Sigma Pi Bros Promise Fewer Near-Deaths, Are Allowed to Officially Return to Campus
Sigma Pi’s boozy rush party last Thanksgiving ended with four freshmen at Cayuga Medical Center and the revocation of the frat’s official recognition for what Cornell’s associate dean for Greek affairs called an “egregious” incident. Last Tuesday, the InterFraternity Council voted to allow Sigma Pi to return to campus on January 1st for a year-long probationary period as an associate member, on the condition of a dry rush.
In a controversial move, the decision will forgo the usual restrictions on returning frats that would exclude Sigma Pi from voting in the IFC and participating in rush week. 29 brothers remain on campus and have been pushing for their official return, but not everyone is convinced that they deserve it. After their presentation before the IFC, Sigma Alpha Mu President Ross Freilich ‘09 asked, “Why is the IFC responsible for creating sanctions for their recognition?… They came in expecting to get recognition without a plan to move forward from last November’s event.”
In explaining the lenient reinstatement, IFC President Gregory Schvey ‘09 noted the fraternity’s “unique situation,” but some members of the board remain wary. IFC Vice President for Recruitment Greg Mezey ‘09 said, “we need to be cautious with how quickly we give privileges back to chapters that have been reprimanded.”
Schvey added, “We will see how it turns out and vote again next year.”
IFC Votes to Re-Recognize Sigma Pi Fraternity; House Will Be Required to Have Dry Rush [Cornell Daily Sun]
Sigma Pi Returns to Campus [Cornell Review]
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December 8th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
As a member of the IFC community at Cornell, this is an outrage.
It is unbelievable that a fraternity or any organization could just come back that quick. If this was a house that didn’t have such a popular reputation on campus or have wealthy alumni and trustees, the story would have been completely different and that fraternity would have remained banned from IFC at Cornell. Sigma Pi should not have assumed that they would have been welcomed back with open arms, which is exactly what they did. It is terribly unfair and gives the Greek system a bad name. At least Psi U didn’t almost kill anyone, but they can’t even go into their house. Sigma Pi endangered the lives of not one, but four individuals, and they are getting their charter and house back. If this event had happened in January or February, it would have been hazing, according to Cornell standards.
I hope that IFC reconsiders their vote, and if they are so insistent on bringing Sigma Pi back, they do so on an even more regulated basis. I hope they are at least on social probation and that their rush and house are completely dry. The incident has clearly taught the community that they cannot be trusted with alcohol, especially since the same 29 guys are coming back to restart the chapter. IFC should also consider keeping someone from the exec board at their house at all times to make sure they are upholding their probationary promises.
Strict? Yes, but necessary. It is unbelievably gracious that the IFC is somehow able to forgive the brothers of Sigma Pi, but I most certainly hope that they do not forget.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I think your thesis is as follows:
“If this was a house that didn’t have such a popular reputation on campus or have wealthy alumni and trustees, the story would have been completely different and that fraternity would have remained banned from IFC at Cornell”
Yeah. Life is not fair, huh.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Ross Freilich’s comment is completely unfounded.
Thanks for the awful reporting!
December 8th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Hey guy, you’re pretty quick to judge considering you know half the facts, if even.
Based on what you said I don’t even think you know anybody in SigmaPi or PsiU. I’m not even completely sure you even know the rules and limitations of the OFSA and IFC.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I attended the IFC meeting as a Chapter representative, obviously othercornellguy did not.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
First of all, get your facts straight. There was a full presentation of a plan to move forward from that event during the IFC meeting. Any reporter who respects themself should at least attend the meeting they are reporting on. It WAS considered hazing. Third, the ability to be voted on for recognition was granted by the University after having a completely dry house for a full year, completing a full alcohol program, losing a pledge class, the 29 bros returning are of 52, the remainder being expelled during a brotherhood review conducted by the alumni, and various other sanctions that I can’t remember from thier presentation. Psu U lost thier recognition from thier alumni, not Cornell. Also, in my opinion, if you serve alcohol and someone chooses to drink it, and ISNT FORCED, it is at least partially the fault of that person’s individual responsibility.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Yo “thatcornellguy,” I cordially invite you to our second annual Thanksgiving Event. We will be eating tea and crumpets, playing bridge, and playing classical music as we dine on fine non-alcoholic wine. Someone as well informed as you is obviously the perfect candidate for Sigma Pi, and I truly envy your intelligence, considering you have a differing opinion from the people who run Cornell University, one of the finest institutions on this beautiful Green Earth.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
InformedCornellGuy, while you are entitled to your opinion, the law is pretty specifically against you there. When you overserve someone, particularly someone underaged, you are fucked even though they are the ones being idiots.
