Delta-Alpha Alumni AssociationKappa Sigma Fraternity

The Boosters' Club

Early in the year of 1913, a group of ten men actively interested in student affairs at the Carnegie Institute of Technology banded together and formed, what was then known as, the Boosters' Club. The object of the organization was to further student interest in all branches of school activities by acting as a sort of self-constituted clearing house for ideas from the general student body and instituting a modus operandi whereby action could be taken on good ideas and suggestions that had previously died a natural death.

After a few months of close and frequent association of the group, the inevitable result came in the happy suggestion of giving permanence to the purpose of the Club, by forming a fraternity. The ten friends who built this fraternity and brotherhood are:

These ten brothers founded the Opheleum Fraternity.

The Opheleum Story

The Boosters Club was a strong group of ten men and, in the spring of 1914, decided they wanted to make more of their friendships. In doing so they petitioned that they may become the C.I.T. Chapter of the Opheleum Fraternity. Founded in the city of Pittsburgh in 1903, the Opheleum Fraternity had initially taken the name of “Delta Alpha Theta” Fraternity, but due to financial restraints and several members being left out of the decision-making process of the fraternity, the name was changed to the “Delta Sigma Delta” Fraternity. Yet again, the fraternity encountered problems when they found that Delta Sigma Delta was the name of a local university fraternityand they were forced to change the name. Under the auspice of the founder, Reverend David Flanigan, the name Opheleum was taken. The name originates from the Greek word, Ophelia, meaning “to help.” It was from the name Opheleum that the chapter developed its master-aim: “To Be of Service.” They lived under their five main principles for service: literary activity, music, sociability, politics, and athletics. This was established in the first organizational meeting in May, 1907.

The beginnings of Opheleum can be traced to the West End borough of Pittsburgh. Established at the West End Methodist Episcopal Church by Reverend David Flanigan on July 23, 1903, Opheleum had its residence at South Main Street and Alexander Street in the West End.

The Opheleum Fraternity was established at the Carnegie Institute of Technology on March 9, 1914, the year after Carnegie Trade School changed its name to the afore mentioned. Originally made up of the ten members of the Boosters' Club, Opheleum lived at 483 South Atlantic Avenue . The purchase of this house allegorized that the Opheleum Fraternity could survive and this certainly helped them increase their size. By the end of 1915 the house had nearly doubled in size, increasing the membership to nineteen brothers.

Unfortunately, World War I took its toll on the Opheleum Fraternity. As soldiers were needed to fight on the European front, college men were often conscripted. Especially hit was Opheleum. Eight men left the fraternity, many of them to fight for the United States in Europe. This military crisis threateningly hindered the ability of the Opheleum Fraternity to recruit, a problem seen by many other fraternities at CIT, especially Delta Upsilon.

During the final year of World War I the Opheleum Fraternity decided that they wanted to affiliate with a national fraternity. With the hopes of becoming the 53rd chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity requested that Arthur Arton Hamerschlag, then president of Carnegie Institute of Technology, write them a letter of recommendation so that Sigma Phi Epsilon's national representatives could hear (from such a nationally respected man) that the brothers of the Fraternity were quality and true gentlemen. So in 1917, Hamerschlag complied and wrote his recommendation. The brotherhood waited for a response from Sigma Phi Epsilons national headquarters in Richmond, Virginia and received no immediate answer. As time went on, members cycled out of the fraternity and when Sigma Phi Epsilon came knocking at the door, the brothers decided that they no longer wished to be part of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. After another move of the fraternity house to 5601 Howe St., the chapter of Opheleum again tried to raise its membership. This was difficult for many reasons, the main of which was the war. In addition they could barely stay financially stable due to the rising costs during World War I.

1919 ushered in a new era of recruitment. Men were back from the war in Europe and eager to move on with their studies. The fraternity had grown back to 17 members just one year after the end of the war. They also had their new house, located at 615 Clyde St. , which was turned over by Mrs. Elizabeth Burgoon (upon completion of money turned over that was used to buy furniture for the house). With the help of their faculty advisors, Clifford B. Connelley and Fred J. Hartman (incidentally, president of the Opheleum Fraternity at the time), Opheleum reset itself for yet another attempt at becoming part of a nationally organized fraternity. In November, 1919, the membership of the Opheleum Fraternity informally submitted a petition for membership as a chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity to gauge whether Kappa Sigma was interested in expanding. National Officers from around the country investigated the Opheleum Fraternity's activities and qualifications over a one year period to ensure that the high standards of Kappa Sigma would be preserved. Upon the fraternity's formal request, Dr. Hamerschlag again wrote a recommendation, dated April 25, 1920. It read:

