COLIN PERRY
Editor in Chief
The Fredonia chapter of the Delta Chi fraternity was officially de-recognized by the Student Association at last Thursday’s general assembly meeting after a close vote among student representatives.
The fraternity’s Fredonia chapter, which according to its Facebook page has maintained a presence on campus since 1988 and an official charter since 1991, had faced disciplinary action recently after controversies with its involvement in an annual Easter egg hunt and alleged “incidents” during its recruitment season last Spring, according to club acting vice president and junior political science major Nakib Kabir.
In the Fall, Delta Chi was unable to officially induct new members after what Vice President for Student Affairs Cedric Howard said was a “technical violation” of its previous probation, after an alum held an event in Dunkirk and associated it with the Fredonia chapter name.
“It wasn’t because of hazing, it wasn’t because of any violation of things that happened, it was simply because something was done under their name and the way the probation was written, that if they did anything off campus, anything off campus, that’s a violation,” Howard said. (Editor’s Note: All direct quotes in this article have been obtained from an audio recording of the general assembly meeting.)
Throughout the meeting, Kabir and Delta Chi’s alumni relations officer Alexander Czechowski mentioned on several occasions the group’s fundraising prowess and large amount of community service hours earned. But they also faced questions about the nature of some of the group’s events, namely its annual Miss Delta Chi event referred to throughout the meeting as both a beauty pageant and a talent show.
“Miss Delta Chi, moreso than anything, is a fundraiser,” Kabir said. “Last year, at Fredonia Delta Chi, we raised about $1,400 … That is an event that we hold near and dear to our hearts.”
Much of the meeting was devoted to discussing Delta Chi’s reputation on campus. Bridget Doyle, who previously served as chair of community relations for SA, mentioned that she had received numerous complaints over her tenure regarding the group’s conduct on campus and in the community. Later in the meeting, Doyle also said that “there are a lot of women on this campus who feel that your fraternity is notorious for a certain type of violence.”
Kabir responded to Doyle that the group was looking to hold workshops with STEPS to address those concerns specifically; more generally, the group had also implemented a new judicial system in partnership with Howard’s office where members would be punished (up to expulsion from the fraternity) for conduct-related and other types of infractions.
After nearly a full hour and a half of discussion, student representatives voted on Delta Chi’s recognition status. A tally of 10 votes in the group’s favor versus 9 opposed was initially announced, giving cause for celebration to many in the room; however, this would be premature.
Speaker of the Student Association Nathaniel Clark quickly reversed course and announced that the group was required to receive a two-thirds majority vote after failing to be recognized by the Rules Committee at its meeting the Monday prior. After failing to obtain that majority, the Fredonia chapter of Delta Chi was officially de-recognized by SA, barring them from recruiting, holding events or maintaining an official presence as a club on the Fredonia campus.
Delta Chi did not return requests for comment.