Jail and Bail fundraiser provokes womanly woes, vexes men who care
Andrew Cureton
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Opinion
Last Thursday, Sigma Chi fraternity held its annual Jail and Bail fundraiser. This year's event was particularly violent and detrimental to the safe atmosphere of our campus. I witnessed these excesses and want to recount my experiences and suggest how such hostility may be avoided in the future.
At 9:30 p.m., I encountered a very distraught freshmen lady in front of Niedfeldt Residence Hall. She informed me that her roommate had been kidnapped and was bleeding because she fell while a Sigma Chi member tried to grab her.
The fraternity would not assure the girl her roommate was all right. After attempting in vain to contact campus security, I began to walk toward the Sigma Chi house at the girl's request, meeting up with a group of my friends along the way by chance.
When I arrived at the house, not expecting any trouble and explaining myself in an entirely non-confrontational manner, I was shoved and told to "f--- off."
I did nothing in return. If the girl we were looking for had not finally made it out on her own, it is entirely possible that the Sigma Chi members would have started an actual fight.
I understand it is easy to get carried away in the excitement of the night. But I believe this story demonstrates the hostile and dangerous atmosphere created last week - and mine is not by any means the only such story.
I understand those who did not witness the event themselves might easily dismiss what I say as an overreaction. But I believe most of the men on this campus are gentlemen and would feel far different if it had been their girlfriends who had been frightened, angered, and hurt by the Sigma Chi members.
It is my opinion that these infractions were committed by a minority of the participants, and I am not trying to place blame. But we must recognize that a line was fundamentally and undeniably crossed and take immediate steps to correct this.
I suggest the following reforms to ensure future events are what the Sigma Chi members intended this year's to be:
At 9:30 p.m., I encountered a very distraught freshmen lady in front of Niedfeldt Residence Hall. She informed me that her roommate had been kidnapped and was bleeding because she fell while a Sigma Chi member tried to grab her.
The fraternity would not assure the girl her roommate was all right. After attempting in vain to contact campus security, I began to walk toward the Sigma Chi house at the girl's request, meeting up with a group of my friends along the way by chance.
When I arrived at the house, not expecting any trouble and explaining myself in an entirely non-confrontational manner, I was shoved and told to "f--- off."
I did nothing in return. If the girl we were looking for had not finally made it out on her own, it is entirely possible that the Sigma Chi members would have started an actual fight.
I understand it is easy to get carried away in the excitement of the night. But I believe this story demonstrates the hostile and dangerous atmosphere created last week - and mine is not by any means the only such story.
I understand those who did not witness the event themselves might easily dismiss what I say as an overreaction. But I believe most of the men on this campus are gentlemen and would feel far different if it had been their girlfriends who had been frightened, angered, and hurt by the Sigma Chi members.
It is my opinion that these infractions were committed by a minority of the participants, and I am not trying to place blame. But we must recognize that a line was fundamentally and undeniably crossed and take immediate steps to correct this.
I suggest the following reforms to ensure future events are what the Sigma Chi members intended this year's to be:
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