Delta Tau Delta Suspends Tufts Chapter

[exlurker]

Delta Tau Delta HQ has suspended the Tufts chapter pending the outcome of investigations by DTD and the university about a pledge who was hospitalized after he briefly stopped breathing. There reportedly was a pledge event and "drinking" is mentioned in the student paper's article. The young man was also reportedly on medication.

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/vnews/disp.../424a57d1bf094

I hope the investigations go well and the matter is resolved appropriately.

[DeltAlum]

This is too bad. We have a Zero Tolerence policy for this kind of thing.

"DTD International said that it is aware of allegations toward the Tufts DTD chapter, which could constitute a violation of its Member Responsibility Guidelines. DTD's Arch Chapter, the fraternity's governing board, suspended the charter of the Tufts chapter, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation."

[exlurker]

Update: DTD at Tufts Closed for One Year, Then one Year on Probation

Delta Tau Delta's chapter at Tufts will be closed for one year, and, after that, will be on probation for another year. See the student paper's article at

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/vnews/disp.../425b5f3d89b9c

The same paper has a thoughtful editorial on the subject:

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/vnews/disp.../425b546edf48c

That editorial says, among other things: "The Greeks, of course, have the most to lose should the fraternity system go under. While it is tempting for members of other Greek houses to shrug off DTD's distress as not relevant, this is not the case. With DTD missing, other houses will most likely find themselves under more close scrutiny while facing swifter and harsher punishments for any and all violations of University policy.

Non-Greeks also have a stake in the existence of the system: it is, after all, a focal point of campus social life. While it may be convenient to think that the actions of non-Greeks have minimal impact on the system, the case is often quite the opposite. Students have the ability to influence what their friends in the Greek system say and do; any student who takes advantage of the Greek system also needs to take an interest in its well-being."

[hoosier]

Doomsday at Delta House: Student's heroics can't save frat from hazing shutdown
By Franci Richardson
Thursday, April 14, 2005 - Updated: 07:40 AM EST
Fraternity boy Ryan Sopelsa was in his room during a February party when he saw a pledge being carried out of a Delta Tau Delta bedroom, struggling to breathe after a night of hazing.
_____``I told them to lay him on the floor,'' said the 20-year-old Tufts University junior, who works as an emergency medical technician in New Jersey during the summer. ``I checked to make sure he was still breathing. I noticed he wasn't.''
_____Ian McPherran, a mechanical engineering student, had a weak pulse after being hazed with drinking games, where an incorrect trivia answer cost an underage pledge a stiff belt of alcohol.
_____But the freshman had stopped breathing.
_____``I decided to do some rescue breathing,'' Sopelsa said. ``When I'd give him a few breaths, he'd start coughing and then he'd stop breathing again.''
_____Paramedics arrived on the scene after fraternity members called police the night of Feb. 26. McPherran made a full recovery but did not join the fraternity, officials said. He did not respond to a request for an interview.
_____This week, the 116-year-old fraternity was the school's first ever ordered shut down for the following year because of hazing practices. Fraternity members pleaded guilty before a judiciary hearing to five of seven alcohol-related charges, including hazing.
_____``To us, it is dangerous behavior,'' Bruce Reitman, dean of students for arts, science and engineering, said of the hazing. ``There's an atmosphere of encouraged behavior, that if you want to be a member, you ought to do this. In that, people are still going to make foolish decisions that jeopardize their well-being.''
_____DTD's president, who hoped to persuade administrators to punish his members by relegating them to educational anti-alcohol programming, said never was a pledge made to drink excessively.
_____``That characterization is patently false,'' said Noah Ornstein, 20. ``Neither attendance nor drinking was compulsory.''
_____Ornstein said he will appeal the decision to suspend the chapter.
_____DTD had already been on probation for several alcohol incidents, so no alcohol was allowed in the frat house.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by hoosier
Fraternity boy Ryan Sopelsa was in his room during a February party when he saw a pledge being carried out of a Delta Tau Delta bedroom, struggling to breathe after a night of hazing...

_____This week, the 116-year-old fraternity was the school's first ever ordered shut down for the following year because of hazing practices. Fraternity members pleaded guilty before a judiciary hearing to five of seven alcohol-related charges, including hazing.

_____DTD's president, who hoped to persuade administrators to punish his members by relegating them to educational anti-alcohol programming, said never was a pledge made to drink excessively.

_____``That characterization is patently false,'' said Noah Ornstein, 20. ``Neither attendance nor drinking was compulsory.''

Don't you love the attitude of the article? "Fraternity boy..."

Putting that aside, this is swell. We have a 116 year old chapter closed and it was the "first" in the history of the University? The administration must spend a lot of time looking the other way.

Once again, we see violations from a chapter (unfortunately, one of ours) breaking the rules while already on probation.

Then, we have an underaged chapter president arguing the matter. He probably doesn't drink himself. Right.

I'll be seeing our International President at a dinner this evening. It'll be interesting to see if he will comment on this since it is ongoing.

[exlurker]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
I'll be seeing our International President at a dinner this evening. It'll be interesting to see if he will comment on this since it is ongoing.

DeltAlum, hope the dinner is enjoyable, and, if you can, please pass along general good wishes and encouragement to your President from those of us on GC who care about Greek life and want to see it survive and be a positive influence in the lives of students and alums.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by exlurker
DeltAlum, hope the dinner is enjoyable, and, if you can, please pass along general good wishes and encouragement to your President from those of us on GC who care about Greek life and want to see it survive and be a positive influence in the lives of students and alums.

Thanks, I did that and the dinner was very enjoyable -- so much so, in fact, that I totally copped out and didn't bring up the Tufts situation (although he did without mentioning the school in his remarks).

I actually sat with him at dinner, but didn't want to spoil the tone at the table.

Despite having many of the problems of other fraternities, we Delts have a lot to be happy and inspired about. We're growing in numbers of chapters and brothers and are very healthy financially.

By the way, the occassion was the annual Founders Day Dinner of the Colorado Delt Alumni Association.

Now, back to Tufts.