Bad Year in Boulder

[DeltAlum]

The single most distressing thing in the following article is something that has really been bothering me -- the trashing of fraternity houses when a charter is lost.

Shouldn't it occur to the members that the fraternity may want to recolonize someday?

The same thing happened to Delt several years ago at Colorado, and the beautiful chapter house has since been sold to the university. It is so sad to walk by, see the letters still in stone above the doorway, and know that, even in the unlikely event that we will ever be on the campus again, Delts will never again live in that amazing facility.

I guess it's tough to see past personal problems of the moment cause actions which hurt the greater good of the fraternity -- no matter what the letters involved are.


Tough semester for CU's fraternities

By Matt Sebastian, Camera Staff Writer

It's been a rough semester for the University of Colorado's fraternities.

Three of Boulder's oldest chapters were shuttered by their national
offices this fall - most recently the Kappa Sigma fraternity, whose
members are suspected of trashing their house last week.

CU officials say the number of fraternity closures is unusual, but
not necessarily worrisome.

"I don't think it's a good or bad thing," said Laura Strohminger,
CU's director of Greek affairs. "It just means the national
headquarters are taking responsibility for their men."

Not everyone involved agrees.

Alpha Tau Omega chief executive Wynn Smiley, who closed his
fraternity's Boulder chapter this year, said CU has taken too much of
a hands-off attitude toward the Greeks.

"The University of Colorado is an interesting animal," Smiley said.
"There's little oversight from the university ... and that makes it
more difficult to hold members accountable."

CU's practice has been to discipline individual students through the
campus's Office of Judicial Affairs. The chapters, 16 of which now
remain, are dealt with by their respective national headquarters.

Bob Maust, coordinator of CU's alcohol education programs, said the
university monitors Greek life and works very closely with fraternity
and sorority members.

"We may not have any legal entanglements with them, but we made that
decision very deliberately," Maust said, noting that some
universities own their campus's fraternity houses.

The fraternities that revoked their chapters' charters this year are
the following:

Alpha Tau Omega shut down its chapter, established in 1901, at the
beginning of the fall semester, a year after CU officials started
calling on the national office to take action. Last spring, Boulder
city officials found the fraternity's 17th Street home so poorly
maintained that it was declared uninhabitable.

Members also were delinquent in paying dues to their national office
and CU's Interfraternity Council.

Phi Delta Theta closed its chapter, which dates back to 1902, in
October following a rollover accident in Boulder Canyon that left a
pledge seriously injured. Members had taken a group of new inductees
up into the mountains and left them with a keg of beer.

After the fraternity lost its charter, six former members were
arrested for causing $15,000 in damage to their chapter's former
house.

Kappa Sigma revoked its chapter's charter on Dec. 13 after members
violated a prior suspension by bringing alcohol into their
Pennsylvania Avenue house. The chapter, founded in 1916, also engaged
in hazing, according to Mic Wilson, the fraternity's executive
director.

But the chapter's troubles, Wilson said, weren't linked to a violent
assault that occurred just outside the fraternity's house in March. A
Kappa Sigma member was sentenced to two years' probation for
attacking another CU student.

After Friday's revocation, the fraternity's house was extensively
vandalized. Boulder police suspect disgruntled fraternity members
caused more than $20,000 in damage. No arrests have been made.

"We were all taken a little aback by that," Wilson said. "But we
won't tolerate such things."

Copyright 2002, The Daily Camera.

[justamom]

Just to think, over 100 years of history destroyed...

I wonder where it all begins, this lack of character (at loss for a better word). I could offer up my personal views for debate, but what good would that do? I do have questions I ponder because even though these examples are of GLOs, it transcends Greek life on college campuses and seems to be a new reality in way people think and behave. I believe its still the minority, but not sure if its growing or just getting more exposure.

