College Media Network - Search the largest news resource for college students by college students Jobs and internships for students -

The Daily Aztec > City

Drugs found in fraternity

By Kristina Blake, Senior Staff Writer

|

Published: Monday, September 14, 2009

Updated: Monday, September 14, 2009

City

Lindsey Martin, Assistant Photo Editor

Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity has been expelled from San Diego State.

Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity has been expelled from San Diego State.


In agreement with SDSU President Stephen L. Weber, SDSU Vice President for Student Affairs, James R. Kitchen, decided to expel the chapter from the campus community following a Chapter Review Panel hearing conducted by Student Affairs on Aug. 20.


The fraternity had been placed on interim suspension pending the outcome of the hearing by Kitchen after the SDSU Police Department searched a house on Lindo Paseo Drive on April 17 yielded a large quantity of illegal drugs and implicated Sigma Alpha Mu members in drug sales. The fraternity was required to cease all activities and maintain all chapter-related facilities alcohol and drug-free during the interim suspension. Still, on June 10, another police search of an apartment in the Sigma Alpha Mu section of Fraternity Row found illegal drugs and evidence of drug sales.


Between the two incidents, five people were arrested: three current students, one former student and one non-student.


SDSU Director of Media Relations and New Media, Greg Block, said that the university has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal substances and activities.


“I think the message is that there’s no place for these types of activities on campus,” Block said. “This is a place where we want students to feel safe coming to school. We want students to learn and strive and grow and enjoy being in a college atmosphere and there’s no place in our college atmosphere for illegal drugs.”


Block added that the two recent incidents were not the first for the fraternity. In fact, he said that the fraternity has a history of policy violations for more than a year. Another of its violations is serving alcohol to minors. Additionally, during Operation Sudden Fall, the campus drug bust in the spring of 2008, the university placed Sigma Alpha Mu on interim suspension and later lifted it.


Block said that the expulsion isn’t directly related to Operation Sudden Fall and compared the two events to “apples and oranges.”


“Each incident is reviewed on its own merits over the course of time and disciplinary actions, if they need to be taken, are taken for each incident,” Block said. “These latest, because it was involving the dealing of illegal narcotics, took it to a whole nother level and that’s just not something that’s tolerated on campus.”


Tyler Taylor, who became the president of Sigma Alpha Mu in the summer, said that the university’s decision was unexpected.


“It’s shocking. It’s like you’ve been devoted to something for so long and then it’s gone,” Taylor, an international business senior, said. “It’s like losing a big part of your life; and then, afterwards, you’re wondering what you’re going to be doing next.”


Taylor said the decision was fair, but he believes the punishment was too harsh. The expulsion revokes recognition of the fraternity on campus as an organization for at least four years. The national fraternity can apply for reinstatement after the end of the Spring 2013 semester.


While no one was available for comment at the fraternity headquarters, Taylor said he believes they will apply to be reinstated in the future. The chapter has already filed an appeal for a lesser punishment.


He said that it seems like the greek community is continually blamed for wrongdoings.
“It’s not just the Greeks; (drugs are) everywhere,” Taylor said. “I hate to say this, but it’s college.”


Block agreed that some may “point a finger at the Greek system,” but argues they should not.


“This should not be seen as an indictment of the Greek system. It’s an unfortunate situation that’s happened. It’s not something that we like to do or that we take lightly, but it is something that would happen again if others choose to engage in these types of activities,” Block said. “There are a lot of good people in the Greek system and fraternities and sororities do a lot of good things for our campus and for our community. I think that should be understood and people should remember that.”

Recommended: Articles that may interest you

19 comments

Gnarled
Wed Nov 4 2009 08:46
Im tired of reading about these randoms try to paint us in a bad light- these spectators in college and life.

People who have nothing better to do than point a finger at our unfortunate moment. I know that perhaps your own personal frustrations with your underdeveloped personality and charisma have caused you great anguish over the years; you have probably stayed up many a late night alone, forcing yourself to lie to your friend (yes singular)and family back home about how much fun you were having at school, but please don't embarrass sdsu or yourselves any further by making uneducated remarks about an organization you know little or nothing about.

The fact is that Sammys is/was a unique establishment here at sdsu, an extremely diverse group of men always welcoming to new members from all walks. Yes we're a fraternity, a social one at that, we do party and we do it well, but like most college parties (i'll explain based on the high probablity you've never been) there is social drinking and in rare occurrences you may find other vices. I'm not advocating the use of illegal substances, but an organization of 100's has to pay for the actions of ONE rogue who may have been peddling pot?

