By Danielle Deaver
Senior Reporter
The brothers of the Kappa Sigma fraternity were expelled from the fraternity last month, according to former Kappa Sigma president, senior Brian Pianca. The expulsions come following the university's conviction of the fraternity for hazing violations and lack of group responsibility.
This latest ruling does not alter the fraternity's standing on campus, since its charter had already been revoked. However, it means that the brothers who were part of the fraternity this year can never be involved with the group again.
The national fraternity held hearings in the middle of March to determine the fate of the individual brothers.
Representatives of the national organization attended the university's hearing on the matter earlier this year and did further investigation on their own, according to Mike Ford, the director of student development.
The brothers could either appear in person at the national hearing or write letters explaining the incidents and their part in them. The brothers all chose to write letters, but none accepted individual responsibility for the events.
"I don't think anyone wanted to accept responsibility individually, and ... I'm sure if anyone did step forward, they would be punished," Pianca said. The brothers faced expulsion, suspension or a drop to alumni status by the national organization.
Every member of the fraternity was expelled. "The reasoning we got from them was that since no individual brothers were ever accused it had to be all of us," Pianca said.
Pianca said that most of the brothers were not surprised by the outcome. "I guess we'd come to expect it. It seemed to go along with the whole situation, since we never really had a fair chance. ... I think for the mostpart, both organizations (the fraternity and the university) were really concerned with covering their ass and making sure nothing came of it."
The national director of Kappa Sigma did not return phone calls by the deadline.
The fraternity is interested in coming back to this university at some point in the future, Ford said. "The national fraternity would like to recolonize at Wake Forest after all of the present former members have graduated from Wake Forest," Ford said. "The national fraternity is very well-respected. It is a fine educational and leadership organization and they just felt the actions in this chapter were not of the standard and character the national chapter expects."
Ford added that the university is not looking to bring another fraternity to campus right now.
The university began investigating Kappa Sigma Oct. 13 following accusations of hazing. The Student Life Committee suspended the fraternity until Jan. 15, 2000, following an appeal of the earlier decision of Harold Holmes, an associate vice president and dean of student services. Holmes had suspended the group until the fall 2000.
The national fraternity revoked the chapter's charter in January because of the hazing incidents.
"We will come back in with a chapter that will not tolerate hazing. We will start from scratch. The students that will begin in 2000 will be students who will be hand-selected," Mitchell Wilson, the executive director of Kappa Sigma, said in a previous interview.
The group will have to meet certain criteria to successfully petition to the SLC for recolonization in 2000.
part, both organizations (the fraternity and the university) were really concerned with covering their ass and making sure nothing came of it."
The national director of Kappa Sigma did not return phone calls by deadline.
The fraternity is interested in coming back to this university at some point in the future, Ford said. |