This happened this past holiday weekend. I have been pro Greek systems but am finding that with issues such as these that universities and national chapters need to start looking at what incidents like this are doing to public perceptions of the school and the Greek system in general.
Agree,deb. There is NO excuse for this behavior and destruction of property.
Agree. I have been to both of these resorts with my family. They are family friendly and to have something like this happen with over 50K in damage to The Treetops is terrible. Hope these students will be held accountable by the law and by U of M.
The thing that is crazy to me is that it was 3 fraternities at 2 different resorts. My perception was that UM had a less wild reputation for their Greek system than others in the state.
I’m glad it was reported to the media. This happened to someone I know vacation home. The fraternity paid but they had to sign a non disclosure statement. I wonder how much this damage occurs that is never reported.
There are some upstanding young men in the frats here. There are also quite a few frats that are disgraceful and take the lead in things like hazing or rioting about sports. Their behavior at the ski lodges–to the tune of $50,000!–is reprehensible. I hope the college can do something to punish them, but in the past the frats have only gotten what amount to slaps on the wrist. Whether that’s the result of an unwilling administration or a system engineered to keep the frats out of the university’s control, I’m not sure.
Sigma Alpha Mu? Nice Jewish boys? Inexcusable.
Updated Detroit News article. It was the fraternity president, who made a statement of apology, that was one of the “ringleaders” at the resort. Serious legal consequences are being considered.
“Generally, malicious destruction of a building over $20,000 is a felony that carries a penalty of 10 years and/or a $15,000 fine, or three times the amount of destruction or injury, whichever is greater, [County Prosecutor] Rola said”
I believe 3 sororities were also in attendance at the 2 resorts and involved in the mess.
Just saw it on Good Morning America. No excuse for this boorish, destructive behavior.
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Loved that movie, SOG.
Apparently, it was a documentary.
While it is idiotic, no one was seriously injured or killed, so it seems to me that it is not the worst of frat behavior. What is perplexing is why they do not seem to see that this will end badly? These are smart kids. How can they be so dumb at the time they are doing it? Ugh.
Seriously, muchtolearn? Because no one was injured we can rationalize it because it could be worse? This is incredibly destructive and the owners of these facilities will now loose bookings for the rest of the ski season because of these self focused blockheads. Thats awfully narrow minded. If these facilities are small (not familiar with either so am just surmising) and their livelihood dependent on their winter bookings, it could potentially seriously jeopardize their bottom line.
I agree, PG. Inexcusable.
“While it is idiotic, no one was seriously injured or killed, so it seems to me that it is not the worst of frat behavior”
Big deal it’s not the worst. There is no excuse. None.
Many of the U of M frat members I’ve met are from very well off families who I don’t believe have ever experienced consequences for their actions. This is absolutely no surprise to me.
Some of the things I’ve been told my frat members as a GSI and in my confidential counseling sessions are just jaw dropping. The worst part is, they often don’t think they’ve done anything wrong.
I heard about this from friends before it hit the newswire. I was just so sad. I’m such a UofM fan but the past couple years there has just been this low undercurrent of “entitlement” attitude from the student body. That it would manifest itself as a bunch of UofM students not being respective of other people’s property doesn’t even surprise me and that is sad.
It’s actually quite the opposite - Frats are popular and the culture is more socially centric at UofM and is more low-key and less socially centric at other publics especially at MSU which is a size-equivalent albeit a larger undergrad population. Statistically about 20% of UofM undergrads (if you use 28,000 as the undergrad population) participate. At MSU roughly 8% (if you use 38,000 as the undergrad population) participate. For example, the Ski Club from MSU is the largest campus organization and frat and sorority members join the ski club - rather than run their own trips, etc just as an example of the difference in on-campus and off-campus integration. There’s just a difference culturally that I never really knew about until the kids all hit college age. Well the mightly Wolverines of UofM are well known for their entitlement mentality - pride goeth before the fall.
How did post 13s response to pg beat her comment in post 14? Clairvoyant? 
I can’t help but think that if a different population were engaged in this–Tearing down the ceilings in the halls? Seriously?–it would have been viewed as a near-riot and the cops would have been called in much sooner, people would have been arrested, and there might well have been deaths by cop.
@ Jym626 “Seriously, muchtolearn? Because no one was injured we can rationalize it because it could be worse? … Thats awfully narrow minded.”
@Pizzagirl “Big deal it’s not the worst. There is no excuse. None.”
I love getting smacked around for something I didn’t say. lol
I am not making an excuse, or suggesting that there should not be accountability and consequences. I do feel bad for the owner.
I am just saying that there have been too many fraternity incidents involving deaths, rapes or serious hazing, and that it appears that this one can be dealt with appropriately and made right. In other incidents there is no way to undo the damage.
I still have a difficult time understanding what these students are thinking at the time. They must know that it will end badly, so why are they doing it? I can’t even imagine what is going through their minds that makes them think this is okay and that they will get away with it.
Unfortunately, it is another stain on the University and another stain on greek life in general.