Back to the examples-
It feels like a classic "catch 22" and a quantity VS quality situation.
Has the cost of operating a chapter risen to the point where X number of men/women are needed and therefore the selection process has been diluted to the point where we just tell our PNMs to hand us a check and sign the dotted line and you're in? Exaggerated, but what if you're chapter is in decline?

Is it the inability to deny an impulse?

Have parents failed in instilling the sense of accountability and responsibility in their children?

Is it a result of the drugs parents took in the 60s and 70s that have caused some miswired brains in their offspring?

Is it RITALIN?!?

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by justamom

Is it the inability to deny an impulse?

Have parents failed in instilling the sense of accountability and responsibility in their children?

Is it a result of the drugs parents took in the 60s and 70s that have caused some miswired brains in their offspring?

Is it RITALIN?!?

LOL LOL LOL

I'll have to say, all the above.

[33girl]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
The single most distressing thing in the following article is something that has really been bothering me -- the trashing of fraternity houses when a charter is lost. Shouldn't it occur to the members that the fraternity may want to recolonize someday?

It probably has, and that's probably why they did it.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by 33girl


It probably has, and that's probably why they did it.

So, if I understand it, they're saying, "We've broken the rules, maybe broken the law, haven't paid our dues, but since Nationals is now holding us accountable, we're going to lash out like a bunch of spoiled children -- totally ingnoring our fraternal oath -- and make it difficult or impossible for future generations of Colorado students to become a member of our fraternity."

Imature is the absolute kindest word I can think of. There are a lot of others.

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by DeltAlum

So, if I understand it, they're saying, "We've broken the rules, maybe broken the law, haven't paid our dues, but since Nationals is now holding us accountable, we're going to lash out like a bunch of spoiled children -- totally ignoring our fraternal oath -- and make it difficult or impossible for future generations of Colorado students to become a member of our fraternity."

That might be the sentiment, but I doubt they are thinking about it that articulately. "Dude, those bastards at Nationals took away our house! We'll show them not to mess with us! We'll f--k them up REAL bad!" is probably more like it. Alcohol, no doubt, is probably part of this.

I'll blame it on the parents. So many kids are used to having others clean up their messes, and when it's time for them to be the adults they've pretended to be for a while now, they act like the babies that they are.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
"Dude, those bastards at Nationals took away our house! We'll show them not to mess with us! We'll f--k them up REAL bad!" is probably more like it. Alcohol, no doubt, is probably part of this.

I know that's true, but no less frustrating.

And, it does speak to the maturity of at least some college students who demand to be treated as adults, but act like juvenile delinquents.

What worries me most is how many times you see this behavior played out in similar situations.

While I'm not advocating this in any way, it does give some credence to the old "In Loco Parentis" situation where universities (in my era) tried to force students to live in "approved" housing or dorms until age 21.

In other words, if these idiots aren't mature enough to live on their own, we will make them live by our rules.

Who wants that?

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by justamom
Just to think, over 100 years of history destroyed...

Times three just this year on the Bolder Campus alone.

JAM,

Your comment on the cost of operating a house and going for numbers instead of quality people are part of the problem in some instances.

I would be nice to blame on parents or drugs (or lack of them), but generally it seems to come down to alcohol and childish vindictiveness.

Now, I'm going to take my ball and go home and not play with the rest of you anymore 'cause you won't let me have my way!

[LXAAlum]

"Dude, those bastards at Nationals took away our house! We'll show them not to mess with us! We'll f--k them up REAL bad!"


Yep. Seen it happen. Not once. Not twice...multiple times with various GLO's at several campuses here in Colorado. The worst was a chapter closed at CSU in 1995...not only was the house trashed, but, the alumni showed up during the "festivities", and were assaulted as well....very sad.

I have a basement storage room with several items taken from MY chapter when it was closed, to keep several very drunk, very pissed (at everyone/everything but themselves, where blame truly lies in every chapter closing) brothers were preparing to destroy everything in sight.

