Living Groups Fined for Rush Violations

   By A. Arif Husain
   
   Staff Reporter
   
   The Interfraternity Council collected nearly $3,000 in fines from
   independent living groups this year for violations of rush rules.
   
   The IFC Judicial Committee brought a total of 19 charges against 11
   ILGs. Most violations were benign and dealt with matters such as
   improper message-handling and failure to comply with Clearinghouse
   procedures, according to Judicial Committee Chair David H. Hijirida
   '94.
   
   Sigma Alpha Epsilon was charged with five violations -- the highest
   number among the ILGs -- and was found guilty of three of the charges.
   Alpha Delta Phi was charged with four violations and was found guilty
   of two of the charges.
   
   SAE, which was put on probation by the IFC last year, also paid the
   highest amount in fines, $1,050. Last year, SAE payed $1,150.
   
   "We expect a certain amount of fines ... but we try to run as clean a
   rush as possible," said David M. Sukoff '95, SAE rush chair. "We get
   fined a lot harder than any other house because of our reputation,
   because we are watched so closely," he said.
   
   The IFC rules were "established to keep the fraternities, sororities,
   and living groups from taking undue advantage of one another, and in
   particular to protect the rushees, during rush," according to the
   preamble of the IFC rush rules.
   
   The rules focus on maintaining communication with rushees at all
   times, allowing equal access by all ILGs, and providing safety to the
   new students. They also provide guidelines for registration,
   visitation, trips, and other rush transactions, and defines the role
   of Clearinghouse, the system which tracks rushees.
   
   "We have a lot of rules," Hijirida said. "It seems kind of picky, but
   they are there for a reason. Because of that you're almost always
   going to find rush violations," he said.
   
   Charges are based on the findings of IFC-appointed investigators, who
   pursue complaints made by fraternities and rushees. The hearings were
   conducted over a 2-day period in late September. Final decisions were
   made by a review board composed of one elected representative from
   each fraternity and living group.
   
   All fines are deposited in the IFC treasury to be used for funding
   projects. These have included hosting speakers and funding Greek Week.
   

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Copyright 1993 by The Tech. All rights reserved.
This story was published on  Tuesday,  November 30, 1993.
Volume  113, Number 61
The story began on page  1
and jumped to page  12.

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