Indiana Statesman For ISU students. About ISU students. By ISU students.
Volume 122, Issue 66 Wednesday, March 25, 2015
indianastatesman.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ISU fraternity faces suspension, investigation
Summester
ATO president asserts that ISU’s chapter did nothing wrong
Summer classes, student opportunity 2
Greek Awards Organizations honored 4
Candidacy
Sen. Cruz starts the race 7
So long, Sycamores Men’s basketball loses two 12
Football
2015 schedule announced 14
Photos ISU’s fountain 16
Morgan Gallas Reporter Indiana State University’s chapter of Alpha Tau Omega is suspended pending an investigation by university officials. The university is set to determine if ATO has violated guidelines regarding alcohol and social events — guidelines that were determined in a previous agreement. Dave Taylor, director of media relations for ISU, offered a statement. “In response to violations of its 2013 probation agreement, the Division of Student Affairs has ordered the Zeta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega to refrain from any activities as an organization pending final reviews and determinations regarding the chapter by the university and the Alpha Tau Omega national headquarters,” Taylor said. ISU officials have declined further comment on ATO’s suspension since the matter is still under investigation. Austin Skaggs, a junior biochemistry major, is the president of ATO and has been a part of the group since 2012. “The university has said that we violated our past probation,” Skaggs said. “We had a set of guidelines we had to follow until this past January.” Several events have led to the fraternity’s investigation. In January, a friend arrived at the ATO house intoxicated, Skaggs said. “[The friend] drank before he came to our house,” Skaggs said. “He wasn’t drinking at our house. He got into trouble when he was returning to campus. The university said that he was drinking at our house, which he wasn’t. They said we had an unregistered party that night, which
we didn’t.” affiliated with campus right now. We can’t That same weekend, one of ATO’s do spring week. We aren’t ATO. They brothers drank off campus and got into could take us off of suspension, they can an accident, flipping put us on probation. It’s his car. all up to them.” “[Our brother] ATO’s national repwasn’t hurt, but he ended resentatives have been up getting working a DUI,” with the Skaggs u n i v e r s it y said. “He to get the isn’t a part chapter off of the of suspenchapter sion. anymore.” “ W e W i t h spoke to those two our nationincidents als, and they happening said they so close in asked the concuruniversit y rence, the for evidence university [on why we has taken are suspendaction. ed],” Skaggs “The university said. “The university is saying that we doesn’t have any eviare a danger to other ATO badge from twitter.com/ZOATO dence except what they people and ourselves,” heard from people. Our Skaggs said. “That’s what they are review- [national representatives are] battling ing presently. They have said that this is a with the university.” pattern. In a letter we received from them, On top of the recent incidents, several everything that they said we’ve done, they others have contributed to ATO’s investihaven’t done their research. It is mostly gation. hearsay.” “The first allegations were at the beginThe university has the right to punish ning of the school year,” Skaggs said in any Greek organization for violating the regard to the timeline of events. “Another contract that they signed to be on cam- allegation was in November. They said we pus. had a bunch of unregistered events all of “We are suspended until they say otherwise,” Skaggs said. “Basically, we aren’t FRATERNITY CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Page designed by Hannah Boyd