Mustang Daily Staff Report
news@mustangdaily.net
Cal Poly’s Chi Delta Theta beta chapter is under investigation for hazing allegations, according to the Student Life & Leadership website.
As of now, the cultural sorority has been suspended from all activities until the investigation is over, according to Dean of Students Jean DeCosta.
Cal Poly was first alerted when an anonymous tip came forward that hazing was going on during the sorority’s new member education program, DeCosta said.
The Student Life and Leadership department at Cal Poly has a zero tolerance policy against hazing. According to the policy, hazing is considered “any activity that causes physical or emotional harm, degradation or humiliation during initiation into a student organization.”
“We do an orientation and education program (for) all greek life, to all greek fraternities or sororities about hazing and how not to engage in hazing,” DeCosta said. “It’s really important that we continue a thorough and complete education program that really drives home what exactly is hazing.”
DeCosta said anytime the school receives any form of an anonymous tip, it must immediately investigate.
“We launch immediately into investigation to be sure that there is any evidence supporting such an allegation,” DeCosta said. “What we’re looking (into) is their whole membership education program.”
The investigation is currently being headed by Fraternity and Sorority Life Coordinator Diego Silva and Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities Adrienne Miller, though they said they cannot currently speak on the matter, because the investigation is still ongoing.
Chi Delta Theta was established on Oct. 13, 1989, and has an aim to promote “sisterhood, academics, community service, cultural awareness and social activity in the lives of its members,” according to its website.
Kassi Luja contributed to this staff report.
Kassi,
Your headline is incorrect. The chapter is under investigation, that does not mean suspension. They are two separate things.
Thanks for pointing that out, Diego. The change in the caption has been made.
Brian De Los Santos,
Editor-in-Chief
I’d heard a girl in that particular sorority was coerced into eating a bunch of junk food until she threw up. This was over seven years ago. Things haven’t changed, I guess. And the thing is, in the first meeting after they have chosen the next class, they make their members swear to not discuss or talk about what goes on during the recruitment. Something school authorities should be aware of.
Selina,
If we all played telephone about what we heard about different things we weren’t involved in, I would think the world would have come to an apocalyptic end by now. However, most level minding people, this paper excluded, base things on facts. Of course in this case, the situation is still being assessed and there are no facts out there. You base all you know on what someone tells you? What if I told you Abraham Lincoln was a vampire-hunter? He must have carried around wooden stakes, a crossbow, and garlic, right?
Same goes for this paper. It bases nothing on fact. They couldn’t even get an interview with someone involved in the process, so they ask someone who has the tiniest idea what is going on. If they really wanted some concrete detail, they may have interviewed someone involved Greek life perhaps?
And as far as hazing goes, literally everyone does it. Clubs, sororities, fraternities, hell even sports. This definition of hazing is so vague “any activity that causes physical or emotional harm, degradation or humiliation during initiation into a student organization.” This means when the coach yells at you for running a slow mile, he’s hazing you because it makes you feel bad inside.
Please. Just because everyone is doing is doesn’t justify their actions. And my source is credible, because I personally knew the girl since I had rushed with her initially (dropping out because of the demanding hours they required to spend time with each other), and her roommate had told me about the junk food binging. So please sit back down, shut your mouth, and know your role.
What Selina said is true. But let’s get real; a lot of the organizations on campus haze if you go by the definition given in the article. The Chi Delts were just stupid and got caught. Sucks for them.
Well now, they didn’t get caught. It’s an anonymous tip, that’s it.
I thought it was in really bad taste that this article was slapped on the front page when it has really no useful information or substance to it. Kind of gives the impression that the Daily is in desperate need of something to talk about, and it’s unfair to the sorority since this kind of stuff happens all the time.
I thought it was in really bad taste that this article was slapped on the front page when it has really no useful information or substance to it. Kind of gives the impression that the Daily is in desperate need of something to talk about. And it’s unfair to the sorority since this kind of stuff happens all the time.
Chi Delta Theta got busted over nothing but someone trying to start rumors for all anyone knows… Anyone could give a tip (lie or fact) about any other fraternity or sorority on campus and they would get investigated. It is really unfair that this happened to them with nothing even being in stone. All it is doing is hurting their name and for no good reason.
As it was stated earlier everyone does something that is considered hazing. Just the way things go.
Good luck Chi Delta Theta hope everything works out.
I agree with Leo and Jaime in the case of this article. This article is baseless and really has no place in the mustang daily, this coming from a person who actually reads the paper for important news on campus. Seeing this article on the front of the paper made me think it was actually important and once I read it, I couldn’t help but laugh at how pointless it was and how it wasted my time that I could have used reading an article of substance. This stuff happens all the time to other fraternities and sororities but I don’t see it in the Daily, so why is this case so special? In regards to hazing, I believe the definition should be changed considering that Greek life is based on some type of initiation whether that be singing in front of a crowd causing embarrassment or making pledges drink until they pass out. The definition should be aimed more at the latter in my opinion and put them under investigations to get those fraternities and sororities off campus.
MD, poor choice of a cover story.
Good luck Chi Delta Theta, hope the paper hasn’t ruined your reputation too bad!
I think what could be gleaned from the response to the uselessness of this article is that the widespread attitude of “Why does Mustang Daily have to give them a bad rep” detracts from the real issue that hazing can result in serious consequences. It is targeted, encouraged bullying. That kid that died from alcohol poisoning could have survived if they didn’t enforce peer pressure to do things no right minded individual would do. Hazing can quickly get out of hand; someone was uncomfortable but brave enough to report these to the authorities, and rightly so, because sometimes people don’t even realize that they elected to get bullied, and they need to know the difference between activities meant to unite their organization versus ones that are meant to degrade them to prove how dedicated they are to being a member.