The University of Nebraska-Lincoln suspended Sigma Chi fraternity last week after court documents detailed a series of alleged hazing incidents, including one in which a stripper sodomized a fraternity pledge.
Based on a search of the fraternity’s Web site database, no Columbus residents are current members, but several alumni are listed.
Telegram reporters asked some of them what they thought of the allegations.
Columbus businessman Mike Rambour said he was saddened by the media accounts of hazing accusations against his old fraternity house.
“It’s a travesty ... a sad day that has tainted all the good things the fraternity has done over the years,’’ said Rambour, an active member of the frat house from 1980-84 and now vice president of a Columbus realty and property management firm.
Rambour said nothing anywhere near approaching the current hazing accusations went on during his years at the fraternity. Hazing in the 1980s was confined to having pledges get up early on Saturday mornings and clean the fraternity house, he said.
“I’ve been shocked by the newspaper accounts,’’ said Rambour, who has not been an active alumni member of the house. “Incidents like that shouldn’t go on anywhere.”
Rambour said the hazing allegations come at a particularly bad time with the chapter launching a $2 million fundraising campaign to modernize the fraternity house.
“What a horrible time for something like this to come up,’’ he said.
Sigma Chi alumni Denny Bargen pledged with the fraternity in 1961. He graduated in 1965 and has remained an active alumni ever since. Bargen’s three sons each pledged with Sigma Chi.
“My experience with Sigma Chi and living in the house is that I formed many everlasting relationships with people that I’ve been in contact with ever since,” the elder Bargen said. “We certainly had initiations when I pledged, but they amounted to shining shoes, doing forced push ups, being yelled at or occasionally being rolled out of bed late at night to run around the campus.
“This case and other cases like it in the past serve to ruin things for many people, and if these allegations prove to be true ” all I can say is I’m disgusted and will be very disappointed if these allegations are proven.”
Bargen said his oldest son, Jeff, who died as a result of cystic fibrosis in 2002 pledged to Sigma Chi in 1990.
“The fraternity made great accommodations for Jeff when he pledged,” Bargen said. “Jeff’s pledge father made sure he had the study materials he needed for the academic part of the initiation.
“I picked him up from the medical center and took him to Lincoln where he stayed in the student health center so he was able to go through the initiation with his 24 pledge brothers. They really pushed for him to be there. That was all about unity, and it’s those kinds of things that make me proud to be a Sigma Chi.”
Bargen’s other sons, Ryan and Dirk, also pledged with the fraternity. Dirk chose not to continue with the organization but Ryan is still an active alumni.
Ryan Bargen pledged with Sigma Chi in 1993 and was active in the fraternity until 1995.
“I read the story and I don’t know what they were doing there. It seems pretty lame to me,” Ryan Bargen said. “I think hazing is always going to be a part of joining any fraternity but I don’t think what they did was right. I’m not sure what they did there.”
Bargen said when he pledged with the fraternity he considered the hazing activity as ritual done for the purpose of character building.
“It’s like in the military. First, they break you down, and then they build you up,” Bargen. “I can’t talk about the things I had to do. They were hard, but there was nothing degrading.
“I can’t defend what the newspaper story says happened, if it did happen.”
Fraternity members cited for both hazing and procuring alcohol for a minor were: Michael Classen, 22; James Glover, 19; and Kyle Humphrey, 22. Cited for hazing only: Jonathan Knudsen, 21; and Keegan Anderson, 20. Cited for procuring alcohol only: Samuel Bates, 19; Ian Dimka, 21; and Chris Wozniak, 22.
Hazing is punishable by a maximum six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. All eight fraternity members are due in court May 15.
Court documents show former pledges reported paying $200 each for a “social fund” that was used to buy alcohol, including for underage fraternity members. Police found evidence of the fund in the house, including a bank statement addressed to the Sigma Chi Social Fund.
Police also found large quantities of alcohol in the house. Alcohol is forbidden on the UNL campus.
Former frat members react to allegations
Staff and wire reports
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 - 09:43:12 am CDT
Leave a Comment
All posts are subject to our Terms
and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Lori
Apr 27, 2009 12:11 PM
This is funny! I was in college in the 80's and believe me the hazing was more than the pledges cleaning house while tired! That's funny!socialoutkasts
Apr 27, 2009 1:16 PM
I don't get it. Why would you want to be in a fraternity. Don't have enough self-esteem of your own, you need a group of people feeling as left out as you, to drink with and abuse you! Its a bit contradicting they want to be your best bud but first they have to do horrible degrading things to you. But I would like to know how many Sigma Chi boys went off to the military after college. And then I would like to hear them comment on how much the same they are. Right onRealist II
Apr 27, 2009 2:08 PM
Realist-One of the reasons they join is to be part of a social group in such a massive and intimidating environment. The Greek System has produced hugely successful results throughout the nation. This is a terrible act, unfortunately it paints every fraternity with the same brush,
As you like to do, the media loves to hate.
