BETA-R HO BULLETIN Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity
California State University, Northridge
Volume 43, Issue 1
Winter 2015
By the time Beta-Rho had initiated its 20-member Fall 2014 class overnight beginning on Nov. 21, the cycle of inducting prospective brothers reached a roadblock. The chapter faced its first ban on recruitment since its original colonization in 1968. However, Beta-Rho wasn’t alone or at fault. The entire CSUN Greek System’s spring rush had been suspended until further notice by circumstances beyond its control. Vice President of Student Affairs William Watkins distributed a letter on Oct. 23 announcing the moratorium on Greek letter organization recruitment. The subject line of his memo, which was published in part in an Oct. 24 Sundial article by Andrew Martinez read: “Immediate Termination of All New Member Pledge Activity.” The letter went on to add that there would be no “new member intake activity” during the Spring 2015 semester. The recruitment freeze resulted from an alleged hazing incident by CSUN’s Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity chapter in early October. Dr. Watkins’ letter stated that the Pikes had been placed on interim suspension pending an investigation by the university. Pi Kappa Alpha’s national headquarters had also placed its CSUN chapter on administrative suspension. An earlier hazing incident had led to the death of 19-year-old CSUN Pi Kappa Phi pledge Armando Villa during an overnight preinitiation hike in the Angeles National Forest above Tujunga on July 1. After Villa’s death, all of the university’s Greek fraternity and sorority In memorium for BP 1. Vice President members involved in Bryan Martinez reads part of the script for recruitment were required the late Brother Mike Ehrlich at the chapter meeting on March 1. (Story, page 4) to attend a workshop on
Photos by Rick Childs
Spring Rush for CSUN’s Greek System Frozen
Greetings from frigid Carmel, Indiana. Alumni received a warm reception at General Headquarters the day after one of the coldest days of the year during the Neville Advisor’s College conference. (Coverage begins on page 8.)
hazing, sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention in August known as PREP (Pre-Recruitment Education Program). Prospective recruits attended a separate PREP workshop—a primer on Greek letter organization life at CSUN—before being allowed to attend Rush Week events held by the fraternities and sororities. During the workshop prospective recruits were also told to report activities to campus authorities that could be construed as hazing. Despite the Greek System’s enhanced educational efforts, the Pikes apparently didn’t take the Student Development Office’s zero tolerance policy on hazing seriously enough. When one of their pledges reported to Activities Coordinator and Greek Life Advisor Jamison Keller that he and other pledges had been allegedly malnourished and humiliated during a Pike chapter retreat in Big Bear, CSUN President Dianne Harrison directed Dr. Watkins to suspend Greek fraternity and sorority induction —continued on page 2 1