On the campus of Syracuse University, students are upset over a fraternity video the university chancellor called racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic.
The Theta Tau fraternity has been suspended.
"This behavior offends our values and doesn’t reflect what we want Syracuse University or the world to become,” Kent Syverud, the president and chancellor of Syracuse said.
On the same day the university expelled the engineering fraternity, another video surfaced showing members of the same organization mocking a person with disabilities. At least 18 students involved were charged with violating student conduct on campus. They could face additional disciplinary action.
From deaths linked to alcohol poisoning to the secret world of hazing, some critics recommend banning Greek life on college campuses.
Lizzie Spier, a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi Tau chapter at the University of Minnesota, says what has happened at Syracuse isn’t a reflection of all sororities and fraternities.
“A lot of people on the outside see headlines and bad things,” she said. “It is hard because when it comes to national headlines that is what everyone thinks about Greek life.”
Griffin Ehlen, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Alpha MN chapter, agrees.
“If you are not in an organization you have a different view point. Not bad or good. Just different and don’t know how we affect the community in good ways,” he said.
At the University of Minnesota, about 11 percent of the student body are members of fraternities or sororities. James Ehrmann, the U of M’s program director of Greek Life, says headlines linked to hazing, sexual assault and racial slurs overshadow fraternities and sororities treating each other with dignity and respect. Ehrmann called the videos out of Syracuse “disgusting.”
“There is probably no group of people that is more frustrated seeing that than members of frats and sororities,” he said. “We’ve lived and our experience has been largely positive. Even years removed from college.”
Ehrmann says combined, fraternities and sororities at the U of M reported 47,000 volunteer hours and raised $293,973 for local and national charities during the 2016-27 school year.
Ehlen says his frat donated $35,000 to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.
Spier says her sorority created and donated blankets to children stuck in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the following statement was posted on the national page of the Syracuse fraternity permanently expelled:
To our Brothers in Theta Tau,
We are aware of the video that was released showing members of the Theta Tau chapter at Syracuse University. Theta Tau has a no tolerance policy for this troubling and offensive behavior, and the actions of these individuals are truly disgraceful. We are a professional and diverse fraternity that welcomes members of all backgrounds. The content of the video is unacceptable and directly violates the values and expectations that have been put in place for all of our chapters. We’re committed to investigating this situation thoroughly, and all individuals who are involved will be held appropriately accountable.
As our preliminary investigation progressed through the day, it was revealed that the video was a parody, skit, or roast of the active brothers by a pledge class, and not Chapter members hazing, humiliating, or disparaging its pledges as the university had described to our Central Office. However, this does not excuse the behavior.
I intend to hold our members and chapters to a higher standard than this. Please be assured that we will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.
Any member asked to make a comment regarding the matter should direct the questioner to Michael Abraham in the Central Office.
In H & T,
Matthew Clark, XXX!