BTW, colleges is spelled with two L's.
Sig
Apr 27, 2009 2:09 PM
Heres just a short list of famous Sigs, Grover Cleveland, Brad Pitt, John Wayne, Barry Goldwater, David Letterman, and many,many more. If you think that these are the type of low self-esteem people then you would be wrong about what Sigma Chi stands for. Its a case of a few kids doing very wrong things and then having it reflect on the group as a whole. Fact, kids in college drink, reguardless if they are living in Able dorms or in a fraternity. I ask all of the nay sayers, do you know what kind of fundraising these fraternities do and the the good things that they do for their communities? I would guess not, do a little bit of research about the good that they do then you will be able to make an educated comment not just based on one article in the paper.Fraternity Member 2000-2003
Apr 27, 2009 2:56 PM
My college experience consisted of living in the dorms my first two years, off campus the next year and my final year was in a fraternity. I was anti-fraternity at first, claiming some of the sterio types that the greek system typically gets hit with. As it turns out, of all the living arangements, being in the fraternity was by far the most rewarding.
We didn't get together because we were social outcasts or had low self-asteem. We were a group of guys just out of highschool and most away from home with similar interests in life.
Did we have parties??? Yes we did. Do non fraternity students have parties? They do just as much, if not more.
We also helped each other to get through tough times and tough classes. In addition to this, as a group we had philanthropies which were performed specifically to help those not as fortunate. Non of this money was kept in the house, everything was donated.
My time in the fraternity is one of my most valued experiences in life and I wish those of you who choose to voice an opinion to know what you are talking about prior to doing so.
P.S. The greek system at UNL is nothing like it was in the 80's or even early 90's. Drinking and hazing is more of a rarity because of the strict consequences. Most initiation requirements now consist of fixing up the house and learning house/greek history. (there are still the occasional idiot(s) though)
UNL greek alum
Apr 27, 2009 4:41 PM
I take exception to Ryan Bargen saying "I think hazing is always going to be a part of joining any fraternity". My cousin was a member of Sigma Chi, in fact, right around the time that Ryan was there. It was well known at that time about the level of their hazing (although it was nothing to the extent of their recent charges). My cousin even told me, right after their hell week, not to join the house because of what he went through. I did rush Sigma Chi but decided to pledge another house that guaranteed there would be no hazing of any kind. And after 5 years of school, at no point was I ever forced to drink anything (although I did that anyways), I was never yelled at, never broke down so they could build me back up again. Good grief, it's a fraternity, not the military!
Peace
Apr 27, 2009 6:16 PM
Should they "break" the dorms and off campus living when a few stupid kids do dumb things? This is terrible, but the media and many of you are making blanket statements encompassing the entire Greek System.
Its the same old statements from you all who have not been part of the Greek system: "just a party house", "don't have enough self-esteem", etc. You truely don't know what the Greek System stands for, rather make assumptions or listen to the media.
Most Fraternities and Sororities have members with an overall GPA better than the rest of the campus. Many are involved in the student government, clubs, and campus activities. And finally, they are involved in many types of philanthropy.
A critical observer, would agree that most Greeks (not all) are more well rounded individuals come graduation compared to the average population.
Again, this was a few stupid young kids, doing dumb things. And by no means is this the true reality of the vast majority of the Greeks at UNL.
Sig
Apr 27, 2009 6:18 PM
UNL alum, the thing you joined was a fancy dorm not a fraternity, you could of saved a lot of money and stayed @ Sandoz if you get what I'm saying.To sig
Apr 28, 2009 7:47 AM
It is people like you that have the wrong attitude and give the whole greek system a bad rap.jj
Apr 28, 2009 8:55 AM
Realist would be real happy in his own little socialist utopia. Every time he pounds on his keyboard he wants to take someone elses fun away. Obviously this fraternity has some bad apples that went over the top but they can be dealt with without stopping the fun for everyone.myownperson
Apr 28, 2009 9:49 AM
The so-called Greek System is a way to define class distinctions. He is simply another way to separate the Brahmins for the Untouchables. Frat's and Sororities are designed to be exclusive enclave's of the elite. Yes they provide so value but certainly not enough to justify the waste of tax money.During the Vietnam war Fraternities and soroities were looked down upon. The were considered, rightly or wrongly, cesspools for the Chicken Hawks (people who "support the Vietnam war" but took their deferments). In addition they were way too oriented for caucasian students.
Sadly they have returned. They may not be the havens of racism and social exclusivity they once were but they still serve littly educational function.
