Delta Sigma Phi was recently ousted from its living quarters at 531 West 113th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. While a specific reason was not divulged from any official source, the Columbia Spectator reports that “Allegations of hazing and harassment by members have also come to light in recent months, and the chapter has been suspended by the Delta Sigma Phi National Fraternity until December 31, 2022, purportedly for the same reasons that the fraternity lost its Columbia brownstone.”
A spokesperson from Columbia University told I Love The Upper West Side that “to protect student privacy we do not discuss individual or group judicial sanctioning. Two SICs [Special Interest Communities] will be housed in the brownstone this year, ADI – Application Development Initiative and Muse House, along with transfer students.”
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The national head of Delta Siga Phi wouldn’t provide any details of the suspension either, reports the NY Post.
“The health and safety of members is a top priority for Delta Sigma Phi. Until the point of our closure, chapter leadership was working to build a stronger culture and meet the high expectations of our national organization and the broader Columbia community,” said Phil Rodriguez, the organization’s executive director.
Public reviews of Delta Sigma Phi can be found at GreekRank.com. One person described the members as “Daddy’s trust fund boys who wear the top button loose so we can get a peek at their chest hair. Just really cliquey and disappointingly unattractive.” Another review emphasized the frat’s exclusivity, stating that one’s chances of admittance will increase “[if you] have a dad who plots Gaddafi assassinations and successfully sues the Dubai gov’t.”
Other Columbia students praised the quality of Delta Sig’s parties, which were “where every girl wants to be on a Saturday night” … even though some of the “new[er] pledges aren’t the most attractive.” Regardless, the frat was filled with “very nice classy guys, one [of whom] walked me home once when I was not ok and didn’t even try anything,” according to one grateful reviewer.
Delta Sigma Phi has to wait until 2023 for a chance to return as a nationally recognized chapter at Columbia, which would be on a probationary period if approved. The Columbia Spectator additionally noted that “According to the National Fraternity, this reinstatement would include training by both the Delta Sigma Phi National Fraternity and Columbia, which will help future students better understand how to create a positive fraternity experience.”
Phil Rodriguez went on to say that “Delta Sigma Phi has immense respect for the Columbia community and looks forward to working with the university to return the chapter when appropriate. Fraternity at its best helps men develop the skills to lead boldly and do what is right, and we hope to embody those ideals in our future efforts.”
It certainly speaks volumes about how low our expectations of men are that this article features a quote of someone stating that the frat is full of ‘“very nice classy guys, one [of whom] walked me home once when I was not ok and didn’t even try anything.”’ The fact that this person has to qualify that statement with “didn’t even try anything” alludes to our need to abolish these spaces in general. This sort of behavior should not be normalized to the extent that young people expect to be advantage of, and I would hope that more fraternities get ousted. Besides the historical classism, racism, and homophobia perpetuated by fraternities, these spaces are inherently steeped in misogyny. While banning fraternities will not solve these issues, it certainly would make an impact at denouncing the negative themes perpetuated by these organizations.
weren’t they on double secret probation?
Delta Sigma Pigs – the putrid underbelly of higher ed.
Sad that a girl praises a guy because he “didn’t even try anything”. Why do we expect so little from these boys?