Delta Delta Delta Closes Penn State Chapter (Hazing, Risk Management)

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Unless you know the ENTIRE story personally, and were there, I would be extremely careful about comments like "throw away so much for so little." To automatically assume the collegians are 110% in the wrong is as disloyal as questioning the decision of your HQ would be.

Also, unless you know alumnae personally, you don't know what their outlook is on this.

I'm sorry but assumptions like this grind my gears. It's a time to support all your sisters, not just the ones in national office.

I do support my Tri Delta sisters. I feel badly for the alumnae who have lost their chapter. As a sister from a closed chapter (numbers, not hazing), I know what it is like to not have a chapter home any longer. It is awful. Having been through the experience of seeing my own chapter close, I feel deeply for the women involved.

And as an alumna who understands the value of sorority membership as a life-long opportunity, I DO think it is throwing away a great deal. No, I don't know the whole story. But I do know that if some of those women end up losing their membership over this, they have lost a great deal.

I don't really understand why you were offended by assumptions you thought I was making, but trust me. I'm grieved for everyone involved. I don't need to know the whole story to know it is a very sad situation. Breaking the rules of the university and the sorority shouldn't be tolerated by any organization. And if we don't police ourselves, you can be sure someone from outside of the Greek world will step in and do it for us. So, from that standpoint, I'm thankful that our leadership is apparently trying to protect the organization as a whole by addressing what must have been a bad situation.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

I don't really understand why you were offended by assumptions you thought I was making, but trust me. I'm grieved for everyone involved. I don't need to know the whole story to know it is a very sad situation.

I don't understand why you wouldn't understand my offense, quite frankly. I have no idea what the violations were or why they came to light, but unless you do, to categorize them as "so little" is just like sticking a knife further in these women's hearts.

This is a chapter that won the "chapter of the year" award at Penn State last spring. A chapter with a heavy hazing culture doesn't get that way in the space of 6 months, and I would think that Penn State isn't stupid enough to give such an award to a sorority with that as its M.O. (They did have 19 other sororities to pick from.) So when hazing and RM are used as reasons, sorry if that makes me do a WTF and question a little bit.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't understand why you wouldn't understand my offense, quite frankly. I have no idea what the violations were or why they came to light, but unless you do, to categorize them as "so little" is just like sticking a knife further in these women's hearts.

This is a chapter that won the "chapter of the year" award at Penn State last spring. A chapter with a heavy hazing culture doesn't get that way in the space of 6 months, and I would think that Penn State isn't stupid enough to give such an award to a sorority with that as its M.O. (They did have 19 other sororities to pick from.) So when hazing and RM are used as reasons, sorry if that makes me do a WTF and question a little bit.

I'm not going to speculate about what happened because I don't know. But a chapter doesn't have to have a "heavy hazing culture" to get shut down. One bad incident can be enough. And if DDD was the chapter of the year last year, that makes it even sadder.

Re: my comment about "so little". I have no idea what happened other than what was said in the press release. The chapter violated the codes of the university and sorority. It says the Executive Board acted swiftly to revoke their charter. The fact that there wasn't even a probationary period to rectify the situation tells me a lot personally. Yes, I am giving the benefit of the doubt to the Executive Board. No Executive Board pulls a charter on a strong chapter that quickly without some pretty substantial reasons. It doesn't mean I don't care about the collegians and alumnae at Penn State. It just means that as a Tri Delta who has been around the block a few times as both a collegian and alumna, that I have some idea of what goes on when these kinds of decisions are made.

Whatever the women apparently did, it was "so little" compared to what they have given up. Whatever the hazing and reckless behavior was, they all lost a lot as a result of those choices. Whatever they did - whether it was for a night, a weekend, a week or whatever - for that "fun" they have lost out on months, years and perhaps a lifetime of sorority membership. So for "so little" they have lost much.

I hope that better explains my perspective.

[33girl]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Agreed.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by 33girl

A chapter with a heavy hazing culture doesn't get that way in the space of 6 months, and I would think that Penn State isn't stupid enough to give such an award to a sorority with that as its M.O.

I can tell you that sororities with heavy hazing cultures do win awards such as that, at schools everywhere. It's funny how hazing can be well known among various chapters, but the school officials either don't know anything about it or turn a blind eye until forced to deal with it for some reason or another.

[ZTAngel]

Originally Posted by kddani

I can tell you that sororities with heavy hazing cultures do win awards such as that, at schools everywhere. It's funny how hazing can be well known among various chapters, but the school officials either don't know anything about it or turn a blind eye until forced to deal with it for some reason or another.

I agree. I know that fraternities are a different ballpark in terms of rules but the concept is still the same. There were two fraternities on my campus who were very strong. They constantly won awards from both the school and their nationals, donated lots of money to their individual philanthropies, and had prominent alumni sitting on school executive committees or were executives at local companies (meaning they donated lots of money to the fraternity and school). Both the school and nationals turned a blind eye to the public hazing and risk management issues these fraternities were continually involved in. It wasn't until some major incidents happened that both the school and nationals finally relented and yanked the charters.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by kddani

I can tell you that sororities with heavy hazing cultures do win awards such as that, at schools everywhere. It's funny how hazing can be well known among various chapters, but the school officials either don't know anything about it or turn a blind eye until forced to deal with it for some reason or another.

