher pledgeship.

Also, the picture was really stupid. Why did they pose?

[nittanyalum]

Oh my lord, well if that isn't a lesson that things can last f-o-r-e-v-e-r on the internet -- that picture is still up 6 years later! And btw, OUCH at their behinds! What moron lets someone do that to them?

I love the quote from DU HQ, especially this part: "DU is over (167) years old, and can afford to wait three or four years for the stupidity of a few undergraduates to fade from collective student memory, if necessary..." LOL.

And my final observation, it's nice to know that 33girl hasn't changed in the last 6 years!

[rufio]

god i can't belive that link is still active. damn you geocities. your technology was outdated years ago.

[DUMFBU56]

if you look on the pole they have the crest on it, which i'm pretty sure isn't allowed..these is how DU gets a bad rap