It doesn't sound exactly fair, we've never had any major problems at our home but examples need to be made and removing a large house and displacing a large group of students is the unfortunate means to an end, it sucks. The whole reason behind FRAT ROW is so that the greek system could have places to get active without disrupting the lives of students who students could not party that particular weekend. Now your taking a highly organized group students who socialize regularly and relocating them around san diego neighborhoods, now at a time when relations with the old folk nearby haven't been the best?

If you twits are right and we are 'loser meatheads', then why not keep all the meatheads confined to one area? would u like them moving in next door, possibly disrupting your online dates? take ur chances with the next group of meatheads who move in?. At least were cooperative with police, volunteer at Alzheimers homes, have high turnouts at other houses community service projects and stay away from goobers such as yourselves. If these kids are deadbeats ( i assure you they aren't) then the police can closely monitor them all in their favorite meeting place maybe even find the real distributors of these drugs

please don't propagate that sammys is like any stereotypical house your assuming and looking like asses, if you have nothing productive to say i would really appreciate a little common courtesy, so please go back to your world of war craft and leave the rest of the people on the internet alone, they don't care about your negative rhetoric and i truly and whole heartedly hope u eventually get a life... and think before u speak

Proud to be a Sammy
Sat Sep 19 2009 17:50
Sammys has done countless work for sdsu and this is how we get repaid. they never even mention the specifics because they know the evidence is so rediculously small to expell a chapter from campus. Its such a joke that because they are so sad that playboy rated them the 3rd best party school they have to highly publicize a stupid incident to make it look like they are regulating and all the students would tell you they are just hurting the situation, not changing anything, killing the greek system, and negatively affecting the lives of many. EVER LASTING EVER FAITHFUL
Claire
Sat Sep 19 2009 05:23
People have such a stigmatism towards people in the Greek system. I really have a serious question for those that are talking about snotty rich kids, meatheads, etc...Why the heck are you reading rowdope? Are you sticking around to make fun of people in the Greek system?

If so, you should really get a life.

It's annoying when people have this stigmatism and make these assumptions. Yeah of course there are kids that come from more affluent families and are in a higher income bracket, but that's not all that makes up the system. And I'm not just talking about SDSU but ALL schools across the nation. I've personally seen some of my fellow sorority sisters have a hard time trying to make dues and working extremely hard. As for the meatheads, I think there are more meatheads OUT of the greek system, rather within. Most meatheads don't have the capability to be able to withstand being in a frat.

And as for the incident Sammy's...when anyone uses the term "illegal" drugs, pot is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. I hope that the University understands that in all campuses across the nation, drugs are a common thing, let alone pot. You should see the amount of the people that come around during mid-terms and finals. Prescription drugs is equally as bad and I know they look the other way for that. The school expelled them mainly cause the cops were involved and this was highly publicized. I'm sure they needed to "send" a message. Yeah, go through your damn dorms and I'm sure you'll gather MUCH MORE than a stupid 2 pounds worth of pot.

Ian Moore DAMN Proud to be a SAMMY
Sat Sep 19 2009 00:56
First off...I wanna thank Tyler Taylor for all the work he has done to make Sammys a better place and standing his ground in his remarks, he is a personal friend of mine and I know that he has been making every effort to keep this house in good standing on campus.

Secondly...to "Interesting" a few comments up...you obviously have never been in a fraternity nor would I have ever tried to rush you in to mine. Not all greeks are snot-nosed rich kids with access to daddy's checkbook, in fact many of them are quite the opposite and like myself had to work on our own to pay our dues. Do not try to make an argument based on a stupid myth you made up in your head. A fraternity is like a city, we have a government, rules and expectations, and all of our members come from different walks of life and backgrounds. Some are priveliged while most are quite the contrary. Everyone joins a fraternity for their own reasons, but mostly because they enjoy being around the people in the fraternity more than the other places they checked out. We dont always get along but we are a brotherhood and there isn't a soul in my house that I wouldn't stand up for in any situation.

I honestly think that the way the school goes about all of these situations is completely ridiculous. I myself being a Sammy from the fall semester of my freshman year(Fall 03) to the day I graduated feel that Sammys HAS always been singled out for even the most minor things that went on. It seems no matter how hard we worked (3rd highest GPA on campus, countless community service hours, ran one of the best and most popular philanthropic events that was appreciated by the whole community of SD) it was never good enough for the school to not point a finger at us for the slightest of shortcomings.

Every village has an idiot...I feel that people should be treated individually rather than just assuming the WHOLE house is involved. I can tell you from personal experience that much of the drug use I ever saw go on in all of my years at SDSU was not at frat row, which is where I resided for 3 years, it was in mostly in off campus housing and in places such as campanile and not EVERY person doing them was a Greek member.

