14 CommentsIn the past few days, Bwog has received many tips and comments about the hazing scandal within Columbia’s Greek community. We reached out to IGC, Student Affairs, students, etc. for more detailed information, especially after news broke on Wednesday night. Spec got confirmation that some fraternity was losing their charter from the Inter-Greek Council Judicial Board, but had to go outside of Columbia, contacting a national ZBT official, to confirm that it was ZBT.
Our attempts to learn more about the situation have led to a series of roadblocks and “no comments.” A forwarded email sent to Bwog last night gave us a collective “ohhhhhh.” The email, sent Thursday, shows that the IGC has been warning leaders of the Greek community to avoid members of ZBT and the media. The full email:
Hello fellow Greek Community Leaders:
As I’m sure many of you are aware, yesterday the Columbia Daily Spectator made the news public that one of our chapters was involved in a hazing incident that may lead to its removal from campus. The release of this information has caused and will continue to cause heavy scrutiny to fall upon the individual chapter and our entire Greek Community here at Columbia. In an effort to minimize the damage that is arising/will arise, the IGC is asking that no members of your organizations SPEAK OR GIVE COMMENT TO ANY MEDIA/NEWS OUTLET. All comments regarding this event will come from IGC through me. Please inform your members that if they receive any inquiries at all regarding this situation, to forward them to you and your respective council presidents. I want to remind you all that it is extremely important to live up to the community standards we have set for ourselves and continue to remind the Columbia community of the great qualities of our organizations by putting ourselves in the best light possible.
Additionally, if ANY member of ZBT approaches you in any sort of intimidating/threatening fashion, or attempts to forcefully extract information about this episode from you, please contact your council presidents IMMEDIATELY.
Finally, it is important that we stick together through this difficult time. Your council presidents are always available for you should you need them—please do not hesitate to reach out to them if necessary.
[All formatting emphasis from original email]
As a post on IvyGate earlier today also indicates, the mentality seems to be that if nobody talks about it, the scandal will blow over and everybody will forget about it…
This explains why nobody has been answering our e-mails.
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14 Comments
@Anonymous Do we know which pledge squealed?
@Former Altar Boy I seem to recall the Catholic Church trying something like this a few years back. It worked out pretty well for them.
@Anonymous @GDI: Don’t think too much
@Anon “Let’s Play the Quiet Game!”…Bwog is such a pathetic publication. Could you make your biases any more apparent? Really some dignified reporting/journalism going on at the Blue and White..laughable..
@Here's a thought Maybe your anti-Greek bias makes Greeks not so inclined to speak with you… morons.
@"anti-Greek bias" @Here’s a thought:
Did someone call the WAAAAAMBULANCE?
Seriously, “anti-Greek bias”? WAAAAAA
@Anon You’re such a GDI
@Who says Let’s play the quiet game? BWOG is full losers who take pleasure in the pain of others. Get back to the library, nerds!
@You forgot his name Jonathan Dean, Director of IGC Public Relations and Marketing
@GDI it’s ridiculous how defensive and insular the greek community is. they try to project this image of virtue and community and “philanthropy” all the time, but you get the sense that they nervously recognize (as the rest of us so-called GDIs long have) how much of that image is complete bullshit, and how much corresponding bullshit is required to shield their privileged social bastions from the rightful resentment of people on the outside.
@Dear Bwog You’re as hungry for Greek drama as Columbia students are for something to protest about. Find a new toy to chew on.
@The Dark Hand it is because SPECBWOG is trying to distract you from the terrible truth
@LOL Bwog is hungry for greek drama, breaks into the classics archives one night…
@Next step for bwog Send reporters and 24/7 camp and just ask questions over and over, see this example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77PymmxMLJM