I agree the law isn’t perfect, but it’s necessary so that bartenders, parents, etc can’t throw up their hands and say “it wasn’t my fault he got drunk and drove/fell/whatever” all the time.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
“They came in expecting to get recognition without a plan to move forward from last November’s event.”
Did this kid fall asleep during their presentation (which the author didn’t even see)? He should probably worry about his own third-rate Fraternity.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
What really bothers me the most is that they didn’t even call ambulances or EMTs to get the kids to the hospital. They tried to avert the law to not get into trouble.
I’m glad that the alumni did conduct a review and weeded out the irresponsible brothers. That makes me feel better about the situation, and for all the shit I gave them on top, I do respect their willingness to make things right and to recognize their past mistakes.
Still, it feels too soon, and they should really have waited another year or so to bring them back.
PS – To SigmaPiBrother, I would have tolerated that sarcastic insult save for the comment on Bridge. Bridge is not a game for the literati, but for retirees in West Palm Beach. Discuss.
PPS – The alcohol-free Sauvignon Blanc would be a nice touch though, two points for that.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
seriously, this blog has really hit the shitter. that a pretty insensitive title there.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I think the title’s fair. the post read like a Daily Sun article, which is a little weird… but I guess since Nina was there this weekend she could do original reporting, which is rare on this site. Go Ivygate. its sooo embarrassing how prominent the greek scene is at cornell.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
As somebody who received a bid to Sigma Pi, but wisely chose to stay out of the system altogether, I must say good grief. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. And I agree with CUFool, the Cornell Greek Scene is an embarrassment to the campus community. Its contributions for the last thirty years have been marginal.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
What a terrible article. I am a Cornellian who actually is not part of the Greek system (and doesn’t want to be) but AWFUL reporting. Is this blog supposed to be serious or a joke? Please answer.
Nina- if your intent is quality reporting- this article is laughable. If it is not, please state so– some people might think otherwise.
December 9th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Ivygate,
You used to heap scorn on the Ivy dailies. Then you started phoning it in with infrequent rehashes of their day-old articles. Now that you’ve started imitating them with self-serious reporting, we can ignore you too. Have you forgotten that stuff on the Ivy campuses should not be taken seriously? We don’t need more ‘balanced’ reporting, we need off-kilter sniping showing how stupid it all is. Your new writers are a perfect combination of Princeton caution, Yale weak-sauce, Harvard self-seriousness, and Penn irrelevance. The next time one of them asks where the fun and interesting stuff is happening, I will tell them not on Ivygate. I would also tell them that they’re lucky that the old Savage, Parker, or Beam isn’t still out there. He’d tear them apart.
-T
December 9th, 2008 at 6:46 am
I think that the amount of attention and Outrage! paid to this post, which is well out of proportion with its importance, is possibly indicative of nothing so much as the fact that it’s finals time.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:46 am
8=====D TATION
December 15th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Whomever is telling everyone that Sigma Pi “got rid of irresponsible brothers” is telling a flagrant lie, and I wonder if this was part of the house’s great presentation to IFC.
The senior brothers who left the house did so because it was an utter waste of time to rejoin a fraternity with alumni who treated them like vassals yet were welcoming with open arms all of the kids who were responsible for the Thanksgiving event (as well as such other notables like the guy who steals from brothers to finance a coke habit). Further association with the fraternity at that point seemed a poor choice.
It would be funny that the brothers who chose to leave the house are being blamed as the irresponsible ones, except that it’s a massive lie that will be exposed when Sigma Pi gets kicked off yet again, because the inmates are still running the asylum. . .
December 15th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
These kids almost killed 4 kids, wtf they were on respirators
December 15th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
These kids almost killed 4 kids, wtf they were on respirators–why should they be back?
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:21 am
First of all you all are HIGHLY misinformed. Some of the members who ended up in the hospital actually came a little drung to the party from various pre games they were at (trust me- I know two of them).
Secondly, you all can keep blameing the brothers of sigma pi for what happened but lets be realistic, it was pledges decision to drink as much as you did. Blame the brothers as much as you want but at some point the pledges have to take responsibility for their own actions. Getting drunk like that during a pledging event is a two way street, and just because the brothers told them to doesnt mean they had to go and do it. All they had to do to avoid the situation was say no and walk away from the situation.
Sigma pi was the best fraternity at cornell. The greek system benefitted from their prescience. Dis them all you want because they dont really care.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
gr8 story bro