Im have a really hard time understanding how a house that has been connected to 2 deaths is able to remain on campus but yet a house who has never even come close to having an incident like that gets kicked off almost immediately for minor offenses. It hurts like hell to hear about our house but remember no matter what we shall always remain "FAST AND FIRM"

Just a Thought
Thu Sep 17 2009 01:27
Does anyone remember when Qualcomm donated $450000 to SDSU just this past month? turns out the Chairman and co-founder of Qualcomm Irwin Jacobs was a former Sigma Alpha Mu member himself. SDSU is really showing their appreciation.
The Incorrect Punishment
Thu Sep 17 2009 01:20
The truth is Sammys was never found with any guns, cocaine, or ecstacy. 2 drug raids yielded close to 2 pounds of marijuana total amongst 5 individuals, none of which were members, and only 2 that lived in the apartment stack around sammys. SDSU is singleing out Sammys and it is wrong. like they think the other frats dont have anyone selling a little weed. other frats caught with large amounts of cocaine BY ACTUAL MEMBERS received lesser punishments (phi si and theta chi and lambda chi). They also failed to mention Sammys has the 3rd best grades on campus, tons of community service hours, really high SOE points. They gave Sammys the same punishment given to Sigma Pi, who killed 2 people, and was caught with cocaine and way more weed. unbelievable
Proud to be a Sammy
Wed Sep 16 2009 22:57
It is expected to see all the jack-ass GDI's take a chance at bashing the Greeks every chance they get. I never came into contact with drugs until I moved into the SDSU dorms... In fact, the fraternity was always 100 times stricter than the dorms or campanile apartments or any pace in SD for that matter. The SDSU administration has shirked it's responsibilities for decades, as evidenced by their sub 10% graduation rate until recently.
I remember in my dorm, that during the last 8 weeks of the spring semester, no less than 30 guys on my floor, the 2nd floor at Olmeca were kicked out by some gustapo movement... The 30th person was the RA of our floor, but you won't find an article about it the Daily Aztec or any high level university involvement.

Now I hear about hard drugs, and deaths of sorority bunnies, that really sucks... Anyways my many best phucking ever years with the Sammies at State and prepared me to have an open mind and allowed me to take a crap SDSU bachelor's degree and get me to a nice VP job with a multi-billion dollar international tech company and keep it, and I don't work with a single Sammy alumni, but you bet I hired a recent sammy grad years ago, when I needed someone to get a job done. Go ahead you loner GDI's, try and get an interview or a break in the lost decade of jobs for college graduates, you are at a huge disadvantage in experience, riddled with hate and don't understand how to get along with people... and BTW your college years probably did suck and and have a nice life of regret. Long Live the Sammies... HOOT!!! and I know people from my era, like our man MARSHALL FAULK (who is tring to turn the Aztecs back into a household name) who is old school and cool is the type of of success that while not a part of the greek system, used to hang out with the Sammies, not for drugs and not for money or cause he thought we were rich kids.. it cause in college, you used to stay up all night, dance your face off and get some girl completely naked...

Your name
Wed Sep 16 2009 22:51
It is expected to see all the jack-ass GDI's take a hance at bashing he Greeks every chance they get. I never came ino contact with drugs until I moved into the SDSU dorms... In fact, the fraternity was always 100 times stricter than the dorms or campanile apartments or any pace in SD for that matter. The SDSU administration has shirked it's responsibilities for decades, as evidenced by their sub 10% graduation rate until recently.

I remember in my dorm, that during the last 8 weeks of the spring semester, no less than 30 guys on my floor, the 2nd floor at Olmeca were kicked out by some gustapo movement... The 30th person was the RA of our floor, but you won't fin an article about it the Daily Aztec or any high level university involvement.

Now I hear about hard drugs, and deaths of sorority bunnies, that really sucks... Anyways my many best phucking ever years with the Sammies at State prepared me to have an open mind and allowed me to take a crap SDSU bachelor's degree and get me to a nice VP job with a multi-billion dollar international tech company and keep it, and I don't work with a single Sammy alumni, but you bet I hired a recent sammy grad years ago, when I needed someone to get a job done. Go ahead you loner GDI's, try and get an interview or a break in the lost decade of jobs for college graduates, you are at a huge disadvantage in experience, riddled with hate and don't understand how to get along with people... and BTW your college years probably did suck and and have a nice life of regret. Long Live the Sammies... HOOT!!! and I know people from my era, lour man MARSHLL FAULK who is old school and cool is the type of of success that while not a part of the greek system, used to hang out with the Sammies...

