Reorganization of Phi Sig tO begin in Mar.

Representatives of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity's national and local organizations will interview brothers starting March 22, the first key step in reorganizing the University's chapter. Tom Recker, the executive vice-president of the national organization, said last week that a committee chaired by National Director of Member Services Todd Simpson and comprised of national and local officers and alumni will be interviewing all the members of the University's chapter. The committee will also judge each brother's involvement in all of the chapter's programs, involvement in extra-curricular activities and their academic record, Recker said. In addition to assessing each brother, the executive vice-president said the committee will take into account the negative and positive aspects of the chapter's past. The national organization is reorganizing the chapter in response to an alleged hazing incident at the fraternity's Locust Walk house in January. Brothers who do not meet the national organization's standards will be placed on disciplinary alumni status, under which they can no longer act as members of the undergraduate chapter. Local alumnus John Phelps said last week at the fraternity's house that the national fraternity is already reviewing the chapter's history. Phelps added that reorganization is a "serious undertaking" and a "step short of suspension of a local chapter." Because of the seriousness of the situation, Phelps said neither the national organization nor the local alumni would want to "prejudice [the reorganization process] with an expectation." But during a presentation at a Panhellenic Council meeting last Wednesday night, Interfraternity Council President Jim Rettew of said he expects Phi Sig to be "cut down to about half." In addition, he said that there were 200 complaints of hazing incidents last year ranging from very minor to severe. But Phi Sig national officials said that Rettew's statement was not based on any information from their organization. College junior Rettew said last night his estimation of the number of brothers who could be removed from Phi Sig was "totally speculation" and "part of it is opinion, based on PiKA." A number of Pi Kappa Alpha brothers were removed from the University's chapter last year by the national organization for a number of alleged improprieties. Rettew also said his approximation of 200 hazing incidents is a "roundabout number, my rough indication from what I gather from [the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs] and what I heard. Again, it is a very rough estimate." Rettew added that these figures were exaggerated in his presentation to the Panhel "to make it more interesting and to get my point across to Panhel." "This is a gross exaggeration made for dramatic purposes," said Eric Newman, assistant director of OFSA.

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