Our active brotherhood continues, to a man, to annually sign their honor pledge regarding the avoidance of hazing the new pledge class. Our system is perhaps imperfect, but the positive results at any levels stand for themselves.
After four other Chapters were found to be hazing this past spring, along with the University Guides, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) decided to hold a hazing summit on October 11-12. We of DKE wish to commend the Deans for their willingness to conduct an open discussion about the fraternity pledging process. This meeting was led by a professional monitor, Kim Novak, who has a specialty and national reputation in the field. The OFSL extended its invitation out to two active representations, two alumni representatives, and one national representative from every fraternity chapter. Over 100 attendees arrived; attending the meeting from the Dekes were Alumni Bob Green and Tom Bell, and from the actives, our Boree Jimmy Sloan and a third year man, Attison Barnes. Doug Lanpher, Executive Director of the DKE National took the time from his busy schedule to attend the meeting.
A robust discussion ensued about defining what constitutes the most egregious forms of hazing based on a submitted “blue paper.” The meeting bore out that there is significant distrust between the administration and the active fraternity men. There are still raw feelings on both sides over last spring’s hazing events that affected all the fraternities with blanket mandates. The ball is now in the students’ court to initiate a plan of self governance and define the most egregious forms of hazing that will not be tolerated by the fraternity system.
Subsequent to the meeting the Fraternity Alumni Council President Brian Roy (Sigma Pi ’94) and Jake Pittman (SAE ’14), President of the IFC, have met to try and work towards a student hazing governing board or committee. This board will likely be comprised of not only fraternity men. but non-fraternity students as well as women. The University is finding that hazing is occurring in other organizations on the Grounds. Yet this first step of student governance will start with fraternities and work its way out over the coming years. Virginia is lucky to have Brian Roy and Jake Pittman at the helm of their respective organizations. DKE is playing a quite role in this process via Jimmy Sloan, Bob Green, George Morison, and Berkley Cone.