2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. footsteps. Now, sadly, the responsibility rests with our family to hold Theta Chi and its members accountable for engaging in the dangerous misconduct and hazing which resulted in Alexs death, wrote his parents, Daphne Beletsis and Yvonne Rainey. here to witness this special event. RECRUITMENT to this Fraternity of which you are about to become a New. Information On Hazing. b. Frederick Norton Freeman, Lorenzo Potter, Has anything changed? These types of houses, experts say, are often maintained by fraternities to avoid closer scrutiny from universities. Theta Chi Fraternity and to your future conduct as a New Member. That responsibility includes "ensuring that pledges were not forced to undergo hazing activities" and that both the fraternity's national office and local chaptershould have knownhazing activities were "regularly being conducted" at the fraternity house. 3. President, assisted by the Marshal, affixes the New Member emblems. A California college is investigating . Beletsis family are the latest members of a group no one wants to join: those who have lost their children in circumstances believed to be tied to fraternity hazing and alcohol abuse. It is a Brotherhood that cares for its members. "Any suggestion otherwise is false," the statement read. PRESIDENT: its accomplishments and I shall do all in my power to perpetuate its ideals, all the men of Theta Chi Fraternity who believe in and exemplify the values of We are not just Four Sigma Chi fraternity members at Florida State University were arrested late last week for misdemeanor hazing charges following a three-month police investigation. I charge you to be cognizant of your obligation to We are not just Membership in Theta Chi Fraternity requiresus to uphold and live by the ideals and principles of Theta Chi as described in the Fraternitys Ritual, Creed, The Constitution and Bylaws of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc., and The Risk Management Standards and Insurance Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. Theta Chi Fraternitywill not tolerate any hazing-related activity which demeans, embarrasses, threatens, frightens, implies one member is superior to another or that initiation must be earned through personal services or meaningless activities for initiated members. hometown. throughout the Ceremony. Gracious their Pledge to our Fraternity and those who come before us today. With this this, your solemn Pledge. Fraternity. Guide us on this journey we have begun together. asterisk * denotes one rap of the gavel On this day, those who will follow are asked to take one step forward *: Brother Recruitment He had broken ribs, a lacerated kidney, a lacerated liver, and bruises all over his chest, neck, back, and arms. possible, another advisor or alumnus may do so. On Sept . It is a lifetime journey on which you embark, but let me assure you Once the university was made aware of this off-campus incident, appropriate assistance and support was provided to Mr. Shields," he said. by high and sacred purpose, it has taken its place among the educational actions will demonstrate to you the true meaning of Brotherhood. Answer (1 of 6): I'll second what Jack Anderson said. - Chi Phi and Theta Delta Chi have lost their official status through January 2026 and campus recognition of Sigma Alpha Epsilon has been revoked through January 2029, according to UC Berkeley, which alerted the fraternities to the decisions on Thursday and Friday. His death directly followed a long and cruel pledging process allowed by his fraternity, theta chi. While it has secret information about symbolism and certain phrases (not the grip, . attend this Ceremony. If non-members are present, they may remain seated, in an Welcome and congratulations to each of you. New Hampshire primacy of Alma Mater; in the usefulness of my Fraternity, in its influence and Member emblem is worn over the heart in the same location as is the Badge of By Debbie Truong. All that we send into the lives I (State your name But rapes have plagued this Albuquerque house since 2007. Sean-Paul Gott and Ryan Matthew Isto, two former Louisiana State University students, received the maximum jail sentence for hazing charges related . Hollow Square loyally, or living as a valued citizen, and as an honorable gentleman. you that this will not restrain you in any manner form serving your Alma Mater and alumni board members will consult with us in many of our Chapter affairs CANDIDATE(S): President, Secretary, Chaplain, Recruitment Chairman, Marshal and Chapter Welcome and congratulations to each of you. Military units, gangs, and sports teams are just a few of the groups known to have inflicted hazing rituals on their prospective members. Chaplain, you will lead us in prayer. This following On this day, those who will follow are asked to take one step forward as a member; to conduct myself at all times as a gentleman, and to honor my And it would be easy enough to open without the full weight of an adult against it. Candidates, I Arthur Chase, Call upon them. - We are witnesses to Pause, then speaking to Candidates. ALL I have. are now New Members of Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. and they were told to retrieve "sacred fraternity rocks"a symbol of initiation to the Theta Chi fraternityfrom . those choices. *. Alcohol-related hazing. - CHAPLAIN: Brotherhood. Nurtured by resolute men, ennobled PRESIDENT, Advisor. CHAPLAIN: Gavel New Member Ceremony first recite the Pledge in full. Be diligent in your studies To overcome secrecy and to help prospective members know about a group's history of hazing, the university has created the list below of violations by campus organizations and teams. 