University Of South Carolina Crosses Sigma Chi Off Hit List In War On Fraternities

Alex Buscemi9 years ago

The University of South Carolina is cleaning house. On Wednesday, officials announced that the Sigma Chi fraternity was shut down due to hazing allegations. The chapter is the fifth fraternity to be suspended or closed at USC since fall 2014.

From The State:

The University of South Carolina’s Sigma Chi chapter was closed by the international fraternity’s leaders after they learned members engaged in physical and mental abuse of pledges, officials said Wednesday.

The fraternity became aware of a “serious hazing incident” involving the USC chapter on March 24, Sigma Chi’s executive director, Michael Church, said in a statement. The fraternity immediately issued an interim suspension of the USC chapter while the matter was investigated, he said.

“The activities the chapter engaged in, including physical and mental abuse of its pledges, are grossly misaligned with everything the Sigma Chi International Fraternity stands for, and we are resolved to hold those individuals accountable,” Church said. “Hazing in any form has no place in our fraternity, our communities, or our society as a whole.”

Former Sigma Chi members will be required to move out of their Greek Village house by 6 p.m. Sunday, said USC spokesman Wes Hickman.

I don’t know what landed Sigma Chi in hot water, but the things that qualify as “physical and mental abuse” these days are a joke. And with USC running train on fraternity after fraternity as of late (FIVE fraternities gone in a year and a half!), I especially suspect these allegations to be complete and utter horse shit.

Go ahead, “Stop Hazing” plebs, bring on the angry emails saying “You don’t know what they did in there! I heard they made pledges blah blah blah blah…” Unless you’re a brother of Sigma Chi, I don’t wanna hear it.

It’s a shame to see Sigma Chi go. They’re one of the few fraternities that managed to remain standing this long in the Greek village amidst the university’s war on fraternities. They had a beautiful house, a pristine reputation, and one of the most-loved philanthropies on campus, Derby Days, where all the sororities would flock to the house and participate in field day-type games and shit.

I especially sympathize with what these brothers are going through. Back in 2011, I was booted out of the village house right across the street due to hazing allegations. I was a part of a large pledge class, so we were able to found a new fraternity, and I recommend the brothers of Sigma Chi do the same. At the end of the day, the bond you share is stronger than any configuration of Greek letters, and when yours are taken down from the front of the house, don’t let that bond go down too.

With that, I say RIP Sigma Chi. Hopefully, you will soon be celebrating the birth of something even better..

[via The State]

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