We have recolonized (11 years later), and soon, I'll have some extra storage space, when I return back the rightful chapter property....

[cuaphi]

Excuse my lateness but I just found this thread. I really can't believe what's happening at my alma mater nowadays. First Sigma Chi lost their charter a couple of years ago. Now, Kappa Sig and ATO! Those were three of the top four 'power houses' when I was there. This Kappa Sig chapter has Robert Redford for an alumnai. As for Phi Delt, they recolonized and reclaimed their beautiful home in the middle of the hill in 95-96. I used to know a lot of the guys who worked really hard to earn that charter and build a strong group on campus. To see it all gone so quickly over stupid behavior is really heartbreaking.

The glass half empty approach is to wonder if this isn't the demise of greek life on a campus where they are loathed by the administration. The half full approach is maybe now that the old guard has been essentially removed it will finally become clear that the fraternities there must find a new way to operate.

[FuzzieAlum]

I'm curious ... they quote an ATO national officer as saying the university should provide more oversight. Yet many national fraternities are perfectly willing to allow chapters on campuses where Greek life isn't recognized or controlled by the school in the slightest. Now I don't know if ATO is one of those - but there is a mixed message here, I think. Do fraternities want school oversight or not?

[madmax]

Originally posted by FuzzieAlum
I'm curious ... they quote an ATO national officer as saying the university should provide more oversight. Yet many national fraternities are perfectly willing to allow chapters on campuses where Greek life isn't recognized or controlled by the school in the slightest. Now I don't know if ATO is one of those - but there is a mixed message here, I think. Do fraternities want school oversight or not?

I don't want any school oversight/interference.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by madmax


I don't want any school oversight/interference.

I understand why you say that, but it's a two edged sword.

Colorado has been very crafty. They have taken a, "Give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves," approach, and to a great extent, it's working.

When something serious happens, the university can say, "hey, it's not our problem," and the chapter is left with civil charges and dealing in real courts instead of the unviersity judiciary.

Then the Nationals is left in a no-win situation with no support at all from the school. They have little choice but to close the chapter.

Believe me, in most cases, I'd take the university oversight instead of dealing with the city council or local police department.

The traditional "Town/Gown" relationships are generally strained at best, and the locals like nothing better than to take on anything or anyone having anything to do with the university.

[Tom Earp]

Tom, You are so right!

Red Flag via the School! Hey Nationals it is no longer our problem, the ball is in your court!

What the Hell, All of us do not want the School to be the local cop on the beat!

But We All Know that All fo the Greek Orgs cannot totally police the chapters!

LXA has Paid Consultants which drains resorces. I know for a fact that many are governed by volunteers. Is this bad, NO because they each have the love for their Org.

But, the burn out it to soon because of the stupidity of some Chapters!



Sorry getting tired so I wuil sign off! An geting goofier thatn normalsacy""""""""""""""""""""""""Oops say good by yall!

[madmax]

Originally posted by DeltAlum

I understand why you say that, but it's a two edged sword.

Colorado has been very crafty. They have taken a, "Give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves," approach, and to a great extent, it's working.

When something serious happens, the university can say, "hey, it's not our problem," and the chapter is left with civil charges and dealing in real courts instead of the unviersity judiciary.

Then the Nationals is left in a no-win situation with no support at all from the school. They have little choice but to close the chapter.

Believe me, in most cases, I'd take the university oversight instead of dealing with the city council or local police department.

The traditional "Town/Gown" relationships are generally strained at best, and the locals like nothing better than to take on anything or anyone having anything to do with the university.

1. University oversight doesn't in any way prevent a chapter from having to deal with local police or city council. University oversight just creates one more spoon stirring the pot. Most univesities don't do ***t for Greeks other than red tape them to death.

2. Nationals do have a choice. They don't have to close down a chapter just because there isn't any school support. Look at Sig Pi at UCSC. Once the school shut down the Greek system Sig Pi went from 20 members to over 80.