Bad Stuff in CU Boulder

[AlphaSigLana]

A sorority at CU-Boulder has gotten in trouble for a hazing incident. There are two sides to the story. I don't want to mix any facts up please visit www.denverpost.com or rockymountainnews.com
There was alchohol poisoning involved, but luckily no deaths!

[IowaHawkeye]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...867183,00.html

[DeltAlum]

I read the newspaper account.

Seems like CU's attitude is to keep hands off and give chapters all the rope they need to hang themselves.

We closed our chapter there three times for alcohol and drug problems. The third time followed local alums coming up with well over $1 million to refurbish the house. It was a showplace. They trashed it in a very few months. It was sold to the University. I get ill when I think of it.

I don't know that we'll ever recolonize in Boulder unless the University takes a more proactive position in Greek affairs.

It's a real shame since it is a great campus, and we had an outstanding chapter there for many years, and many great and influential alums in the area.

[AlphaSigLana]

Today I attended the Front Range Greek Conference. There I was told that there is a chapter-unmentioned so could be either a sorority or fraternity- closing by thanksgiving at Cu-Boulder. I was talking to some cu sorority sisters and they said many houses on campuses are either going on probation, getting off probation, or on probation. I thought that was pretty sad.

[33girl]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Seems like CU's attitude is to keep hands off and give chapters all the rope they need to hang themselves.

All our houses were off campus. Any rules made (such as, no alcohol in the houses for sororities) by nationals aren't enforced by the school - I mean, Clarion could give a sh## if we (we of age, of course) sit around the kitchen and drink a beer. It's really not their place to enforce rules the sorority makes, because a 22 year old chick having a beer in her house is not against state or local laws.

Once they would start monitoring alcohol consumption with us, they would have to do the same with all off-campus student housing. Obviously I am not condoning what this chapter did, but I can't imagine what a huge chunk CU would be biting off if they took on the responsibility of "watching over" off campus buildings (Greek or not Greek).

[ladybug1116]

While the houses at my univeristy are really on campus the parcels of land are considered off campus housing. However, the Univeristy does have jurisdiction over what goes on there. If the greek organizations are going to represent the University then naturally there are rules that are going to be imposed. I personally don't have a problem with this because I think it helps bring a more positive image to greek life by regulating the "stereotypical" greek activities.

I thought it was pretty sad that in that article the director of greek life made hazing sound like it was no big deal and just commonplace. How will greek life ever successfully survive under that kind of leadership? To me, it's pretty disheartening....

[DeltAlum]

33,

The story above is a only a very small part of the situation at Colorado. And this is only the latest installment.

Many universities want the Greek System to go away. The past three administrations at CU (at least) have been diabolical about it. They seem to feel (perhaps rightly so) that if they keep a more "hands off" attitude that the chapters will dig their own holes and be closed by their Nationals or by breaking laws so there will be legal reasons -- as opposed to university codes -- to close the chapters.

At least to some extent, it seems to work

[33girl]

You mean, it's one of those deals where get to the point of saying "just kill the whole system and get it over with!"

Yeah, our school would probably be happy if Greeks just went away, but on the other hand, they're not actually going to exert any effort to do it.

Plus, we don't have million dollar houses either. Sounds like somebody wants some real estate.

[DeltAlum]

Yup.

Real Estate could be part of it for sure. The former Delt House is now the CU Department of Continuing Education.

[shadokat]

The University, with their "hands-off" approach is not only hurting the organization, but could end up shooting themselves in the foot if someone decides to sue. I mean, yes, they'll sue the organization, but from my experiences with this, they'll go after the University as well. And while CU may want to give the groups enough rope to hang themselves, if they are recognizing these groups as affiliated with campus, they could hang themselves too. I think CU needs to take a more proactive, hands on approach with their greeks.

[veruca76]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Yup.

Real Estate could be part of it for sure. The former Delt House is now the CU Department of Continuing Education.

And the Theta house is right across the street. I believe the University owns most of those two blocks also.

Just wanted to state for the record that CU is supposed to be a 'dry campus' as well. The fraternity will probably get probation for this.

[mmcat]

in this day and age...it's a pity that people don't get it.
i think you are totally there when you think in terms of real estate.
mmcat

[DeltAlum]

Here is a most interesting story from the Rocky Mountain News where the CU Greek Liason actually takes the side of the fraternities. His comments sound a tad on the sexist side, but that's another story. I have read in Risk Management mailings that much of the damage to fraternity houses (which raise insurance rates to almost unworkable levels) is attributed to visiting sorority women and other non chapter members. I don't have much experience in that, so I don't know.

Frats on hot seat after hazings
CU Greek liaison says guys should beware of women who want to come
over and party

By Owen S. Good, News Staff Writer

BOULDER - The University of Colorado's Greek liaison on Monday
defended the school's fraternities, downplaying their role in hazing
incidents such as the binge-drinking initiation rite that left two
sorority pledges hospitalized last week.

"The poor guys. I mean, the girls go over there and use their powers
over men, so to speak, to let them use their location, because
(sororities) absolutely cannot have (alcohol) at their location,"
Thomas Lorz of CU's Greek Activities Office said.

The Oct. 29 incident remains under investigation by school officials.

Lorz did not identify the specific fraternity house where the Kappa
Alpha Theta pledges were required to consume 14 drinks to satisfy a
pledge assignment. But he said the investigation is "looking at all
destinations" involved in the incident.

Lorz said sororities unofficially ask to use fraternity houses
because alcohol is strictly forbidden at all sorority events.

CU Panhellenic Association President CJ Orr disputed that fraternity
men are somehow charmed into lending their chapter houses, but
acknowledged that sororities do ask to come over to conduct pledge
activities.

"They want sorority girls over there to interact," Orr said, but "in
most cases the men invite the women over. It's not as popular for
sorority women to ask, 'Can we come over to your house?' "

Her association "drills into" its members that fraternities are not
de facto bars for their social functions, Orr said.

"They still do that, they go over where they don't think they have
any rules, and that causes problems - especially with hazing, because
they feel it's 'no holds barred' at the fraternity," she said.

Lorz said the alcohol ban is almost nationwide for sororities and
accounts for insurance rates almost half of what fraternities pay.
Some sororities' insurance policies specify that, for example, no
benefits would be paid for a fire at which liquor bottles are
discovered, Orr said.

"The fraternity houses bear the brunt of the social needs for
fraternities and sororities," Lorz said. "It's not widespread, but
it's not unheard of for the sororities to use the fraternities in
this way.

"We will also make a general announcement to the fraternities: 'Don't
let the women use your property for these things,' " Lorz said.

Copyright 2001, Rocky Mountain News.
(Article also distributed via Scripps Howard News Service)

[veruca76]

Yeah, that's some major BS!!! Those poor fraternity men being forced to host a party involving getting freshmen girls wasted. I bet those Theta girls practically had to put guns to their heads. Or as Mr. Lorz so nicely pointed out, they must have manipulated the weak willed men with their evil female trickery! Have they no shame?? Why, they must be witches. Yes, that must be it - have them burned at the stake.

[KarenC725]

Guess I missed when it became 1901 instead of 2001. I really feel for the "poor fraternity men", as a woman, I know I use my wiles all the time. Give me a break. All that "liasion" does is perpetuate the myths and stereotypes.