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MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014 | MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. | ISSUE NO. 81 VOL. 95
TODAY MARKS THE FIRST OF A THREEDAY SERIES DELVING INTO THE SUSPENDED DELTA CHI FRATERNITY AND CMU GREEK COMMUNITY.
The ‘underground fraternity’ How life has changed for members of suspended Delta chi chapter By Justin Hicks | Editor-in-Chief
W
alking across campus, Jeff LaHaye noticed a woman walking beside him suddenly pick up speed, darting
down the street.
Though the potential reasons for her hurried pace were endless, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy, looking down at the two Greek letters on his chest. “It’s just something that goes through your head: Was it because I was wearing letters?” the Shelby Township senior said. “I was a little anxious, just because the r-word was thrown around a lot …. I just didn’t know if I wanted to be turning heads on campus walking around with a triangle and an ‘X’ on my shirt.” LaHaye is one of 30 to 40 members of the suspended Delta Chi chapter at Central Michigan University. Life hasn’t been the same since being handed a four-year exile by the Office of Enrollment and Student Services finalized Oct. 11, 2013. In January, Central Michigan Life published the findings of a Freedom of
Guilty of silence
At one point, the name Delta Chi meant freedom, character, justice and education. Today it carries a bit more baggage at Central Michigan University. Throughout this week, Central Michigan Life will publish stories regarding both the fraternity and the Greek community. Although some might interpret the series as the newspaper resurrecting old news, we haven’t stopped reporting on this controversy since September 2013. The delay in follow up is due to a continued lack of cooperation, mostly from members of the fraternity formerly known as Delta Chi. CM Life hosted several meetings with members, the majority of which were off the record at their request. Several answers given by those members, however, contradicted those given by other members and university officials. Getting the story straight has been a
Information Act request regarding the university’s investigation of the fraternity. Some Delta Chi fraternity brothers held strong from the beginning, LaHaye said, while others took a few days or weeks to resume wearing their letters in public. “We had a lot of support from the Greek community; It’s the other people on campus that we were worried about,” LaHaye said. “When you go on campus, you don’t want to be scrutinized for something that was out of your control and you had nothing to do with.” The Delta Chi house at 1007 S. Main St. was once known for hosting four socials a week. Today, it sits much quieter between its neighboring Greek houses, unable to even display its letters.
Justin Hicks Editor-in-Chief challenge. Ignoring it would mean failing to inform the community that the student charged by the university with an alleged sexual assault was suspended from CMU for a semester, has since returned to campus, and remains a member of Delta Chi. It would allow people who claim to have “inside information” to continue misleading the community. It would allow liars to paint prettier pictures than reality would suggest. Delta Chi was suspended for code of conduct violations involving alcohol. Its pattern of trouble dating back 15 years provided evidence of failed past sanctions and led officials to ask for a more severe punishment. I understand the violations might have been at the hands of a few, and a group has been punished for those actions. That same group, however, hasn’t publically
DODGING HATE
After CM Life reported the details of CMU’s investigation into the fraternity’s April 19, 2013 party, members of the fraternity received public backlash. Social media comments offered varying levels of support and repulsion. “I got used to it. It’s just, when they started throwing around the r-word and the allegations that hadn’t been proven, it was kind of difficult because you can’t really answer back to those,” LaHaye said. “Once they’re out there, they’re out there.”
taken responsibility for the actions of their brothers and continues to defy the university. No matter how many tantrums lawyer Todd Levitt throws on Twitter, members of Delta Chi are not victims. They have, however, failed to salvage respect on campus. As far as a public stand, the group hasn’t taken much initiative beyond a letter appearing in CM Life. Regardless of suggestions that a rape never occurred, one fact is clear: An incapacitated man or woman is incapable of giving consent for sex. Period. As a fraternity, Delta Chi was found guilty of an alcohol violation. It is guilty of a troubled past and a failure to learn from previous sanctions. It is also guilty of silence. Taking responsibility could have gone a long way to regain trust from the university. Instead, members of the “underground fraternity” refuse to communicate with the campus community, hiding behind no-comments and their national chapter. President Zach Ernat met with CM Life staff several times, assuring us of missing details that paint the fraternity brothers
LIFE AS A DELTA CHI | 4A
as the victims, though he never backed his comments with fact. He denied the students involved in the sickening April 19 accusations were even members of the fraternity — points later denied by university officials and another Delta Chi member. Members of the group continue to act selfishly. They refuse to acknowledge the sanctions given to them by CMU. They continue to recruit. They complain about having to take down the letters from their house. I will credit senior Jeff LaHaye for his forthright honesty and willingness to go on record regarding our series. As the only brother willing to address the fraternity’s problems, he represents a hope that some members do want to do right, but fear the response they might receive. We would have preferred a one-anddone story in January. Instead, we chased leads and questioned sources, reaching out several times only to have been pushed away. In this case, the actions of a few have dragged a pair of letters, several brothers and an entire community through the mud, and continue to do so.
SUBJECTIVE JUSTICE Investigating the exile of a renegade fraternity 1A 1A 4A 5A
LIFE IN GREEKTOWN PLANNING COMMISSION TAKES ACTION MAP: VIOLATIONS BY HOUSE
FRIDAY t t t
LIFE AS A DELTA CHI COLUMN: GUILTY OF SILENCE SUBJECTIVE JUSTICE WHERE WAS THE ALERT?
WEDNESDAY t t t
t t t t
TODAY
IN LIMBO: SUSPENSION EXTENDED? GREEK LIFE COLUMN: A LESSON LEARNED?