LXA/Northern Illinois suspended: allegations of alcohol abuse, drug dealing, hazing,

hoosier · #1 04-17-2003, 07:45 PM

Charter suspended
NIU’s Judicial Office is investigating Lamba Chi Alpha fraternity

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By Aacia Hussain
Staff Reporter
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National representatives from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity suspended the NIU chapter’s charter on Monday, said Larry Bolles, director of NIU’s Judicial Office.

Subsequently, NIU and University Programming and Activities also issued suspensions on Tuesday because the fraternity is being investigated on several allegations, he said.

The Judicial Office is investigating individuals from the fraternity on allegations of alcohol abuse, drug dealing, hazing, intimidation and physical abuse, Bolles said.

These allegations came from members within the chapter, said Michelle Emmett, associate vice president of Student Affairs.

If the allegations against the individuals are proven to be true, the individuals may be subject to immediate expulsion from NIU, Bolles said.

There is a possibility the fraternity’s charter may be revoked, Bolles said.

Lambda Chi Alpha is not the first house to be investigated, said Chris Juhl, activities adviser of Greek Affairs. It is important that any allegations brought forth be pursued, he said.

“We don’t want to sit on these things,” Juhl said. “When people say something, we can’t just ignore it; we have to look into it.”

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Lambda Chi Alpha’s national representatives investigated the matter when they were at NIU for a routine visit, Emmett added.

The members who came forward with the allegations were unknown at press time.

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha declined to comment on the matter, and representatives from the fraternity’s national office were unavailable for comment.

Tom Earp · #2 04-17-2003, 09:21 PM

Hoosier, thanx for the info, met several of the Membes many years ago and were a great bunch.

It is always sad to see this happen. A lot depends the feelings about Greeks By The ADM.

DeltaBetaBaby · #3 04-17-2003, 10:05 PM

Wow, this seems to be quite the trend at Northern Illinois. DU's left a few years ago for a drug-related incident, and another group I can't recall had a similar problem a few years back.

LXAAlum · #4 04-22-2003, 01:20 PM

I emailed an alum brother of mine about this.

His reply....

"Always good to hear when our member perform a S.O.Y.D. Step on your d***"

It's amazing what a lack of common sense towards the respect for rules can do for an otherwise good group of men....

RedRoseSAI · #5 04-22-2003, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LXAAlum
It's amazing what a lack of common sense towards the respect for rules can do for an otherwise good group of men....

True, true. I knew some good guys in that chapter. That was a while ago, though, and I guess things change...

john1082 · #6 05-04-2003, 07:32 PM

They knew the rules. The General Fraternity does not close chapters without a great deal of thought and remorse. If these guys screwed up SO BADLY that we are collectively ashamed of their conduct and if their continued operation poses a threat to the General Fraternity with respect to risk management issues, then they have to go. We cannot allow some folks to screw things up for the General Fraternity.

This is even more sad when we reflect on the consequences of the closure: There are young men who will not have the oportunity to find what we have found in Lambda Chi Alpha. Without a Zeta at this campus these young men will not have a chance to discover and learn what we have been privileged to know. And WE are denied the opportunity to know them. We've all lost out in this! All because some brothers screwed up and couldn't play by the rules.

Do I sound pissed off?

Guess what - you're right! These jerks at NIU deprived me of the opportunity to know these young men who would associate in the future. Gang, we all lost with this!

SniffDNZ098 · #7 05-04-2003, 08:44 PM

very dissappointing is all i have to say...

EM1843 · #8 05-04-2003, 10:29 PM

Quote:

The General Fraternity does not close chapters without a great deal of thought and remorse.

Apparently you have never been involved with a chapter that was in danger of closing...

john1082 · #9 05-05-2003, 02:13 AM

Yes, I HAVE been associated with closing chapters. I recommended the closure of Towson and it was done within a matter of a few days. three risk management violations within six weeks, all of which had police involvement. This coming on the heels of a membership review two months prior.

I have some contact right now with UC Riverside and that is all that I can say at this point. Stay tuned for General Assembly ' Leadership Seminar and the Standards committee.

