Delta Upsilon closed temporarily

Delta Upsilon (DU) was temporarily closed Friday pending investigation by the Dean of Students Office for hazing, adding to a growing list of Greek chapters that are being investigated by the University.

The house was closed after Health Services reported to the Dean of Students office that DU pledges had come to them with health problems related to drinking soy sauce. Health Services did not release any names, but Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that Health Services felt that the University should be aware of the issue.

A DU pledge also recently visited the hospital, but Reitman said that that is not relevant to the current DU investigation.

The other two chapters closed in the past two weeks are the fraternity Zeta Psi and the sorority Alpha Phi. The administration says that the recent turn of events is a surprise, and it is still uncertain of what its plans will be for the future of the Greek system.

There was a feeling that the situation was improving this year, Reitman said, until a Zeta Psi pledge was forced to go to the hospital after attending a party at the fraternity. Soon after, Medford Police placed two Alpha Phi pledges in protective custody, and two others were treated by Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS).

There is already talk that the administration is looking for ways to bring down the Greek system on campus, a feeling shared by many on the Tufts campus, especially those who are members of fraternities or sororities.

But it is difficult to judge just what the Greek system's leaders say on this matter since most chapters have instructed their members to not speak to the press.

One fraternity member said that he feels the administration's goals are unclear to the point of being detrimental to Greek life. "There just needs to be a clearly articulated Greek policy," the fraternity member said. "If the administration is making decisions about how we're going to exist, then they need to talk to us."

But the administration is not sure of where it wants Greek life on campus to go.

"No one has sat down and talked [about recent events]. It's all too new," Reitman said. Reitman said that from the administration's perspective the Greek system appeared to be improving this year. Fewer calls were made to TUPD this year than previously, and fewer fraternity parties were shut down.

Recent events, however, have caught the University off-guard. Reitman said that before the events of the last two weeks, he could have given a detailed response about the future of Greek Life on campus, but now he is not so sure.

"I'm certainly getting both sides," from parents, administrators, faculty, and alumni, Reitman said and that he is trying to avoid under or overreacting to the issue. "I don't think I, as Dean of Students, want to overreact about the whole system because of what happened...There has to be a measured response to this."

Asked whether that response would include the removal of the Greek system from Tufts campus, Reitman said that is not an issue yet. "It's not been spoken of at all," he said. "I think it will come up," if the investigations discover bad news.

The University is still looking to fill the new position of Greek Life coordinator, and has had to expand the search several times to find qualified candidates.

The trouble is that the position would require someone to act as an administrator and to also work with Greek leaders to "re-establish the values around which the chapters were formed, including philanthropy, community participation, academic excellence, and leadership," as stated on the University's human resources website.

The combination is very difficult for most to perform successfully. The recent bad press about the Greek system has not helped in recruiting candidates either, Reitman said.

In the meantime, Greek members are waiting for a clear response from the administration on what they are supposed to do next. "There are specific problems then there are specific solutions. Being told there are beer cans on frat row is not helpful," a fraternity member said. "I don't think just closing down houses indefinitely is a solution."

The fate of the three chapters that are being investigated by the Dean of Students Office is still very much up in the air. The final decision on their fate rests with the Committee on Fraternities and Sororities (CFS), the Greek system's equivalent of the Committee of Student Life (CSL).

The CFS consists of TUPD Captain Mark Keith, Student Activities Assistant Director Ed Cabellon, Public Safety Director David Slater, Community Relations Director Barbara Rubel, Reitman, Judicial Affairs Director Veronica Carter, Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator David Baumwoll, Inter Greek Council President Jessica Grasso, Inter-Fraternity Council President Jason Weber, and Pan-Hellenic Council President Liz Kronick.

The CFS will decide what the appropriate response should be to Zeta Psi, Alpha Phi and DU after the TUPD investigations are completed. In previous cases, chapters have had their recognition suspended for a year or more if found to contribute to hazing.

Reitman was unwilling to say what the specific response might be for the individual chapters under investigation though. Chapters can also be placed on probation, which would prevent them from having "open" parties, but would still allow them to continue to operate and have guests in the house.

As for what constitutes hazing, Reitman said that his own interpretation is not necessarily the same as that which is found in the Pachyderm. "You can't force, or encourage, or create any expectations that pledges should do something dangerous or demeaning," Reitman said.

When asked if he would consider a drinking game which involved only pledges drinking, an allegation against Zeta Psi, as an act of hazing, Reitman said that, "if only the pledges are expected to do the drinking...yes, that's hazing."