LETTERS
A STUDENT PUBLICATION FOR THE OFFICE OF SORORITY AND FRATERNITY ENGAGEMENT NOVEMBER | 2018
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Each fall, I am reminded of the greatness of sorority and fraternity life. So many students join our community: some directly from high school, some sophomore and juniors, some transfers and sometimes even faculty and staff. It is the excitement and eagerness in their eyes that motivates me to continue to advocate for the existence of sororities and fraternities.
A look inside ••• This Is State
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The last several years have not been great for sororities and fraternities across the country. We have seen an increase in hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual assault nationwide. I want to be clear that our staff, students and advisers all stand against these activities. In doing so, we commit to a constant reevaluation of our process, programs and procedures. We must continue to evolve as organizations.
Journey of Hope
Sororities and fraternities matter because we provide a place for students to belong. When hazing, alcohol abuse or sexual assault occur, we reduce our ability to make a positive difference in the lives of our students. Our SPOKANE, WA community has been very active this year, this semester, A ROUTE this month and even today. KOFF We continue to be one of the MT best sorority and fraternity WEST YELLOWSTONE, communities in the country, and I am proud to be CYCLONE! MILWAUKEE, WI SALT LAKE CITY, UT
FALLON, NV
TE CKOFF
LAS VEGAS, NV
BB
Love, Mom and Dad CLEVELAND, OH …4 PITTSBURGH, PA
CHICAGO, IL GRAND ISLAND, NE
A WASHI
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
DENVER, CO
Billy Boulden
WICHITA, KS
ST LOUIS, MO
RICHMOND LEXINGTON, KY CHARLOTTE, NC
LAKE HAVASU, AZ
ALBUQUERQUE, ents NM Assistant Dean of Stud TEMPE, AZ d Director of Sorority an t Fraternity Engagemen
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DALLAS, TX
ATLANTA, GA BIRMINGHAM, AL
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RIGHT: Homecoming Royalty Derek Doeing, of Chi Phi fraternity, poses on the sidelines of the Iowa State Cyclones homecoming football game versus Texas Tech.
Photo credit: Iowa State Tau Kappa Epsilon
ABOVE: Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Sigma Phi and Delta Zeta perform their Yell Like Hell skit.
A buzz of excitement covers our campus around October. It’s not that we’re waiting for first semester to be over. It’s because it’s almost homecoming week, and we cannot wait. Our clubs and
Photo credit: Iowa State Homecoming
organizations love to celebrate. Yell Like Hell, tournaments and more. This is the week we all look for! Banners and displays, these are some ways that your teams could take first place!
But if you prefer the most popular event of all, then head to Jack Trice to watch some football! We love homecoming, yes we do, so let us share some of the excitement with you!
LEFT: Cy the Mascot sits atop the parade float made by Alpha Gamma Delta, Beta Sigma Psi and Sigma Pi. All team floats were featured in the Homecoming Parade. RIGHT: Members of the Emerging Fraternal Leadership Council pose by the square they painted on Victory Lane. Photo credit: Iowa State Homecoming Photo credit: Meghan Whitlock
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There’s passion, and then there’s dedication. Konnor Hodges and Kyle Von der Linde have fine-tuned a combination of both. Konnor, current chapter president, and Kyle, former chapter president, of Pi Kappa Phi will be biking across America this summer. Journey of Hope is an event through Pi Kappa Phi’s national philanthropy organization, the Ability Experience. This year marks the event’s 30th anniversary. “Pi Kappa Phi, nationally, has around 13,000 members. It’s one of those things where it’s top of everyone’s lists of things they want to do,” Konnor said.
ABOVE: Konnor Hodges (left) and Kyle Von der Linde (right).
But only about 300 members make it through the application process and get to participate. To apply, one must pay an application fee, fill out the extensive application and participate in phone video interviews. Cyclists travel one of 3 routes. Konnor and Kyle want to do the south route, which will include a 2-day journey through Death Valley. All routes end in Washington, D.C.
That’s the minimum amount of money each cyclist must raise.
That’s the total number of miles Konnor and Kyle will cycle.
SPOKANE, WA TRANSAMERICA ROUTE SEATTLE | KICKOFF
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT
MILWAUKEE, WI
The men will bike an average of 80 miles per day. Rather than napping in the evenings, they will then partake in “friendship visits” with people with disabilities to hangout and donate time and money.