We left UCLA with regret but again it was a risk management problem. Chico had several visits by staff members to try and boost membership before closingearlier this year.

We invest time and money establishing a chapter. Closing a chapter down is not done on a casual basis and it does bring a sense of regret.

Suggesting that Towson be closed post-haste was a very difficult thing to do. When I called Brad Peabody and said that their actions were indefensible in a legal sense and that they had three separate violations within such a short period of time, all of which involved the Towson PD was an admission of failure for all of us because we could not impress upon perhaps ten members the severity of their transgressions.

When 25% of a chapter defies the rules and the remainder of the chapter says that's OK, then we have no choice. They have to go.

"Apparently you have never been involved with a chapter that was in danger of closing..."

So you see, I have been associated with closing chapters.

LXAAlum · #10 05-05-2003, 12:00 PM

I've been involved with the closing of two chapters. It is truly one of the hardest things a brother will have have to do or be involved with in his life.

There is pain, anger, regret, rage...the full spectrum.

However, as we say "if you are not willing to make of yourself a man, then there is no place for you in Lambda Chi Alpha." There has never been a situation where a charter was pulled where this quote wasn't appropo.

I also truly believe one of the KEY factors to a colony/chapter survival is CONSISTENT alumni involvement and oversight. Wherever there isn't alumni involvement, I believe you see a chapter on the verge.

However, the silver lining to a chapter closing is the eventual recolonization when conditions are favorable. I have been fortunate enought to see my home chapter recolonize, and should recharter in the very near future.

RACooper · #11 05-05-2003, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LXAAlum
I also truly believe one of the KEY factors to a colony/chapter survival is CONSISTENT alumni involvement and oversight. Wherever there isn't alumni involvement, I believe you see a chapter on the verge.

Gee going by that then the Toronto chapter has been on the verge for..... 2 or 3 decades.

EM1843 · #12 05-05-2003, 03:24 PM

Having heard what was going on at this chapter I agree with it's closing but I will NEVER believe that INT looks long and hard at each chapter before it closes it or that they are personally saddened by a chapter closing...individual members may be sad that a chapter had to close but INT couldn't careless in my opinion. My own chapter was in danger of closing and we still cannot get INT to help us most of the time...they would rather recolonize a chapter than fix the problems that are there...

RACooper · #13 05-05-2003, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EM1843
Having heard what was going on at this chapter I agree with it's closing but I will NEVER believe that INT looks long and hard at each chapter before it closes it or that they are personally saddened by a chapter closing...individual members may be sad that a chapter had to close but INT couldn't careless in my opinion. My own chapter was in danger of closing and we still cannot get INT to help us most of the time...they would rather recolonize a chapter than fix the problems that are there...

I hate to admitt it but I have to agree with you....

But look at it from another perspective:

How much easier is it to (hopefully) build something from scratch, using resources and talents that you know and trust; than it is to come in and try an change deep or entrenched problems? Which is more cost-effective?

Now I'll admit that I have seen both sides of this issue (within my chapter). We were down to 9 actives after some slashing and burning of some deadwood; we went all out in recruitment, targeting only first-year students, with help from some supportive recent-alumni. Now with 24 new members inducted into the brotherhood we could, from scratch, try and build a solid base for the future of the chapter...... problem is that some of the old bad-habits have crept in to education of these new members..... it's very hard to isolate them from these influences, particularlly if you don't have a very effective membership education program (IHQ let us down on this one... no publications from them in 2 1/2 years). Now while the chapter will be stronger it still has some of the same problems that brought it to it's knees in the first place.....

Now a colony or re-colonization will be more isolated from these bad influences for the most part, because (ideally) IHQ can pick-and-chose who will lead the effort, and can to a large extent ensure that the education of these new members will be a blank slate free of any bad habits. Unfortunately this is also problamatic because IHQ must commit time and resources to this as well...... meaning that they don't have enough to commit to repairing established chapters.

