University Halts Fraternity Recruitment

[DON_HO]

<p>The Daily Gamecock reports</p>

<p>BREAKING:</a> USC halts fraternity recruitment</p>

<p>Seems like university is taking this seriously, however one wonders how much a surprise it is that drinking occurs at fraternity events. Nonetheless, perhaps this heightened scrutiny will help curb excessive behavior both in the greek system and outside it.</p>

[Knights09]

<p>First of all, it is unfortunate that students have been injured/gotten in trouble already. However, for the university to suspend recruitment for all fraternities on campus is ridiculous. 12 groups are not in trouble, and to discipline them for other groups’ actions is uncalled for. The university should have allowed recruitment to continue, disciplining the individual fraternities who got in trouble as they saw fit.</p>

<p>BTW, it is also against NIFC rules for USC to do what they did. Anna Edwards also made a dangerous statement here:</p>

<p>

@Anna Edwards

“What we’re looking for are strong male leaders who recognize this is not the way fraternity life should be. And until we have groups who can be honest and we have men who can be honorable, I think we have work to do.”

</p>

<p>Implying that there aren’t fraternity men who are strong, honorable, and capable of leading is insulting and absolutely false.</p>

[AUGirl]

<p>Five people ended up with alcohol poisoning and one girl claimed rape.</p>

<p>It’s a very serious matter and it’s unfortunate, but I think USC did what they had to do. I’ve heard that it should continue soon for the fraternities who don’t have any violations. But that’s just word of mouth.</p>

[Knights09]

<p>

Five people ended up with alcohol poisoning

</p>

<p>That’s not true. Multiple articles have said four required medical attention and at least one was for injuries (kid kicked out a window). I know it’s really splitting hairs but medical attention is called for pretty much any drunk kid nowadays. I’ve had multiple friends get First Responders called out to check them out when they’ve gotten in trouble with the cops. Two minutes later, they leave. </p>

<p>

It’s a very serious matter and it’s unfortunate, but I think USC did what they had to do. I’ve heard that it should continue soon for the fraternities who don’t have any violations. But that’s just word of mouth.

</p>

<p>USC did not do what they had to do. They should have disciplined the individual organizations, not Greek Life and fraternities as a whole. A commenter on The State website said it best: If all of USC operated this way, our entire football staff would have been suspended after G.A. Mengus took a whiz in public the other week.</p>

[rockvillemom]

<p>I am very confused. Rush takes place at the very beginning of the semester? For freshmen who have just arrived?</p>

<p>Ok - read a bit on website - so freshmen could participate in rush as soon as they arrive or rush spring semester. What is a typical experience?</p>

[Knights09]

<p>^Would say both, to be honest. Tons of people rush in the fall to meet people, even if they won’t join a Greek org. Others rush in the fall but can’t pledge in the fall (family, personal, whatever reasons), so they wait until spring or until fall of sophomore year. Then you have the “normal” people, who rush and pledge in the fall. </p>

<p>Spring gets a mix of transfers, people who couldn’t/didn’t pledge in the fall, people who de-pledged another organization in the fall, people who didn’t consider it in the fall, etc.</p>

[Knights09]

<p>

BREAKING: Fraternities fire back, ask for audit of Office of Greek Life </p>

<p>Statement approved by 12 fraternities bashes University action
After USC officials halted fraternity rush late Thursday, Greek leaders approved a four-page statement that blasted university officials and called for a mediation meeting with USC’s board of trustees and a university audit of the Office of Greek Life.</p>

<p>The statement, obtained late Sunday night by The Daily Gamecock, calls the Office of Greek Life “inefficient, ineffective and in violation of university law.” It further says USC wrongfully terminated rush activities, didn’t communicate effectively with students, was unprofessional in its dealing with students and inconsistent in enforcing disciplinary measures.</p>

<p>The statement says the greater university community has a negative image of the office and says the office has “pushed the alcohol consumption far too ‘underground’ within the community, making it impossible for organizations and the university to address the issues realistically and provides resources relating to it.”</p>

<p>It asks USC officials to scale back their “escalation of policies” and “tone down their use of aggressive tactics and join us in a period of reflection.”</p>

<p>The statement was presented to fraternity presidents in a private meeting inside the Kappa Alpha house Sunday night. It was approved by 12 of the 18 Interfraternity Council presidents via a text message vote as of late Sunday night, said Dane O’Neill, secretary of Greek Affairs for Student Government.</p>

