Delta Sigma Phi House Condemmed -- Franklin & Marshall

[exlurker]

Another instance where it looks like a GLO has been warned and warned, but it just didn't seem to sink in.


142 cited at F&M parties; city condems frat
Off-campus headache flares again. Mayor and college president say raucous, overcrowded gatherings are dangerous as well as annoying.

By Janet Kelley
Lancaster New Era

Published: Nov 22, 2004 1:24 PM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - A Franklin & Marshall College fraternity house was condemned, and 142 people face underage-drinking charges after city police raided two college parties over the weekend.
“The neighbors can’t tolerate it, and we can’t either,’’ Mayor Charlie Smithgall said today. “It wrecks the quality of life for the neighborhood.’’

“I am deeply disturbed and very embarrassed,’’ F&M President John Fry said this morning, adding that he was completely supportive of the city officials’ actions, both in closing the 437 College Ave. fraternity house and citing the underage drinkers.

“Despite all the work we continue to do,’’ Fry said, there are students who apparently “refuse to manage their own situations and become outraged when they’re held accountable.’’

While not all of the young people at the parties were F&M students, Fry said, the school will be conducting its own investigation, which may result in additional “consequences’’ for those college students who were involved.

The residents of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house on College Avenue had been warned repeatedly about the filthy living conditions, city officials said, as well as underage-drinking parties and overcrowding.

Specifically, city police Lt. Stephen Skiles said, the fraternity brothers were told not to have any more parties.

Late Saturday night, police said, 168 people were counted inside the fraternity house basement, nearly doubling the allowable occupancy number of 95.

Out of that group, police said, 112 will be cited for minor drinking, some of whom freely admitted they had been consuming alcohol.

Police said the students were not taken into custody, but officers took their names and other information before releasing them. The citations are being sent in the mail.

Also on Saturday night, police raided another residence of F&M College students, at 522 Lancaster Ave., citing an additional 30 people for underage drinking.

Besides the noise and lack of respect for the neighbors associated with the college parties, Smithgall said, there are major safety and health issues.

“If there was a fire, they’d never get out’’ of the overcrowded basements or second- and third-floor apartments, Smithgall said. “I don’t want that to ever happen in this city...not ever.’’

Members of the city police department’s Selective Enforcement Unit conducted several investigations over the weekend in the northwest section, by sending two undercover police officers into several “obvious parties.’’

Some of the parties, police noted, appeared to stay within the limits set by the city fire and housing ordinances.

But when they were invited inside the Lancaster Avenue party, according to a statement issued by police, the undercover officers became aware of “marijuana being smoked, drinking games resulting in contestants becoming intoxicated and minors consuming and being furnished alcohol.’’

The undercover officers stayed and watched when their co-workers, in uniform, arrived moments later and conducted an investigation.

Later, shortly before midnight, city police officers invited inspectors from the city fire department and housing and sanitation departments to join them when they went into the College Avenue fraternity house.

Residents of the house have been warned repeatedly this school year about the unsanitary conditions, overcrowding and other problems at the fraternity house, Smithgall said.

<SNIP>

Late in October, several fraternities hosted parties that spilled outside near Nevin and James streets, requiring every available officer from college security and the city to respond and bring the disturbances under control.

“There is no reason the residents have to endure this every weekend,’’ Smithgall said.

According to newspaper records, the Delta Sigma Phi house was condemned in 1991, after neighbors described the college students as living like “animals.’’ It was condemned as “unfit for human habitation.’’

It apparently was cleaned up at some point, but then was condemned again in 1999, after city officers filed six pages of sanitation, housing and fire code violations.

After severing ties with the fraternities and sororities in 1988, F&M trustees only agreed to recognize the groups earlier this year on the condition they adhere to behavioral guidelines.

[mmcat]

wow...
how sad for the fraternity.

[g41965]

The cops got names hmm, wonder if anyone was named Jim Shorts, Rob Banks, Jack Daniels, etc.

[AGDee]

In helping my chapter look for a house to rent and become an "official" AGD house, I gained access to the zoning information for fraternity and sorority houses and it made a lot of sense. Within a student housing zoned area, the areas approved for greek housing have to be more than 200 ft. from a residentially zoned area. This type of zoning lends to more tolerance from neighbors of Greeks since the area is all college students anyway. It seems like you're asking for problems by having residential housing and greek housing co-existing so close to each other.

