Greek houses fill despite Sigma Chi scandal

The details of the Sigma Chi fraternity's hazing practices that led to the arrest of eight of its members last April – and another arrest earlier this month – stereotyped the entire greek community at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as backwoods, ignorant and sexually depraved.

But fraternities across campus have worked hard all summer to turn a new page.

The Sigma Chi incident included a freshman pledge going to police after being sexually assaulted in front of most of the house members by a stripper who was acting at the whim of high-ranking upperclassmen within the fraternity.

Fraternity members from different houses on campus and the UNL administrators who oversee the greek system were expecting difficulties during summer recruitment. They thought it would be difficult for fraternities to earn the trust of incoming freshmen and their parents after what happened here.

But most fraternities at UNL were able to distance themselves from the Sigma Chi incident and enjoyed a successful summer of wooing incoming freshmen. More than 500 male students applied to a fraternity during the summer, and by Tuesday afternoon, 390 male students had signed with one of the 23 fraternities left on campus. That's more than 100 more pledges in fraternities than at the start of last year. 

Grant Wallace, a senior food science and technology major and recruiting director for Greek Affairs, was one person on campus surprised at the influx of pledges.

A fraternity member himself, Wallace spoke to parents and incoming freshmen throughout the summer about the pledging process. He credited the high number of pledges to Greek Affairs proactively addressing the issue, the fraternity recruiters' willingness to work with the university and the support many parents already had for UNL's Greek system.

"We were expecting parents to be concerned (with hazing) … and we would bring it up," Wallace said. "And some parents would speak up and say ‘I've already got a son in a frat down here and it's not like that.'"

Linda Schwartzkopf, director of Greek Affairs, said the university asked fraternity recruiters, who are typically sophomores or juniors, to be up front with pledges about what their pledging semester will be like. The recruiters also had to create a "syllabus" for both their fraternity's recruitment strategy and the pledging process.

There is a fine line between initiation practices and hazing, and fraternities need to put their traditions up against a "reasonableness test," Schwartzkopf said.

For example, it is reasonable for fraternities to expect new members to learn their chapter's history, work around the house and attend mandatory study hours.

"But those things can become unreasonable," Schwatzkopf said. "You can't have them recite the (fraternity's) history in the middle of the night … Or clean bathrooms at two in the morning with a toothbrush." 

There will also be a second wave of fraternity pledges starting Monday, as fraternities across campus take part in the first formal fall rush ever at UNL.

Justin Hywood, president of Alpha Tau Omega, said ATO had a successful summer and signed 30 pledges. His fraternity is looking to court a few more pledges next week too, he said.

Wallace said during next week's "formal rush" fraternities will set up at booths in the Nebraska Union on Monday, host barbecues at their houses on Tuesday, and Greek Affairs will provide each hopeful pledge a list of houses that accepted him by Wednesday night.

"Some people don't know about summer rush," Wallace said. "A lot of the out-of-state guys … fall through the cracks."

There are 130 incoming males students who applied to a fraternity but haven't been accepted, down from 180 at this time last year, and the goal of fall rush is to "round up some of those guys."

"We don't know what to expect," Wallace said. "But even if we only sign a handful of guys out of the deal, it will be worth it."

But for those associated with Sigma Chi, it's a little too early to start thinking about turning the page. Some issues still need to be worked out between UNL and advisors from the fraternity's national headquarters if Sigma Chi ever hopes to be back on campus.

The students who were arrested for hazing last April are getting ready to go to trial while the UNL Police Department's investigation into the incident resulted in another arrest earlier this month.

Carl Oestmann, director of patrol operations for UNL PD, said Jeffery Maillet, a senior finance major, was arrested for hazing Thursday Aug. 13. Maillet is the ninth member of the fraternity to be arrested since last April and the first person to be arrested since the original wave of arrests.

"We don't anticipate any more charges brought from this investigation," Oestmann said. "However, the case is still open and University Police are still seeking information."

Of the eight students who were arrested in connection with Sigma Chi hazing, Michael Classen, James Glover and Kyle Humphrey were ticketed for hazing and procuring alcohol for minors; Jonathan Knudsen and Keegan Anderson were cited for hazing; Samuel Bates, Ian Dimka and Chris Wozniak were charged with procuring.

Glover pleaded no contest to hazing and procuring Aug, 6 and is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 25.

Bates was sentenced to 18 months of community service on June 24 for procuring alcohol for minors and Dimka and Wozniak were found guilty of procuring and will be sentenced Aug. 28 and Sept. 11, respectively.

The hazing trials for Classen, Humphrey and Knudsen start Aug. 27, and a bench trial for Anderson is set for Sept, 25.

Meanwhile, the Sigma Chi fraternity house is empty, and advisors from the fraternity's national headquarters are scheduled to meet with UNL's Judiciary Board soon to decide if the fraternity has a future at UNL. A spokesperson in the Dean's office said the judiciary board hearing is closed to the public, including information regarding when and where it will be.