Fraternity punished in hazing
Kevin Robillard
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: News
Zeta Beta Tau will face probation until next year after a university investigation found the fraternity guilty of hazing a new member last semester.
Mike Hayes, the university's director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said the office didn't intend to send a message with the punishment, but acknowledged that it serves as a reminder that hazing is still a reality on the campus.
"This is a good wake-up," he said, adding, "It's out there. It's unspoken ... It's not just the fraternities."
An OFSL memo released in October found that Zeta Beta Tau leaders injured a new member in an induction ceremony earlier that month.
The leaders seated inductees in a circle and forced them to chant the names of Zeta Beta Tau's founders. If they misspoke, senior fraternity brothers poured water over their heads. At one point in the night, the water mixed with the Shout gel placed in a new member's hair, injuring him.
OFSL yesterday responded with a 10-month probation, which means Zeta Beta Tau will see more severe sanctions for future violations and will be excluded from university awards competitions, Greek Week and Homecoming. The fraternity will also have to fund an anti-hazing flier and organize an anti-hazing event for the rest of the Greek community.
The fraternity's national headquarters previously removed the chapter's executive board and placed them on probation in December.
But the university will allow Zeta Beta Tau to stay in its Fraternity Row residence, although past, more severe hazing incidences have led the university to kick other fraternities off the campus.
"I'm not sure you can say X gets Y," Hayes said. "It's not an algebraic equation."
In 2004, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity lost its campus residence following a hazing incident. In 2006, Beta Theta Pi was kicked off the campus after a pledge was arrested for driving under the influence on his way home from an event. A previous chapter of ZBT had its national charter revoked in 1991 after pledges were forced to steal property during a scavenger hunt.
Mike Hayes, the university's director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said the office didn't intend to send a message with the punishment, but acknowledged that it serves as a reminder that hazing is still a reality on the campus.
"This is a good wake-up," he said, adding, "It's out there. It's unspoken ... It's not just the fraternities."
An OFSL memo released in October found that Zeta Beta Tau leaders injured a new member in an induction ceremony earlier that month.
The leaders seated inductees in a circle and forced them to chant the names of Zeta Beta Tau's founders. If they misspoke, senior fraternity brothers poured water over their heads. At one point in the night, the water mixed with the Shout gel placed in a new member's hair, injuring him.
OFSL yesterday responded with a 10-month probation, which means Zeta Beta Tau will see more severe sanctions for future violations and will be excluded from university awards competitions, Greek Week and Homecoming. The fraternity will also have to fund an anti-hazing flier and organize an anti-hazing event for the rest of the Greek community.
The fraternity's national headquarters previously removed the chapter's executive board and placed them on probation in December.
But the university will allow Zeta Beta Tau to stay in its Fraternity Row residence, although past, more severe hazing incidences have led the university to kick other fraternities off the campus.
"I'm not sure you can say X gets Y," Hayes said. "It's not an algebraic equation."
In 2004, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity lost its campus residence following a hazing incident. In 2006, Beta Theta Pi was kicked off the campus after a pledge was arrested for driving under the influence on his way home from an event. A previous chapter of ZBT had its national charter revoked in 1991 after pledges were forced to steal property during a scavenger hunt.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Shawn
posted 2/19/08 @ 8:41 AM EST
Fraternities bring nothing but bad publicity to our campus. What do they honestly contribute? One "charity event" per year after they spend thousands on beer, booze and clever t-shirts that somehow blend their frat name into a beer ad?
I think we should raze frat row and use the land for east campus development. (Continued…)
Mallory K
posted 2/19/08 @ 9:00 AM EST
I wish people weren't so incredibly biased about fraternities and sororities that they completely failed to see the good that they can accomplish. Even if I were to accept your assumption that a fraternity only held one charity event every year, one event can raise several thousand dollars. (Continued…)
Jeff
posted 2/19/08 @ 12:34 PM EST
Shawn, you never seem to have a problem coming to our parties and our events. You trash talk us yet you can't live without us. How much money have you donated to charity this year? How much community service did you do last semester? You don't know what greek life is all about, so stop talking like you do. (Continued…)
Shawn
posted 2/19/08 @ 3:10 PM EST
"You trash talk us yet you can't live without us."
"Either you're extremely ignorant or just didn't get a bid to a house."
Jeff, it is your greek-centric attitude that is a perfect example of why so many people don't like you guys. (Continued…)
Sarah
posted 2/19/08 @ 3:15 PM EST
Frats and sororities always defend their existence with the "charity argument." From my experience, that is only a small part of what greek life is about. (Continued…)
Doug
posted 2/19/08 @ 4:36 PM EST
Shawn
Why do you care so much about frats? Its for some people and its not for others. Why can't you just respect those people's choices, instead of getting on your high horse about how you don't need to have "homogeneous friends"?
Travis Garrison (basketball player) got arrested for assaulting a girl at a bar two years ago. (Continued…)
Pat
posted 2/19/08 @ 5:19 PM EST
Even if you claim that greek life is about nothing but partying, who cares? Is this not Collge? When did everyone get so serious at Maryland? I was in a Fraternity when i was at Maryland and i had a great time, learned alot, and met friends and connections that will last a lifetime. (Continued…)
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