The Exponent - campus


04-21-2005	Previous edition: 04-20-2005

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Purdue punishes groups for hazing, fighting

By Brent Forgues
Campus Editor

Purdue has placed three student organizations on one-year probation for hazing and one for participating in an altercation in the Purdue Memorial Union.

Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students for student activities and organizations, said the Office of the Dean of Students completed investigations involving Delta Tau Delta, 400 Northwestern Ave., Sigma Nu, 1301 Tower Drive, and Chauncey Cooperative, 215 S. Chauncey Ave., and found several instances of hazing in each organization.

Malavenda said none of the hazing included serious physical harm, but were activities the University doesn’t approve of as part of a pledge program.

In some cases, he said, pledges were made to do push-ups for giving incorrect answers during random fraternity history quizzes or forced to clean up food messes intentionally made by members of the fraternity.

"With any group that will be around for a long time and history is handed down from generation to generation," he said, "some organizations are bound to get off-track.

"What we try to do is try to be connected enough to know when they’re getting off-track so we can help them."

Matthew Coulter, the president of Chauncey Cooperative and a senior in the College of Agriculture, said the cooperative will follow the guidelines set forth by the Office of the Dean of Students and change its program. Attempts to reach the other student organizations were unsuccessful.

Each fraternity has proved it understood its wrong-doings, and in many cases, the offenses were committed by random individuals rather than from some form of leadership, Malavenda said.

"They have the leadership and means to get stronger and we’re dedicated to working side-by-side with them to get rid of some of these silly pranks and activities."

Malavenda said the three organizations will be on probationary status until May 31, 2006.

Phi Beta Sigma will be on probation through December for a fight at the Union on March 5 involving four to six members, he said

"The University consistently has had a zero tolerance stance on hazing and an expectation that you respect others, particularly other fraternities and students," he said.

"Nothing is really going to change, but we will not miss this opportunity to get the attention of every fraternity, sorority and cooperative at Purdue, and guarantee them that if it gets to this point, we will be there."

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CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 253

Campus editor: Brent Forgues

Assistant Campus editors:
Alysha Daytner, Ben Steckler

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