Griff
Wed Sep 16 2009 03:27
Andrew, while that might hold water when talking about some Frats in the glory days, that is so far from being a correct statement... I am an alumni of the Sigma Alpha Mu (fall 1998) house, and while I am upset to hear of their expulsion, for every "loser meathead" that join a house you have 3 or 4 great people. I saw more drugs at State over at the Campinelle apartments than I ever saw at ANY frat house.

In response to the comment about non-members living at the house: This is a product of the system that SDSU forced upon fraternity members. I joined before the new greek row was out of planning, lived through the construction, and lived there for my senior year. The SDSU Foundation (which was in charge of managing the property) was very clear to our house that if we were not able to fill every apartment (regardless of membership in the house) they would fill it themselves... The houses are not aloud to simply adjust everyone else's rent to make-up for a short-fall in rent and therefore end up with men that might not be up "to par". And before you mention that it is our choice to reside there please note that SDSU had made sure that no new frat houses could be built and actually rezoned the area so that was enforced by the city as well.

Make no mistake, I don't defend what happened at the house, but I do know (after living through several similar situations while I was there) that you rarely get the whole truth reported in the Tribune or the Aztec! What I do think is somewhat simple-minded is for people to make derogatory statements of 60+ actives and the 100's of alumni that came before them based upon a cursory article implicated 4 or 5 people!

Steve
Tue Sep 15 2009 19:32
dear quaid
You are an idiot think about it, if a member in a fraternity is living with someone who is dealing drugs they can say all they want to them but they cant kick them out they sign a lease. Do you expect the fraternity member to rat the guy out. In adition to that I did some reasearch and foudn out that Sigma Alpha Mu got a harsher punishment than Phi Kappa Psi who dealt cocaine and theta chi who was the drug leader in sudden fall. In addition to that what about the sorority member in alpha phi who died a couple years back is there no punisment for sororities who have members that die because of an overdose.
Your name
Tue Sep 15 2009 19:02
every frat has there own drug economy within the frat to keep them going
quaid
Tue Sep 15 2009 19:00
wait, you mean to tell me that the drug dealers living there weren't even in the frat? didn't it occur to the frat guys to maybe say something if a freaking drug dealer is living with them?
Your name
Tue Sep 15 2009 18:23
what sux most is that not one of the people that got in trouble and or arrested were in sigma alpha mu fraternity thats where the school is wrong to punish this frat... a person can live with other members of a frat and not be a member of the frat.. even at state there are random people in frat row living there but not participating in any frat life activites. san diego state is going downhill pretty soon there is not gonna be a greek system around to keep the school alive.
Goose
Tue Sep 15 2009 10:09
I am not surprise. The point is there are consequences for every mistakes. Few things.... many things... it doesn't matter how many things. I guess some of the Fraternities didn't learn a single thing from the drug bust. Statistically the SDSU community doesn't see the numbers for how many community service or achievements of some these alleged Fraternities. BUT seeing the news and Daily Aztec, the community saw numbers and amounts of drugs involved, even on national TV. Documentation wise, just asked ATF lol. I think that most frats at SDSU are just aimed to party, be a drugy, and not even try to get a degree. SDSU should re-evaluate the greek community once again.
Interesting
Tue Sep 15 2009 02:06
Admittedly, I'm somewhat enjoying the situation with the frats at SDSU.

Mommy & Daddy's checkbook doesn't appear to be doing much to keep junior's ass out of the sling this time.

Nice! Consequences...yes, a foreign concept - I know.

Sadly, the majority of the snot-nosed rich kids will yet have the "they're not looking for me" attitude - or rather, I should say...whatever - maybe the school should start looking into the financials of the frats.

There would likely be a few surprises...

keith
Mon Sep 14 2009 19:00
the fact is simple... this fraternity is being punished because of a few bad eggs... its not right.. the CSU's didnt revoke SDSU because of the drug ring, so why should a frat be revoked due to a few members... its not right
David
Mon Sep 14 2009 14:31
Andrew, you are right: "frats...are a bunch of loser meatheads." As an SDSU Greek alum myself, I can only hope for the day when we have a campus of true FRATERNITIES--men who are there to demonstrate the true meaning of their organization and incorporate its values into their daily lives.
Your name
Mon Sep 14 2009 13:46
Care to supplement your argument with some sort of statistical documentation or other proof besides pure opinion?
Andrew
Mon Sep 14 2009 13:10
The frats "brothers" are a bunch of loser meatheads. While all don't have problems, most are considered at high risk for addiction. The lines about community service are stock lines. The cost of the alcohol for ONE frat event is probably equal to or greater than the sum total of money given to causes. Could we please stop acting like we expect anything other than alcohol- and drug-fueled bad behavior from fraternities?






log out