MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2018 • VOL. 122, ISS. 56
THESUNFLOWER.COM
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.
Fraternity Hazing JANUARY 2017
A member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity reports hazing within the fraternity to Student Involvement during spring 2017’s Greek initiation week.
JAN. 9, 2017
Lyston Skerritt, former assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, emails fraternity presidents because of hazing reports from initiation week “for individuals in pledge classes for fall 2016 to early spring 2017.” Skerritt mentions “anchor runs,” “physical activities/games of varying degrees,” and “varying schedules with aggressive wake up/scaring techniques” in the email.
MARCH 2017
Beta Theta Pi fraternity is placed on deferred suspension, academic probation, and undergoes membership review after a university investigation into hazing allegations stemming from their January 2017 initiation week. The hazing was reported to Student Involvement by a member of Beta.
JUNE 2017
After completing its sanctions and undergoing membership review — after which a number of members did not return — Beta returns to fully functioning as an organization on campus.
Beta Theta Pi hazing report included ‘anchor runs’
A
“Hazing is recklessly coercing, demanding or encouraging another person to perform, as a condition of membership in a social or fraternal organization, any act which could reasonably be expected to result in great bodily harm, disfigurement or death or which is done in a manner whereby great bodily harm, disfigurement or death could be inflicted.”
WSU CODE OF CONDUCT DEFINITION OF HAZING KYLIE CAMERON/THE SUNFLOWER
Delta Gamma sorority house anchor, where some members of the Greek community throw their underwear and then return, naked, to their houses. The practice is called “Anchor runs.”
Vice President of Student Affairs Teri Hall confirmed that the email was sent because of hazing allegations related to Beta Theta Pi. The email, sent January 30, 2017, was leaked to The Sunflower by a member of the Greek community. An anchor run is when a Greek member runs in just their underwear from their fraternity or sorority house to Delta Gamma sorority on Omega Court, across 21st street from Wichita State.
Once they arrive, the member takes off their underwear and hangs it on Delta Gamma’s anchor. Then they run back nude to their fraternity or sorority. One former fraternity president, not from within Beta Theta Pi, said that the aggressive scaring techniques mentioned in the email included forcing pledges to stay up until 6am on the night of initiation. SEE HAZING PAGE 6
“Any act or action which has the potential to endanger the mental or physical health or safety of any individual as it relates to an individual’s initiation, admission into, or affiliation with any student group or organization.”
ANCHOR RUN
An anchor run is when a Greek member runs in just their underwear from their fraternity or sorority house to Delta Gamma sorority on Omega Court, across 21st street from Wichita State. Once they arrive, the member takes off their underwear and hangs it on Delta Gamma’s anchor. Then they run back nude to their fraternity or sorority.
Student questions Muma’s transparency at open forum BY JENNA FARHAT
Concerns over transparency from university administration dominated Rick Muma’s open forum as a candidate for provost and chief academic officer at Wichita State. Around 90 WSU students, faculty, and staff gathered at the open forum and directed questions to Muma MUMA Wednesday night. Attendees were given evaluation forms to share their thoughts on the candidate to the provost search committee. The position is open since Tony Vizzini, who served as provost and senior vice president since 2014, took a paid leave from the university in January. Muma has served as interim provost since. The other two candidates
Phi Delta Theta fraternity is placed on deferred suspension and academic probation for hazing and drinking violations. Aaron Austin, associate vice president for student affairs, makes an error when determining their sanctions, and the fraternity returns to fully functioning on campus shortly after.
KANSAS LEGAL DEFINITION OF HAZING
BY ANDREW LINNABARY
n email about Beta Theta Pi’s 2017 hazing violations — sent to the presidents of WSU fraternities — said that new members were allegedly forced to participate in “anchor runs,” were woken up aggressively with “scaring techniques” and were forced into physical activities and “games of varying degrees.” The email, from former assistant director of fraternity and sorority life Lyston Skerritt, was sent because of “concerning reports … regarding hazing and misconduct during new member education and initiation for individuals in pledge classes for fall 2016 to early spring 2017,” the same timeframe of Beta’s hazing violations.
NOVEMBER 2017
for the position do not currently work at WSU. Jeffrey Hershfield, chair of the philosophy department, asked Muma what he would accomplish in five years if he were selected for the position. Muma echoed the WSU strategic plan, saying that the university’s top priorities are enrollment, research, workforce development, and fundraising. Muma also said he wants to deal with the lack of transparency from university administration and a broken sense of trust in the WSU community, especially among faculty who say they have been left out of major university decisions. “There’s this feeling that we’re not transparent anymore,” Muma said. Muma said transparency wasn’t a problem with him. “I’ve been very transparent in terms of what we’re doing at the university and how we can work together,” Muma said.
Muma said he wants to “bring people to the table” and have conversations about “what it means for faculty and staff to be involved in the Innovation Campus.” Graduate student Carolyn Fugit questioned the priorities of university leadership, including “massive” transparency issues, “and that includes from you,” Fugit said to Muma. Fugit’s concerns included conflicts of interest with Innovation Campus leaders and a private, Koch family-funded elementary school coming to campus in the fall. “In your opinion, who comes first — administration, business, donors, or students?” Fugit said. “I hesitate to say who’s first, second, or third,” Muma said. “Because obviously faculty and staff and students are all equal.” Muma’s answer to the question did not address business or donors. Regarding the Koch family-funded elementary school
coming to WSU’s campus, Muma said he agreed “that has been a difficult pill to swallow for the university in terms of how they found out about that.” WSU didn’t announce the plan for the elementary school. News of the school broke in the Wichita Eagle in February. The position description for provost and chief academic officer includes: “The Provost will lead the university’s efforts to become the model for meaningful applied learning across all disciplines and professions.” One member of the audience asked Muma how he sees the humanities and social sciences fitting in with the vision for applied learning. Muma said it’s easier to find applied learning opportunities in some disciplines than others. “Even though some of these disciplines are very technical in nature, they have to have some liberal arts foundation to be able to apply it critically,” Muma said.
PROVOST CANDIDATES OPEN FORUMS Wisniewski is the vice president for research and graduate studies and dean of the graduate school at University of Alaska Anchorage.
WISNIEWSKI
WHEN
3:30 p.m., Friday
WHERE
208 Hubbard Hall
El-Rewini is the senior vice provost and dean of the college of engineering and mines at University of North Dakota.
WHEN EL-REWINI
3:30 p.m., Wed., May 2
WHERE
211 Hubbard Hall
INSIDE
JAPAN FEST FREE FOR ALL
VOICE OF WICHITA STATE
MCDUFFIE TESTS NBA
Pizza Hut co-founder returns to the original building as it moves to Innovation Campus.
Japan Fest hit campus with samurai swords, calligraphy, and food.
Spokesman Joe Kleinsasser has served under four university presidents.
Markis McDuffie is testing the waters of the NBA draft for the second year in a
NEWS • PAGE 2
CULTURE • PAGE 3
CULTURE • PAGE 4
SPORTS • PAGE 5
PIZZA HUT REOPENS