Fraternity row has gotten smaller in the past 13 months with three chapters suspended for hazing incidents. But that's not the whole story of life on the row, said Chris Feldman, president of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Feldman believes the suspensions of three fraternities - Sigma Alpha Epsilon in March 2004, Phi Kappa Theta in November 2004 and most recently Sigma Nu this month - will make fraternities work harder to get out the message about the true mission of the brotherhoods.
Fraternity life isn't just a party, Feldman said. Fraternities are rooted in philanthropy work, he said.
"Nobody stops to talk about the good that we do," Feldman said. "People just hear about the bad."
On Saturday, fraternities and sororities sponsored a different kind of party - one for about 100 girls and boys waiting to be matched with a "big brother or sister" through the Big Brother/Big Sister program.
And this weekend, Feldman's fraternity, Kappa Sigma is partnering with the sorority Kappa Delta to help out at a local Christian thrift store.
Nonetheless, life on the row will change in coming months with new mandates from the university Office of Greek Affairs. Before the announcement of Sigma Nu's suspension, all of the fraternities met with Dean Pat Cottonham, director of Greek Affairs, and her staff to go over rules, old and new.
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News and opinion for all the SigEp brotherhood. SigEp's "unofficial" blog.
