Phi Delt, We Hardly Knew Ya...

Sunday, March 23, 2003

The College announced on Thursday that Phi Delta Alpha Fraternity has been officially derecognized. The charges against the house included dirty rushing, drug violations, serving alcohol to minors, illegal hazing, and of course, trying to burn down Chi Gam. The allegations were divided into two separate cases, the fire charge representing its own case.

The first set of charges were brought by Adam Dansiger '00, a former Phi Delt brother who has not been on campus since his sophomore fall. He alleged the house was guilty of rushing freshman students in 'dirty rush,' coercing pledges, tolerating drug use, serving alcohol to minors, and providing false information to the College in regard to the students who pledged illegally.

The other case referred to the incident during last fall when four Phi Delt brothers were alleged to have broken into Chi Gam, set a pong table on fire, and stolen a refrigerator. They then supposedly returned to Phi Delt, locked all the doors, and turned off all the lights in an effort to avoid police and angry Chi Gam brothers. Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said that the incident was a result of the prank culture that is tolerated by Phi Delt and that exists between the fraternity and Chi Gam.

Phi Delt President Matthew K. Nelson '00 claimed that the decision was unfair, and that the College wrongly combined the two charges together. Redman, however, asserts that the violations warranted derecognition even before the Chi Gam fire case was considered, and that it only extended the length of the penalty.

Though the derecognition is effective immediately, brothers will be allowed to reside in the house during the spring due to the housing crunch expected next term.

There is hope for Phi Delts, however, as they may apply for re-recognition as early as the fall of 2002. But they shouldn't hold their breaths, for if the new SLI recommendations are adopted, the College will no longer recognize any new single-sex fraternities. The timing of Phi Delt's expulsion couldn't be any better for advocates of the SLI report, which expressly stated the desire to decrease the number of fraternities on campus.

One down, fifteen to go . . .

Phi Delt, We Hardly Knew Ya...

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