CLEVELAND, OH
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
FALLON, NV
PITTSBURGH, PA CHICAGO, IL GRAND ISLAND, NE
NORTH ROUTE SAN FRANCISCO | KICKOFF
LAS VEGAS, NV
WICHITA, KS
ST LOUIS, MO
RICHMOND, VA LEXINGTON, KY CHARLOTTE, NC
LAKE HAVASU, AZ ALBUQUERQUE, NM
SOUTH ROUTE LONG BEACH | KICKOFF TEMPE, AZ
DALLAS, TX
SPONSORED BY
ARRIVAL WASHINGTON, DC
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
DENVER, CO
ATLANTA, GA BIRMINGHAM, AL
“It’s a cool experience that I think everyone wants to be part of,” Kyle said. To help support Konnor and Kyle on their journey, donations can be made to their personal fundraising pages below: Konnor Hodges: www.classy.org/fundraiser/1544392 Kyle Von der Linde: www.classy.org/fundraiser/1542135
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After the deaths of their sons as a result of fraternity hazing, three families banded together to form an anti-hazing coalition to prevent the same thing from happening to other families. The parents spoke to the Iowa State and Ames communities on October 21. Stephen Gruver, father of Max Gruver, Evelyn and Jim Piazza, father of Tim Piazza, and Rich Braham, father of Marquise Braham, shared the gruesome last moments of their children’s lives before they died. Tim Piazza was forced to partake in an event called “the Gauntlet” during an initiation event. After consuming 18 drinks in about an hour and a half, Tim fell down a flight of stairs, causing internal injuries. It was almost 12 hours before any of his fraternity brothers called for help. Max Gruver was forced to participate in “Bible study” for his fraternity as a pledge. The pledges were forced to do wall sits while older members walked across their legs. They were also asked questions about the fraternity and, if they answered incorrectly, were forced to take a drink from a bottle of hard liquor. Max had a blood alcohol level of .495 that night-over 6 times the legal limit.
Marquise Braham’s story was different. He made it through the hazing alive. However, as an initiated member, he had to watch the hazing of younger members. One of these events included a “lock-in” where members were forced to drink alcohol and puke into a garbage bin until it was full. These events took a toll of Marquise’s conscience. He returned home one weekend and exchanged texts with friends in which he said that he didn’t like what he saw at his fraternity. He ate lunch with his mother, excused himself, and jumped 10 stories from a building nearby. “Marquise is dead from a guilty conscience,” Rich said. Evelyn brought the audience to tears with her speech. She placed the crowd into the shoes of her other son, who was the first to find out Tim was in the hospital. “A nurse pulls your mom forward and tells her to kiss her baby goodbye,” Evelyn said. “Even though he’s unconscious, you tell him to hang in there, that you’re proud of him and that you love him. A tear rolls down his cheek, and you think he heard you, and then they take him away and you all let him go.
The families spent a large portion of the lecture explaining how the audience could become advocates against hazing. Sororities and fraternities are meant to be about sisterhood and brotherhood. “Would you force grain alcohol down your brother or sister’s throat?” Rich questioned. The parents said the feelings the audience had at the time would fade, and then it was up to them to take action. Rich left the audience with a lingering question: “Who are you going to be?” Stephen Gruver shared a passage from one of his son’s journals. In it, Max wrote: God works in funny ways. He does bad things sometimes because in the end they are good. Something bad can happen to you, but it may happen because it will make you better. He does bad to ultimately create good.
Photo curtesy of Iowa State Daily. If you see someone in danger from over-consumption of alcohol or the effects of hazing, please dial 911 and get help. To report hazing, please fill out this anonymous online form at: bit.ly/ReportHazingISU or contact the Office of Student Conduct at knowthecode@iastate.edu 515-294-1020
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Meet the Staff
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Billy Boulden • bboulden@iastate.edu Assistant Dean of Students Director of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement
Elizabeth Gillmore • gillmore@iastate.edu Assistant Director of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement
Karina Buttler • kbuttler@iastate.edu Secretary
Zana Morris • zcmorris@iastate.edu Coordinator of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement
Abby McCollom • abbyjm@iastate.edu Coordinator of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement
We want to hear from you! Email your comments, questions or suggestions to aperrin@iastate.edu
Sydni Harmon • grknphc@iastate.edu Graduate Assistant
Julissa Garcia • sfe_julissag@iastate.edu Student Coordinator
Want a chance to be featured on our social media? Follow the link below and fill out the survey! We’ll be in touch if you’re selected.
Ashtyn Perrin • aperrin@iastate.edu Student Communications Coordinator
Office of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement 0355 Memorial Union 2229 Lincoln Way Ames, IA 50014 515-294-1023
bit.ly/sfemedia
Follow us! @ISUSFCommunity @isusororityandfraternity Sorority and Fraternity Community – Iowa State University
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