For many, fraternity and sorority life at Plattsburgh State stands for principles of friendship, leadership, scholarship and service. However, four organizations are currently under probation for their actions.
PSUC Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Allison Swick-Duttine said the college doesn’t currently have any charges against fraternities and sororities. However, the Inter-Sorority Association and the Interfraternity Council’s Standards Boards stated that three sororities and one fraternity violated their risk management standards.
One of the charges brought up against an organization, Swick-Duttine said, was inviting new members to a “crush” party at a third-party venue that had alcohol. “I believe it was on their initiation night or on their bid day—one or the other. The day that they asked them to join,” Swick-Duttine said. “They’re not allowed to have them come to things like that with alcohol as part of the sorority celebration of bid day or invitation night.”
Non-Greek life member and expeditionary studies major Brian Hughes said, “Fault on the individual and not the organization. The sorority shouldn’t force them, but they shouldn’t baby any new member. It lies more on the individual.”
Another violation brought against some of the organizations was visiting a fraternity that was kicked off campus. “Two of the groups violated an agreement that the fraternity and sorority presidents came up with about not attending anything that the former AXP group was hosting at 47 Brinkerhoff St.,” Swick-Duttine said.
“If it’s (the probation) by the Greek organizations, it’s not acceptable,” Hughes said. “It shows that they (the offenders) condone the actions.”
Greek life member and Psychology major, Amanda Gibson said she has a friend that knew a greek life sister who went to the party. The girl was caught because she was wearing her organization’s letters. “I mean, I wasn’t there, and I didn’t see the actions that happened. I heard that some of them were just passing AXP. I heard that people were trying to catch them,” Gibson said.
The other violation was charged to a fraternity. The fraternity, Swick-Duttine said, was brought up with charges for having someone come to one of their invitational parties that wasn’t on the list. The person gave false information and identification. “So technically the name was on the list, but she wasn’t the person. So what the organization didn’t do was check their identification to make sure the person was who that they said they were.”
“I’ve actually used brothers to get in,” Non-Greek life member and expeditionary studies major Connor Eckert said. “I’ve never used someone’s name. I don’t think a fraternity should have to check someone’s ID. I don’t think I’ve ever actually been on a list.”
To clarify, Swick-Duttine said there were no charges filed by the school, and that the groups are governed by their peers, which consist of fraternity and sorority members. She said that all except one of the groups have had their probations reduced on appeal to half a semester.
Swick-Duttine said all the groups were given educational sanctions as well as social probation, which prohibits any events that involve alcohol. She explained that all the groups are hosting some type of educational programming, are giving education presentations and plan to bring in risk management consultants to talk to the organizations.
Swick-Duttine also stated that on Oct. 21, a few of the groups are partnering together to bring in Dave Westol, a risk management consultant, to give a presentation called “The Wise Behind Risk Management.” Dave Westol will also work with each group for 90 minutes and will consult any organization for 30 minutes about bettering risk management policies.
Email Patrick Willisch at patrick.willisch@cardinalpointsonline.com