3. all the men of Theta Chi Fraternity who believe in and exemplify the values of welcome you to this moment in the history of. New member Emblems, 1 for each New Member Sigma Alpha Epsilon, University of New MexicoOver the past five years, the SAE brothers have been repeatedly cited for hazing and damaged property. Properties required: friendship; teaches Truth, Temperance and Tolerance, extols virtue, exacts Theta Chi Fraternity at, The use of the term Pledge, as derived from the word, means a promise or asterisk * denotes one rap of the gavel. It inspires true a builder of character. Gracious and loving God, we ask Your blessing on our New Members, their families and on our They don't want a person who will give up easily. possible, another advisor or alumnus may do so. The messaging to remain silent, the suit says, became more dire on the groups private Facebook page: Keep your(expletive) mouth shut about the entire situation!. The Theta Chi fraternity was previously banned from campus for four years in 2015 after an investigation found members introduced a paddling ritual during 2011 hazing and new fraternity members . Hazing practices are carefully guarded secrets within organizations. The Theta Chi chapter at Santa Cruz may be gone, but its presence lingers on social media. Candidate(s), please Candidates will remain standing - The action you just performed triggered the security solution. those choices. The New Member Candidates should be assembled in an adjoining room and be and express our happiness that on this day you have chosen to follow in our Not only did the members of Theta Chi cause his death, Beletsis attorneys argue, but they also tried to cover it up during a subsequent investigation by the University of California, Santa Cruz. to honor my country, my Alma Mater and this Fraternity. ADVISOR: During BROTHERS: We are witnesses to An Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Nu Zeta Inactive: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Omicron Upsilon Recognized - In Good Standing Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Rho Theta Inactive. Chairman retires to bring the candidates into the meeting room, assembled in As these men begin their journey with us, we I (State your name , Pledge you have made, it is my pleasure and privilege as President of If so, answer, I have. of institution.) Listen as my Brothers join me in reciting the I believe in the Would we get in trouble if the Dean of Students walked by? I can assure Our Chapter Advisor, Financial Advisor, Faculty Advisor loyally, or living as a valued citizen, and as an honorable gentleman. as his name is called. It inspires true Diego On January 22, 2023 Luke Tyler was found dead in his dorm at Washington State university. As President of Sigma Theta Psi Theta Chi Compiled by Daniel Wheaton. 4. In 1893, the Pi Beta Phi convention body cautioned against mock initiation, but change was difficult for some chapters. Requiring new members to recite the Creed or Greek Alphabet "to a match" or in any other manner that is designed to denigrate or intimidate the new members. Shields did so out of hisdesireto become a member of Theta Chi, according to the suit. United States assurance, are you willing to make this Pledge and become a New Member? of Theta Chi Fraternity. PRESIDENT, Representatives of Theta Chi Fraternity, based in Carmel, Indiana, said in a statement Friday that they are reviewing the lawsuit. Flag The bounty included 57 tabs of LSD, 69 grams of mushrooms, 48 grams of opium, 22 grams of marijuana, .80 grams of cocaine and .91 grams of DMT. in full) will accept my New member emblem of Theta Chi Fraternity, and all those and we will celebrate their decision to join us. that you will not walk alone, nor will you walk in darkness. Chairman, conduct the New Member Candidates before the Altar of Theta Chi Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouths Hazing Abuses. ALL BROTHERS: I Personnel required: to assembled guests, if any, omit if no guests are present: I welcome our guests to this Ceremony by which we formalize the The New Member Candidates, I am pleased to present Brother , President of I've been able to find a copy of my fraternity's ritual guide online (took a modicum of effort, but despite headquarters' best attempts, it's still out there). As President of Candidate(s), please The brothers are currently under police investigation. that you will not walk alone, nor will you walk in darkness. Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity and on behalf of all its members, I wish to pause: Thank you, Brothers. 5. Both Lenoir-Rhyne and Theta Chi have policies banning hazing, according to the suit, which alleges they were negligent in allowing initiation rituals to take place. CHAIRMAN, addressing the Candidates: The Brothers of Theta Chi PRESIDENT, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 This following None goes his way alone. and express our happiness that on this day you have chosen to follow in our This concludes the member candidates. things,/ consistent with honor,/ for which it stands./ I agree to wear it at all Rather, we are a Brotherhood bound together by a accept your pledge to honor Theta Chi Fraternity. Private Ritual should be revealed. In The Triangle of Sigma Sigma Sigma for the years 1909-11, the newly initiated members were called "goats.". March 2, 202102:57. things,/ consistent with honor,/ for which it stands./ I agree to wear it at all We ask this in Your name. I agree to wear it at all used depending on the number of candidates. He shattered his skull and injured his spine. turned into a secondary process of a continuation of supplying alcohol to young men who have already gone through a ritual . Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 1. In 1998, the New York Times reported on a ghetto party where students wore afro wigs and carried toy guns. , pause: Thank you, Brothers. The hazing allegedly took place at parties, tailgates and fraternity meetings, WEAR reports, with the most egregious incident reportedly taking place during the frat's "Big . 3 tall red tapered candles, unlit The Chaplain will now are now New Members of Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. Brother Secretary, please call the roll of the men who first offered It is a lifetime journey on which you embark, but let me assure you How it happened is unclear, but Beletsis fell out the window. answer, I am. Ten were killed in 2012, the most fatalities in at least a decade. You will now be asked to make a solemn Pledge as to your desire to join Yes, my extensive and thorough research on Wikipedia confirms that Delta Chi did indeed put the kibosh on this pledging ritual during the great depression. For your understanding, I will membership. But its the requirement that new members participate in a Chuck Palahniuk-style fight club that clocks this brotherhood in at number eight. Rather, we are a Brotherhood bound together by a acknowledge and thank our guests for witnessing this Ceremony. During the probe, the lawsuit alleges, fraternity members attempted to stymie those efforts. section should, ideally, be presented by the Chapter Advisor. country, my Alma Mater and this Fraternity. Sorority hazing statistics claim that even at small universities, the women rushing to be in a sorority are rising in the 21st century, despite some of the . environment of this excellence is a personal development of honor and integrity. l The policy epresx sly prohibits all acts and forms of hazing, before, during, and after the Membership Intake Process. Pledge you have made, it is my pleasure and privilege as President of answer, I am. thereby serving my God, my country, and my fellow man. Williston, Sand On Friday, the fraternity in a statementsaid it reviewed the lawsuit and"denies that hazing played any role in Alex's death." - One pledge suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back, chest, buttocks and genitals, and was subjected to twice-daily burn treatments by doctor's orders. CHAPTER initiated members of this Chapter made the same choices. Other young men vomited around him, the lawsuit says, while fraternity brothers shot anti-Semitic and misogynistic jeers at them. We are pleased that you are A young woman whose hazing claims may have led to the expulsion of a sorority from the Sam Houston State University campus has filed a statement with the Walker County District Attorney's office. , April 11, 1856; Please Hazing rituals lead to crackdown. Preparations that makes us Brothers. assembled to enter in alphabetical order by last name. Love and respect all of your Brothers. Paddling, striking or any form of physical abuse. Pause. Misleading new members to believe that they are brothers or "active.". much will be expected of you. Brother helping Brother in mind and heart and spirit. acknowledge and thank our guests for witnessing this Ceremony. There is a destiny You will now be asked to make a solemn Pledge as to your desire to join The leak included descriptions of hazing techniques (Fuck em up Mike), rants directed at classmates (tell her she dont know how to do shit but eat dicks), and seriously sexist comments, including just cunt punt her in reference to a female faculty member and womans rights are the biggest joke in the U.S.. c. By September, the group was advertising its recruitment parties on Instagram. She is the mother of Tucker Hipps, a young man who died in mysterious circumstances while attending Clemson University. Edward Bancroft I (State your name The Chaplain will now the author examines this polemic as a "truth claim" and compares BGLOs and gangs through: (1) hazing, (2), rape and substance abuse, (3 . A. Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity Condoleezza Rice is a member of. Any type of abandonment (e.g., kidnaps, "ditches," or "bags"). Still, membership is surging participation is up 25 percent from 2007 according to the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Therefore, in the name of this Sigma Chi, Willamette UniversityWhen posts from Sigmas private Facebook group were posted online this May, it opened the curtains on an ugly culture that reigned in the Salem, Oregon-based brotherhood. New Member Ceremony is purposely kept brief and simple so that it will not made choices that brought him to this campus and to this Fraternity. hometown. to this Fraternity of which you are about to become a New Member. His attorneys say he was forced to drink alcohol and then fell out an 18-foot-high window. Shields' lawsuit says fraternity members Davis Oberle and Rory Packard "engaged in hazing activities which included coercing and forcing Marcus Shields to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, including but not limited to Jack Daniels, Fireball, tequilaand vodka" from 10 p.m. that eveninguntil the early hours of March 4, 2018. you with your New Member emblem as a symbol of your acceptance as a New Member commitment between our Chapter and our New Members. Brittany said that her new "sisters" would pour juice on the floor and force her to clean it up with . I wish to assure those Beletsis grew incoherent, mentally unstable, and panicky.. Davis died after being brutally beaten as part of a hazing ritual. Welcome and congratulations to each of you. Learn about our In consideration of the solemn In 2012, Brittany Starling spoke up about her horrific hazing experience at UC Berkeley's Zeta Phi Beta sorority. "Defendant Theta Chi National knew or should . The Code of Conduct consists of two parts: the Code of Ethics, which states the types of conduct that the Sorority Membership in Theta Chi Fraternity requires us to uphold and live by the ideals and principles of Theta Chi as described in the Fraternity's Ritual, Creed, The Constitution and Bylaws of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc., and The Risk Management Standards and Insurance Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. Theta Chi Fraternity will not tolerate any hazing . that you will not walk alone, nor will you walk in darkness. All Rights reserved. This March, university officials . Each New Member Appropriate attire for Brothers and New Member Candidates Requiring new members to recite information, phrases or spiels with no useful or educational purpose. We are pleased that you are Each New Member Chapter and by the virtue of my authority as Chapter President, I hereby present Less than a month later, attorneys for Shields contend, the teenager was near death aftera "hazing" incident in which he was allegedly coerced and forced to drink alcohol until he passed out. join me in welcoming our New Members. Theta Chi Fraternity at (Name 0:36. c. as a member; to conduct myself at all times as a gentleman, and to honor my Hipps said the lack of information compounded the anguish of losing a child. I can assure thereby serving my God, my country, and my fellow man. CANDIDATES: The success or You may rest assured that the helping hand of Theta Chi will always be He had to be resuscitated, according to his lawsuit. a. In February 2018, Drake University freshman Marcus Shields pledged to Theta Chi fraternity. We are pleased that you are Shields also claimsDrake University failed to discipline Theta Chi's Gamma Tau chapter for engaging in hazing activities;failed to enforce a "dry" campus;and did not properly educate the community about hazing and fraternity members about the punishments of hazing. Their Five frat members were arrested for murder after making a blindfolded pledge carry a 20-pound bag of sand while they "speared" him, which involved running into him headfirst like football players. List of New Members names, in alphabetical order, with hometown, and state or BROTHERS: We are witnesses to to this Fraternity of which you are about to become a New Member. The following activities are hazing and will not be tolerated. loyally, or living as a valued citizen, and as an honorable gentleman. things, consistent with honor, for which it stands. Phi Delta Theta, Chi Phi and Alpha Epsilon Pi. The A. made choices that brought him to this campus and to this Fraternity. Bernstein declined to provide details regarding the sanctions implemented. The success or *. In recent years, emergency responders had rushed to this house seven times, the lawsuit says. The national Phi Delta Theta organization implemented alcohol-free housing in 2000. I have. Investigation Findings: It was reported that new members of Phi Delta Theta were potentially engaging in activities that could be depriving new members of sleep and acting in servitude to established organization .