By Susan HaineSenior Staff Writer
Kappa Sigma fraternity has been expelled from campus because oftwo alcohol-related hazing incidents within the past two years.
University Police found at least six members of the organization- including the elected chapter president — with severalunderage pledges and a large amount of alcohol in Parking StructureIII on Jan. 16.
Fraternity members had instructed the pledges to provide thealcohol for a pre-initiation party at the fraternity house, said DougCase, coordinator of the Center for Fraternity and Sorority life.
Twenty 12-packs of beer and 11 bottles of hard alcohol wereconfiscated. After the incident was reported to the university, boththe administration and the national board began to investigate theactions.
Case said fraternity members engaged in hazing and violated statelaw by coercing pledges into purchasing alcohol.
Along with hazing, the fraternity’s actions broke greek guidelinesand university policies.
Hard alcohol is not allowed on campus. Also, alcohol cannot bepresent at any pre-initiation activity or at a chapter house functionand minors are not allowed to drink at a fraternity party.
Members also violated policy by providing a common source ofalcohol since pledges were told to provide drinks.
The decision for expulsion was a joint effort between thefraternity’s national board and the university.
“With the amount of alcohol they had in their possession, I wouldhave been amazed if someone hadn’t ended up in the hospital withalcohol poisoning or even if someone hadn’t ended up dead,” JamesKitchen, vice president of Student Affairs, said.
According to the national organization’s guidelines, if a chapterhas two hazing incidents within a five-year period, its charter iswithdrawn.
Local alumni and the case investigator proposed the nationalorganization remove the chapter’s status, but allow them to remain asa colony – a status groups have when they first form oncampus. The request was denied.
Kappa Sigma can attempt to recolonize after a minimum of twoyears. InterFraternity Council regulations usually allow a fraternityin the process of re-colonization to return to the university withinabout four years.
Individual members of the fraternity involved in the incident arebeing investigated by the Center for Student Rights andResponsibilities. Their punishments could include expulsion,suspension or probation.
The Jan. 16 incident follows another hazing occurrence by thefraternity in January 1999. In this case, fraternity members weremaking pledges clean up garbage around their house as part of theirinitiation, harassing the pledges and drinking.
At that time, the fraternity was suspended.
In a non-related occurrence, the sorority Kappa Delta wassuspended by their national organization for separate violations ofgreek guidelines.
Kappa Delta was sanctioned after fraternity members were founddrinking at a sorority-sponsored fund-raiser. The project, a baseballtournament between fraternities, was part of the sorority’sphilanthropy.
According to policy of the Panhellenic Association, which governscampus sororities, such activities need to be alcohol-free.
The university supports the actions of the sorority’s nationalorganization. It is now investigating the specific instances ofalcohol consumption among the fraternity men at the event.