Dee

[Tom Earp]

Hm, just wonder how these mental wizards would feel if their parents showed up for a visit?

I know that when I would visit my folks who lived not far from the School and would go by and use the facilities for My Mother and no Toilet Paper to be found. Trash barrels full and over flowing with you guessed it, empty cans and bottles along with those in the yard or in the living room.

Many parents that would see this were tempted to cut off funds for the College KID! Can you blame them?

[Tom Earp]

Dee, that is intersesting to hear!

Our Property, (# Lots) on The Main Drag has a house to the South rented by College students and we would love to buy it, but they got insane when we offered their asking price.

ASA is across the street and is a buffer for us. We have enough room at the rear when we get the new house built to cover that with a parking lot!

But, there is a lot more to think about than anyone can imagine while looking for a house!

[squashfly3]

i know i may be a bit late for this thread, but it's still my school and i'd like to try to set things straight. the college did not place greek housing next to residential housing. we live in a small city that has limited space. at different times (mostly in the late 1800s and early 1900s) fraternities bought houses around the city, so the fraternity still owns the house, and unfortunately they have residential neighbors. it happens...and the greeks try to work with the city, but unfortunately in this case things did not turn out well.
also living in a city provides very limited space between houses. so that adds to the problem...if the college had built a greek row like it had intended to many years ago perhaps there would be less problems.

[PhoenixAzul]

The same here, our houses (most of them) exist next to a) dorms b) residential houses. The TD and TEM houses flank the communication dept. house (incidentally used to be ATO's house) Theta Nu is next to the Campus Center and a Private house on the other side, Owls is next to a private house (college professor though, i believe an alumn of their's too!). Zeta Phi lives next door to my Comm Theory professor, Pi Kappa Phi (Club) lives next to Peg the bulldog lady (she's a legend...she walks her two bulldogs all over campus, she's been a godsend for those boys and a lot of other kids on campus!). Pi Beta Sigma has lived in a really residential part of campus (all private houses) for almost 50 years. Sigma Delta Phi has an "unofficial" house on the outskirts of campus in a residential area. Alpha Sigma Phi has an "unofficial" house (lot ofthe guys live there, but it's not strictly Alpha Sigs). The Alpha Sig house, perhaps because it is on the main drag, gets busted for parties the most, but because it is a private house...not much anyone can do except tell them to clean up their beer cans.

[ilovetheviolets]

as someone who was an admitted delta groupie at some point of my college career, i too want to stand up for that chapter. a good friend of mine was the pres. at one point and shoved a lot of money into that house, they do try and make improvements, but the improvements that need to be made are incredibly extreme. I was lucky w/ my sorority house. next to the sigma house was an empty warehouse, and on the other side was the chi-o apartment, so we never ran into any trouble with neighbors. all of the houses are in residential areas, though. they were typically there BEFORE the space next to them was residential. the admissions office was even once a fraternity house. i hope that delta does not lose its house, it is a fun place to be.

[Tom Earp]

Isnt this somewhat like building an International Airport in the middle of no where ville and then developers incrouch on that space and the new homeowners Bitch because of the noise.

But when Greeks act like asses to the neighbors, what do they expect?

Again, if you as a Greek want your parents to foot the bill, act like you have some sense. These people are neighbors and do desearve some respect.

[DeltaSigStan]

Originally posted by exlurker
Another instance where it looks like a GLO has been warned and warned, but it just didn't seem to sink in.

pretty much........I guess it's a good thing we get fined $50 for missing cleaning duty.......

[ilovetheviolets]

Just so you all know the brothers of Delta do treat the immediate neighbors w/ respect. they shovel snow for the old man who lives next door etc... They clean up around the house after parties and so on. They aren't horrible people.

[LXAAlum]

“Despite all the work we continue to do,’’ Fry said, there are students who apparently “refuse to manage their own situations and become outraged when they’re held accountable.’’

Herein is the crux of the problem. We are members of organizations with ideals and standards (just look to our Rituals and Constitutions).

For too many people, fraternity "membership" is antithetical - to be able to belong to something with no rules - do as you please. We have strayed too far from our original founders idea of what "fraternity" was and is supposed to be.

Either it starts to be fixed from within, or it WILL be torn apart from without.