In some ways, I wonder if stronger chapters can get away with more because people are willing to do "anything" to be a part of them? I have definitely seen some sorority chapters that were very strong in every area EXCEPT that they hazed horribly. Are people more willing to do stupid things to get into a "top tier" chapter?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by kddani

I can tell you that sororities with heavy hazing cultures do win awards such as that, at schools everywhere. It's funny how hazing can be well known among various chapters, but the school officials either don't know anything about it or turn a blind eye until forced to deal with it for some reason or another.

Yeah maybe, but you would think if the sorority is smart enough to hide it or if the school is that blind/laissez-faire about it, that the situation wouldn't change in THAT short of a time unless there were really heavy duty (I'm talking legal involvement or death) things involved. And something that heavy duty would have been in the newspaper.

I'm not saying they didn't do anything wrong, because obviously they did - just that I don't like when people automatically assume a chapter closed through the complete fault of one party. There are at least FOUR entities involved in every chapter closure and very very rarely are there 3 angels and one devil.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yeah maybe, but you would think if the sorority is smart enough to hide it or if the school is that blind/laissez-faire about it, that the situation wouldn't change in THAT short of a time unless there were really heavy duty (I'm talking legal involvement or death) things involved. And something that heavy duty would have been in the newspaper.

Eh, you never know.

There was a chapter on my campus (back when I was active) who was caught doing something that, in more than one way, was illegal. Their chapter wasn't closed because of it, and they were able to get around the legal issues because they knew someone who knew someone who helped them out. It was never in the newspaper, and I'm willing to bet that chapter never tried something of that magnitude again.

But again, something like that rarely happens.

In this case, I don't think anyone can make judgment calls based on the information provided.

[ValpoKD]

Originally Posted by kddani

I can tell you that sororities with heavy hazing cultures do win awards such as that, at schools everywhere. It's funny how hazing can be well known among various chapters, but the school officials either don't know anything about it or turn a blind eye until forced to deal with it for some reason or another.

Sometimes it also comes down to proof. There can be rumors (or stories or suspicions or gut feelings) that are known /felt by students, faculty, or administrators around campus. It can be more challenging to get to the details and have proof. I have seen this on quite a few campus, with chapters of varying strengths and sizes. Sometimes one seemingly isolated incident can just be the tip of the iceberg.

This is why I pay particular attention to what my students say (and don't say) and how they share information when in my office. You never know what you might learn!

[exlurker]

Update Dec. 7 '09

A little more . . . from the campus paper's Dec. 7 issue online:


Excerpts:

By Caitlin Sellers and Somer Wiggins
Collegian Staff Writers
Delta Delta Delta sorority has lost its charter after its national organization found the chapter in violation of the Penn State Code of Conduct and Tri Delta Policy.

The chapter has been under investigation since Nov. 5 for "alleged hazing and risk management violations," according to a press release from the national sorority.

Delta Delta Delta sorority members who violated membership obligations will face individual sanctions and possible membership removal, but those unassociated with violations can remain unaffiliated members of Delta Delta Delta sorority, according to the release.

Deena Berger (junior-psychology), the chapter's former president, said she plans to comment in the future on the chapter's closing.

The allegations of hazing were primarily addressed by the Delta Delta Delta national sorority, said Kara Zinger, the Panhellenic Council (PHC) vice president for communications and a member of the Collegian's business division. . . .

The . . . chapter of Delta Delta Delta sorority was established in 1947. According to the press release, the sorority hopes to recolonize at Penn State in the future.

Affinity Public Relations President Karina Shaver . . . said there is currently no set timeline for the sorority's return to Penn State.

She said the PHC is not looking toward adding a new chapter of a national sorority to Penn State as a result of Delta Delta Delta's disbandment.

. . .
About two weeks ago, several members of Delta Delta Delta sorority created Trilogy, an independent organization, . . . . Trilogy will keep the sorority's original THON pairing with Kappa Delta Rho and the same Four Diamonds family. . . .

Delta Delta Delta's former members will also continue to live together in their dormitories next semester, Shaver said. Their residence will no longer be considered a sorority floor, and the chapter meeting suite will no longer be used by the students. . . .

[33girl]

So in other words, they're still going to do THON (this is a huge huge HUGE deal) and they're still going to live together. But they're not going to be paying national dues or have any national or Pahellenic rules to follow.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmkay. There may be a shortage of waffles at the Eggo factory but there apparently is none at Penn State.

[WVU alpha phi]

I knew a girl in this chapter. She graduated two years ago, I don't speak to her but I really wish I knew her thoughts on all this!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by 33girl

So in other words, they're still going to do THON (this is a huge huge HUGE deal) and they're still going to live together. But they're not going to be paying national dues or have any national or Pahellenic rules to follow.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmkay. There may be a shortage of waffles at the Eggo factory but there apparently is none at Penn State.

I think that the Delta Delta Delta national is going to have decide pretty quickly whether they consider this group an informal continuation which wiil eventually bring Delta Delta Delta back to Penn State or a group whose existance will keep Delta Delta Delta from returning to Penn State as long as it is active.

I wouldn't want to try to return the Sorority to the school as long as these girls (and those they recruit!) consider themselves to be the true Delta Delta Delta's on campus.