Personally I believe that IHQ needs to reform its management methods and structure to be more effective. 1) Run the IHQ more effectively by ensure proper customer support (ie. the chapters), by responding to any and all contacts quickly. 2) Decentralizing the education somewhat; a return to regionals with a more localized meeting between advisors and chapters. 3) Assigning a regional branch office of the IHQ; maybe one permanent manager, and administrator, with 2 ELCs reporting to that "branch office", this would allow both the chapters, alumni and HQ to maintain more effective communication. 4) Establishing a "trouble-shooter team" of advisors and staff that can be called in to help chapters in trouble; this should be done for the most part at the chapters request.

Tom Earp · #14 05-05-2003, 09:37 PM

Rob, I could not agree with you more and also LXAAlum.

We were on double secret probation and have been fighting it for a long time! I got back involved, and got a shit load of other Alums re-back involved. We are still in some dire straits, but working on it and trying to build a new house!!

Go figure that one!

There needs to be more communication between Int and the Alums section instead of just asking for money! We or many of us bust our ass to work with our Zetas at our expense and time!

But, it is a two way street between the Active Chapter and Alums.
If Alums are left out, Alums just say screw it!

I have been working to rebuild the Alum base of LX Z for 5 years now and slowly but surely it is growing.

I am sure you can tell even on GC, some of the Alums who are still involved with their Zetas.

Hell Bro, it is this way all over both Countrys!

Good to hear that you guys are making an upswing!!!!

john1082 · #15 05-06-2003, 06:05 PM

I like the idea as well. Twenty years ago when I was the High Pi at North Dakota we seemed to get more support from Indianapolis than my own chapter (Berkeley) gets today. And Cal would be far easier to support than UND.

A couple of ELCs per region that focus on local chapters would seem to make more sense that the traveling road show that we get today. There would be consistency and continuity. With some effective supervision by a regional manager of some sort, perhaps a longer term relationship can be developed between local alumni, the High Pi, & Alumni Advisory Board.

I think we have lost something over the years. The HQ staff is much larger, but the field force hasn't been enlarged. I felt very confortable picking up the phone an calling Frank Maez or Bob London; I am afraid that I don't have that relationship with the present staff.

With proper programming a regional meeting could be very productive. It's a shame that they aren't part of "the plan" anymore. By the way, has anybody seen "the plan"? If so, please tell the rest of us what it looks like!

Quote:

Originally posted by RACooper
I hate to admitt it but I have to agree with you....

But look at it from another perspective:

How much easier is it to (hopefully) build something from scratch, using resources and talents that you know and trust; than it is to come in and try an change deep or entrenched problems? Which is more cost-effective?

Now I'll admit that I have seen both sides of this issue (within my chapter). We were down to 9 actives after some slashing and burning of some deadwood; we went all out in recruitment, targeting only first-year students, with help from some supportive recent-alumni. Now with 24 new members inducted into the brotherhood we could, from scratch, try and build a solid base for the future of the chapter...... problem is that some of the old bad-habits have crept in to education of these new members..... it's very hard to isolate them from these influences, particularlly if you don't have a very effective membership education program (IHQ let us down on this one... no publications from them in 2 1/2 years). Now while the chapter will be stronger it still has some of the same problems that brought it to it's knees in the first place.....

Now a colony or re-colonization will be more isolated from these bad influences for the most part, because (ideally) IHQ can pick-and-chose who will lead the effort, and can to a large extent ensure that the education of these new members will be a blank slate free of any bad habits. Unfortunately this is also problamatic because IHQ must commit time and resources to this as well...... meaning that they don't have enough to commit to repairing established chapters.

Personally I believe that IHQ needs to reform its management methods and structure to be more effective. 1) Run the IHQ more effectively by ensure proper customer support (ie. the chapters), by responding to any and all contacts quickly. 2) Decentralizing the education somewhat; a return to regionals with a more localized meeting between advisors and chapters. 3) Assigning a regional branch office of the IHQ; maybe one permanent manager, and administrator, with 2 ELCs reporting to that "branch office", this would allow both the chapters, alumni and HQ to maintain more effective communication. 4) Establishing a "trouble-shooter team" of advisors and staff that can be called in to help chapters in trouble; this should be done for the most part at the chapters request.