Spencer,

 

Here's the story on the chapter,from my perspective, I'm sure others may have a different perspective which I respect.

 

Our Eta Epsilon chapter was a good chapter for many years. They had many positive attributes which included quality members, good representative of Sigma Pi nationally, large chapter membership and founders of the FSU Tiger Toss which became a recognized FSU event. However, there were several problems that plagued the chapter which were risk management, proper registration of pledge and initiate fees and hazing.

 

Registration of members: This was a continual problem that surfaced every year. Pledges and initiates were run through the ceremonies but their fees were either never collected or forwarded to the Executive Office. The chapter account continued to rise. I personally remember visiting the chapter on successive years to discuss the problem and worked to get it resolved. Unfortunately the process continued and the chapter never really got a handle on how to do it correctly. At the time of our closure the chapter had a Grand Chapter balance and a payment plan that totaled over $20,000.00 owed to the National organization.

 

Hazing: Hazing crept into the chapter and took a strong hold and somewhere over the years it became more intense. Shortly after the chapter closed I was contacted by several members that described the events that their Hellmaster put them through. These members are dedicated alumni and love Sigma Pi and their chapter but they did not want anyone else going through the same type of activities they had to endure.

 

Risk Management: This was also an issue and as the university was trying to tighten control over the Greeks we were caught several times on violations.

 

While our chapter was already on probation with the University the chapter threw a "Pirate Party". A sorority girl got drunk and then complained that she had received drugs as well. I don't think the drug charge was ever substantiated and I have my own doubts whether it happened but the University was extremely upset and felt that our chapter was out of control.

 

In an attempt to save the chapter I visited the campus and we put together an alumni trusteeship. I can't remember all of those involved but do recall that David Foy, Jefferey Seay and Joseph Jones worked very closely with us and were excellent in all aspects.

The National office, alumni trustees and the active chapter were working hand in hand to make the needed improvements. I was confident that as a group working in unison we could be successful. Unfortunately, the University thought otherwise and really never gave our alumni trustees a chance. Recognition was pulled by The university.

Faced with this decision we had the option of staying on campus and defy the university and probably never be recognized in the future or to close and come back at a later date.

In order to protect the interests of Eta Epsilon we chose to close at the insistence of the University so we could return at a later date.  

The idea of our chapter not being allowed to have mixers with sororities, play in intramurals or be part of the Greek community was the reasoning for not operating as an unrecognized fraternity.

 

To make matters worse, when the announcement came down that we would close the some, not all or even a majority, of the chapter members decided to take their frustrations out on the chapter house in the form of vandalism. The landlord that had rented to us for many years was in the hospital with a fatal disease and now had this burden on him as well. We left the campus with a very bad image due to the actions of a few.

 

 

 

Mark S. Briscoe
Executive Director
Sigma Pi Fraternity
PO Box 1897
Brentwood, TN. 37024
P: 800-332-1897
F: 615-373-8949