OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20040301/WLURG39_RTP_20040301_001.2.txt 41373.75: .955: .;/. M6 mm: c. z. I crease in complaints. “Last year I think I got \l(/Asrm\1GT<)GN AND'iE’E UNIVERSHY , ll}€StM6l€7lt voice of Washington and Lee Univenitysince I 897 /05 , 2: VOLUME Cllll,eNo.W MONDAY,MARCH 1,2004 PHI Two fraternities cleared, two others still under investigation BY PATRICIA BALLANTYNE SENIOR STAFF WRITER Two pledgeship investigations are com- plete, ending in cleared charges. But two more are pending. According to IFC advisor Matt Jacobs, the abundance of investigations comes from an in- three phone calls concerning pledgeship and hazing,” said Jacobs. “This year on a given day I have four to six.” Dean Dawn Watkins said that a vague, anonymous tip would not produce an investi- gation. In fact, she would respond to anony- mous emails by promising confidentiality, ask- ing for specifics and stating that nothing can be done until the unsubstantiated claim is clarified. So no outside people should be able to bring an end to a fratemity’s pledgeship by a devious, general suggestion. Specific phone calls and visits to Jacobs and the Deans offices, however, cannot be ig- nored. “If something lands on our desk, there’s a responsibility to act,” said Watkins. “We’re not seeking anything.” Cleared. and Chi Psi have been cleared of any pledgeship violations regarding sleep deprivation. Their pledgeships may resume. V I deciding to investigate. “They don’t update you on the progress,” said Higgins. “They might try to have more understanding'on how hard the process is on the people responsible.” Fiji’s investigation lasted longer be- cause of February break, which created ad- ditional problems with their nationals be- cause of a March 1 deadline for alcohol forms. to comment, but he had to respect national rules of confidentiality. Security must talk to all of the pledges and the house leadership during an investi- gation. . Therefore, details and the number of in- vestigations have led to longer suspensions of pledgeship. According to Jacobs, Mock Convention also took time away from investigations. “We’re moving pretty fast,” said Watkins. “When there’s a fast turnaround case on the investigation, it’s because of the house’s cooperation.” A suspension does not represent a Chi Psi active Brooks Batcheller wanted ‘ I_FC President Brian Castleberry also said that “security is doing its typical surveillance. lt’s not like they’re driving around looking at off campus houses at night.” No one can point to a direct reason for the considerable number of complaints. “Maybe the freshmen are closer to their par- ents, so they’re more aware of what’s going on,” said Castleberry. “Maybe complaints are being turned in because people think there’s a higher prob- ability they will be acted on than in years past.” Castleberry admits that these complaints do not reveal an increase in pledgeship activities from past years. “A lot of houses have trimmed back,” he said. The Fiji and Chi Psi complaints proved unsup- ported, so their pledgeships have resumed. Three unrelated complaints regarding sleep deprivation in the Fiji pledge class reached the University, according to Fiji active Brian Higgins. “People reported our pledges getting tired, and no complaint came from a parent,” said Higgins, who added, “sleep deprivation can be a tricky thing.” Higgins understands the reasons for inves- tigation. “They had to do it,” he said. He also credited University Security with doing a good, straightforward job, but he wished the Uni- versity would have spoken with ‘him before fraternity’s guilt. “It’s just a safety is- sue,” said Jacobs. “Being under investigation is not a conviction of anything,” said Watkins. “It is as much in the best interest of the house as it is in the interest of any fresh- men. “Our number one concern is safety, but our number two priority is keeping the Greek system from being in jeopardy.” Admissions organizes Open Houses for minorities in attempt to increase interest in Washington and Lee BY ERIN JULIUS NEWS EDITOR Washington and Lee’s Admissions office hosted an open house this weekend. The open house allowed a number of prospective interested mi- nority students to come visit W&L, meet with professors and get a feel for campus life. Admissions holds a series of Open Houses each year for under—represented popula- tions. This year, Washington and Lee hosted three open houses. Erin Hutchinson, the Coordi- nator of Minority Relations, and Jonathan Webster, the As- sociate Dean of Admissions, defined under-represented populations as American, eth- nic and racial minorities. Reli- gious minorities can also fall under this category. Open Houses are not exclu- sive to minority groups, said Webster, because they have many parallels to events such as the Honor Scholarship week- end. The Open Houses are im- portant to minority recruitment because it gets them “here on campus, to find out what W&L is all about,” and shows that, “everyone is welcoming, open and talkative,” said Hutchinson. I “W&L sells itself,” said Webster. According to Hutchinson, the students who attend Open Houses are interested in learn- ing about what General Lee did after the Civil War. He was “in- strumental in reaching beyond the South to enroll,” she said, “they go home feeling less ap- prehensive.” Open Houses help Admis- sions address diversity issues. “We want to discuss diversity,” said Webster. According to Hutchinson, all of the students who attend the Open Houses know very well why they’re coming to campus. “We tell them we‘re going to address diversity,” she said, “and make sure they have experiences here that ad- dress those issues. . .and we ask them for their concerns about diversity at Washington and Lee.” This weekend’s Open House included a brunch with Professors of Departments the students expressed interest in, a session in which Nabors rep- resentatives discussed service at Washington and Lee, a cam- pus tour, a session in which IFC and Panhel representatives dis- . cussed Greek life, concerts, and - a diversity panel. Today, the students will at- tend classes of their choosing. ~ sity panels are a forum for.-pro. - Hutchinson said the diver- spective students to talk with current Washington and Lee students, “they can voice their opinions and see if precon- ceived ideas are on target,” she said. The purpose of Open Houses is, “not to pull the wool over anyonefs eyes about W&L,” Hutchinson said. The Minority Student As- sociation and Club Asia helped to organize social events for the Open House weekend. When actually making Ad- missions decisions, race may be one of many factors. Race helps in “choosing among equals,” said Webster, “and the average admitted mi- nority candidate has creden- tials that are right on.” According to Webster, the Admissions Office is following through on goals set by the Board. The Board set in place a 5-year plan to increase the representation of American, ra- cial and ethnic groups to a number that approximates the mean of rural, national arts colleges. The Admissions Of- COMP.‘ Adrnissionsirwitedmmoiitysmdentstocarnpusthisweekendtoleammore thiswed