<p>Those fraternities include Kappa Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Chi Psi, Sigma Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Kappa Sigma, Phi Kappa Sigma and Beta Theta Pi. That number was confirmed with several other sources present at the meeting.</p>

<p>Katie Thompson, USC’s student body vice president, delivered the statement to fraternity presidents along with O’Neill and Mitchell Jackson, her chief of staff.</p>

<p>The other six IFC fraternities didn’t respond either way but “seemed pretty gung ho about the statement to begin with,” O’Neill said. National Panhellenic Fraternity Council members didn’t vote on the resolution because their efforts weren’t affected by the university decision. Those groups “intake” members and don’t recruit.</p>

<p>“I hope the statement becomes the source of a lot of good things and discussion,” Thompson said. “And I hope it creates a much more beneficial relationship between students and the Office of Greek Life.”</p>

<p>Jerry Brewer, USC’s associate vice president for student affairs, said the university “looks forward to any inquiry anyone has
about this.”</p>

<p>Brewer further said the Office of Greek Life has done “absolutely nothing wrong.”</p>

<p>“We didn’t serve liquor to anybody,” he said.</p>

<p>Anna Edwards, USC’s director of student services, said she was “floored” by the statement.</p>

<p>“I believe in the health and safety of our students and the integrity of our system,” Edwards said.</p>

<p>The statement comes on the eve of a series of public forums scheduled by the university to discuss its decision to halt fraternity rush. The forums, scheduled to begin Monday at 4 p.m. inside the Russell House Theater and finish Tuesday evening — are being used to get public input, according to university officials.</p>

<p>USC officials said early Sunday that they hope to decide whether fraternity rush — for some or all groups — can proceed by Wednesday afternoon after a series of forums and private meetings scheduled for the next two days.</p>

<p>But next steps will hinge on whether Greek leaders promise to reverse a longtime culture of booze-soaked fraternity rush and implement a series of reforms that can stop similar situations in the future, Edwards said.</p>

<p>“I want a long-term culture change,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to hear the same things I’ve heard from Greek leaders over the past few days.”</p>

<p>And those leaders must gain credibility with university officials they’ve previously lost for lying, Brewer. He said the “moral compass” of those in fraternity life has now shifted to a place USC can’t condone.</p>

<p>“We have always had incidents where people drink themselves to the point where they need medical assistance,” Brewer said. “But it’s unprecedented the number of incidents we’ve had before school even started.”</p>

<p>Students criticized the university over the weekend for suddenly cracking down on actions they say have long been accepted. Greek leaders privately say alcohol was no more part of rush this year than in years past, and that cracking down with such drastic steps punish hundreds of students who don’t deserve punishment.</p>

<p>But Brewer said anyone who said USC has ever ignored such behavior needs to “get real.”</p>

<p>“You can talk to anyone I’ve dealt with over the past 10 years, and they’ll tell you I’m consistent as the day is long,” Brewer said early Sunday.</p>

<p>Officials say the decisions to halt fraternity rush were made after six fraternities were reported for allegedly violating alcohol policies. According to USC officials, a student was taken “unresponsive” to a local hospital. Another freshman student was arrested near Columbia Hall for breaking a window after drunkenly returning from a fraternity’s party.</p>

<p>The six fraternities have now been identified by USC officials as Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Nu.

</p>

<p>[BREAKING:</a> Fraternities fire back, ask for audit of Office of Greek Life](<a href=“http://dailygamecock.com/news/item/1725-breaking-fraternities-fire-back-ask-for-audit-of-office-of-greek-life]BREAKING:”>http://dailygamecock.com/news/item/1725-breaking-fraternities-fire-back-ask-for-audit-of-office-of-greek-life)</p>

[mark2457]

<p>I’m sure university offiicials have been less than pleased at the rise in ranking on the “Top Party School” list. This could be part of their crackdown.</p>

[AUGirl]

<p>I knew about Delta Tau Delta.</p>

<p>There were a couple of guys in my dorm who were going to their parties.</p>

<p>This is just a mess and it really sucks for those who actually were rushing clean.</p>

[Knights09]

<p>Agree AUGirl, I know Beta invited university officials to all of their events and their national officers were in town as well, but they got hit with the hammer too.</p>

[DON_HO]

<p>Posted on Daily Gamecock FB page.<br>
USC: Bid day will be on Friday for fraternities not under sanction or those who can tackle problems in their culture. (via Twitter)</p>