This is ridiculous
Apr 28, 2009 1:41 PM
OK, so there's some hazing. Big deal. There is NOTHING that goes on in these fraternities and their parties that is any different from any college party. Oh, frats have drugs and beer and sex....jeez, so does EVERY OTHER COLLEGE PARTY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. Hell, the DORMS have crazier stuff that goes on. If you don't want to go through hazing, don't pledge. But the sheer fact that Fraternities and Sororities get stereotyped as the only institutions on a college campus where this stuff goes on is completely naive and ridiculous.
tiff
Apr 28, 2009 2:54 PM
I know someone who decided to enroll in the Greek system at UNL and then received a phone call at 2 am the second night of Rush Week telling her she was not invited back and none of them wanted her. This despite a high ACT, 4.0 high school GPA and long list of honors, leadership and service - not to mention just being an all-around nice person. Yeah, Greek life is pretty great!Former UNL Greek
Apr 28, 2009 2:58 PM
myownperson...What are you talking about when you refer to waste of tax money? No tax payer money is going into the greek system. Members pay dues and alumni donate money. Thats how the houses are open.I joined a fraternity in college because my sister and brother in law had good experiences in the greek system and I wanted to be able to meet some new people and be involved on campus. Its funny how some people have no real expereince with the Greek system, but feel free to put it down. The Fraternities do a lot of good for the community that a lot of other student organizations don't. In my fraternity we volunteered at an elementry school for at risk students. He had philanthropies where we raised money for the elementry school and families that have lost loved ones at war. Ask those people how they feel about the Greek system. Yeah we had parties, but so does every other college student. Next time maybe people should educate themselves on the Greek System before they start casting stones.
UNL greek alum
Apr 28, 2009 4:28 PM
To Sig...No, I joined a real fraternity with walls, doors, parties, philanthrophy, and get this...no sodomy. I don't particularly remember it being a "fancy" dorm either, although the cockroaches offered a certain ambiance I suppose.I really don't know why people like Sig or Bargen from the story think that you have to have hazing to be a fraternity. That just doesn't make sense to me. It's that mentality that gives the entire Greek system a bad name...and that's a shame, because the Greek system is a great thing and doesn't deserve this.
But I will tell you this Sig. If my choice is sodomy from a stripper or living in a "fancy" dorm room like Sandoz, then give me Sandoz any day. And if you have any issue with that, then that says more about you than me I would think.
Sig, I know you have a really high opinion of yourself (that's what makes it so easy for you to talk down to others on this board and anywhere else you go), but my advice would be to place your efforts on cleaning up your chapter house and to stop knocking other Greeks (and those in dorms as well). If there's any house right now that could use the support, it's the Sig Chi's.
Sig
Apr 28, 2009 5:47 PM
I'm by no means sticking up for what those idots did @ the Sigma Chi house. I was just stating my opinion that some "hazing" has merit. I was never put in a situation that I felt uncomfortable with, or that didn't serve a purpose. When I got yelled at, it was my own wrongdoings that caused it. It was a case of handle my business in class and around the house and things went smoothly, but if pledges started skipping class and ignoring pledge duties and then you heard about it loud and clear. I apologize for making a joke about your fraternity, I have no idea what it was like. I'm just tired of people that don't have clue, commenting on my fraternity. If getting your butt ripped for screwing up is hazing then I do denfend some hazing. I guess that everybody is different, I kind of enjoyed the challenge of getting through some challenging situations to gain the respect of my future brothers. In Hochabber
Apr 28, 2009 6:06 PM
Never has the term "frat rat" been held up so honorably. Right down to the local alum, joining in to hint that this was an aberration. Funny!Out of State Greek
Apr 28, 2009 9:27 PM
The Greek System serves a more than "an excuse to drink and break rules". I am on the sorority side, but have many friends in fraternities. As stated on the UNL Greek Affairs website: the Greek system on UNL "stresses academic success and personal development" and "Greeks exceed the grade point averages of their peers on this campus and nationally."
(http://www.unl.edu/greek/whygreek.shtml)
Check any other college with Greeks and you'll see the same thing.
Andrea
Apr 28, 2009 11:13 PM
I see both sides of the coin in this one. I understand that many Greek organizations have a lot to offer the community, and I feel bad for the good/contributing houses on campus that are given a bad name in light of situations like these. I also understand that not all of the Sigma Chis are morons like the ones in this situation; a few bad apples can make the whole tree rotten. On the other side, in my experience I have noticed that many fraternity and sorority members exhibit some sort of entitlement. I'm really not sure where this comes from. Especially in this situation, if the allegations are true, what gives these 19-21 year old "tough guys" the right to let one of their "BROTHERS" get sodomized in front of an entire party? It really makes the whole fraternity look like backwoods freaks, and really the entire University/state of Nebraska as this story has gone national.In my opinion, if the hazing allegations are true, which I am guessing that they are, some disciplinary action needs to be taken, but I don't think the house should be kicked off campus. However if the sexual assault allegations prove true I think UNL should basically kick EX's a*!?s to the curb. There would be absolutely no tolerance for that had it been a woman who was sodomized, and the same should go for a man.
Print This Story
Email This Story
They should all be abolished and get down to the real reason for college. Getting an education, not a party house for frat members!