Alpha Delta Gamma - Quincy pres out for puppy problem

[Kevin]

Qunicy Herald-Whig
Quincy, IL
March 4, 2003

Members of QU frat booted out of house

By Rodney Hart
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

The National Executive Council of Alpha Delta Gamma has suspended all
members of the Quincy University chapter and evicted them from the
on-campus residence.

The council made the decision after the Adams County State's
Attorney's office charged the chapter's president with aggravated
cruelty to an animal last week.

Prosecutors allege that Daniel J. Hollenkamp, a 22-year-old senior
from Carlyle, threw a 14-week-old puppy off the Bayview Bridge and
into the Mississippi River.

Council members met last weekend with James Reis, QU's dean of
students, and ordered sanctions against the fraternity. Hollenkamp
was removed as fraternity president last week.

The St. Louis-based fraternity suspended all members of the chapter
and will establish a new chapter executive board by March 31. In the
interim, the chapter - which has about 25 members - will be governed
by a nine-member committee of chapter alumni.

Bryan Lind, national president of the fraternity, said the on-campus
chapter house must be vacated immediately. QU will work with the
affected residents to make new housing arrangements.

"The facts clearly show that this was an isolated incident involving
a single individual and two members of the chapter's pledge class,
who have also resigned," Lind said.

"Nevertheless, the executive council felt that strong action was
necessary in order to show the university and the entire community
that we share their outrage over this incident, and that actions so
far outside the bounds of acceptable behavior, as well as our
fraternity's standards of conduct, will not be tolerated."

Reis was unavailable for comment this morning, as was Stephen Rak,
director of campus activities at QU. The university has declined to
talk about the alleged incident.

Investigators say alcohol was involved. Hollenkamp was in a car with
three other people on the night of Feb. 20 when the alleged incident
took place, investigators said. State's Attorney Barney Bier said
there is no plan to charge anybody else "at this time."

Lind stated that any failure to abide by the sanctions imposed on the
chapter will result in further disciplinary actions, which may
include the expulsion of all members from Alpha Delta Gamma and
revocation of the chapter's charter.

"Everyone on the National Executive Council continues to offer our
sincere apologies to QU and the entire community for this senseless
and stupid act, and wishes to once again ask not only for their
forgiveness, but also their understanding that this incident is
definitely not representative of what we stand for as Alphadelts,"
Lind said.

There are two sororities and two fraternities at QU. Andrea Saviano,
a senior from Chicago who is a member of Phi Sigma Sigma, said the
incident was not the result of a fraternity event.

"I think the boys (fraternity members) here are doing their best to
make sure everybody knows this was not a fraternity event at all,"
she said. "I don't know how the public is responding to that, but
they are doing a good job of making that very clear."

Saviano said she knows the two owners of the puppy, named Scotch, and
that the dog was not abused. Sally Westerhoff of the Quincy Humane
Society said Monday the puppy was abused.

"I knew Scotch personally. He loved attention and was a normal,
feisty puppy," Saviano said. "He loved to play with his chew toys and
loved being outside. Anyone that walked in the house was greeted by
Scotch, who was kind to everyone."

The fraternity members are still trying to cope with the dog's
demise, Saviano said.

"Now these boys have to deal with people saying they abused the dog
in order to find a motive for Scotch's senseless passing. It's sick,"
she said. "Danny is a great kid. I know him well enough to know that,
but what he did was wrong, and there is no justification for what he
did. Anyone that wants to make excuses for his actions is as demented
as his random act that has left Scotch dead."

Lind said any chapter functions must be pre-approved by the special
alumni committee as well as the dean of students. In addition, the
new executive board, once in place, will confer with the dean weekly,
and must attend a new officer leadership program created by the
dean's office. The chapter must also forward copies of weekly meeting
minutes to the special alumni committee.

The chapter will be required to perform community service events
approved by the special alumni committee and the dean of students.

(c) 2003 Quincy Newspapers, Inc.