Gentlemen: The Opheleum Fraternity of the Carnegie Institute of Technology has been in existence for about seven years and I am informed that they are making application to the Kappa Sigma Fraternity for a Charter in the National Organization. I have known the young men in this Fraternity personally, for a number of years and I consider them worthy candidates for your consideration. Their efforts have always been conducted with good business judgment, their social atmosphere and the spirit of their association have been most attractive. It is with pleasure that I endorse their petition and hope that the national organization will find it possible to grant their request. Yours very truly, Arthur A. Hamerschlag President

That year of observation paid off and on April 12, 1921, the Delta-Alpha Chapter was established at the Carnegie Institute of Technology as Oliver J. Decker and fifty-eight Kappa Sigmas from thirteen chapters initiated fifty-four new brothers into the Fraternity.

The Opheleum colors, Kelly green and gold, are also of significance. They are part of our house today, alive in our house shirts. They remind us of the work that those ten founding Opheleum brothers (who were the members of the Boosters' Club) did and how far the Delta-Alpha Chapter has come. Indeed, they originate with the Boosters' Club.

The Opheleum Fraternity continued for many years afterwards (at least until 1919), but its final undertakings are unknown. Their initiation song is of special interest and can be read in the appendix along with several other Opheleum songs.

The Early Years of Delta-Alpha

Beginning in 1921 the presence Kappa Sigma had on Carnegie Tech's campus was truly astonishing. The membership of Kappa Sigma from 1921-1938 stayed very strong. The buggy teams fielded by Kappa Sigma from 1924-1932 were unstoppable, winning the sweepstakes competition almost every year during that eight year span. Greek Sing, Carnival, and, what was then referred to as, Float (for the Carnival Parade) were just as successful. After winning the float competition one year, Kappa Sigma's display was featured as the best and paraded around the university. The Float was a replica of Machinery Hall (now known as Hamerschlag Hall) which bellowed smoke as it rolled down Tech Street.

Equally successful were Delta-Alpha's sports teams. Using the early days of Kappa Sigma to build upon their successes as the Opheleum Fraternity, Delta-Alpha shot into the spotlight in nearly every sport. Delta Alpha was particularly competitive with the other fraternities on campus at the time: Delta Upsilon, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Beta Theta Pi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Phi, Theta Tau, Delta Tau Delta, Alpha Tau Omega, Acacia, Alpha Sigma Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Psi, and Theta Xi. A list of the fraternities that have been on Carnegie Mellon's campus over the years is in the appendix. Winning several basketball competitions, football championships, and ice hockey tournaments, the fraternity was running on all cylinders.

Known for their social functions, the Delta-Alpha chapter was the fraternity of choice during these early years, especially the 1930s. Kappa Sigmas held many events annually. The “Get-Together” Dance was held in mid October with the purpose of renewing friendships of the prior year. Closely following that was the Homecoming Dance where alumni and their wives, friends, and guests were entertained for two days of revelry. The Christmas dance was the last social function of the academic semester and served as the goodbye event before the holiday break.

In 1923, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity decided it was time for a move, due mainly to space constraints. With that, the chapter moved just 9 numbers down to 624 Clyde Street. Although not a far move, this new house turned out to be one of the major accomplishments of the Delta-Alpha Chapter.

Certainly the 1920s and 1930s were a time when Kappa Sigma thrived on the Carnegie Mellon campus. It was one of the first national fraternities on campus and excelled in almost every activity, from publications to athletics. Known internally as “Clyde Streeters,” Kappa Sigmas held such positions as the Student Council President, Editor of the Carnegie Technical , and chairman of the spring Carnival. It wasn't until the 1940s when the Fraternity experienced its most trying times.

The War Years of Delta-Alpha

With Kappa Sigma continuing to excel, the breakout of World War II was not a welcome event. The chapter was known for being an amazingly eclectic group of men, with brothers who were art majors, engineers, political science majors, and everything in between. The “ Clyde Street Boys” were the envy of the campus.

In 1939, the brothers of Kappa Sigma held prestigious positions and athletic titles such as captain of the hockey team, starting players on the football team, all-division track stars, captain of the basketball team (as well as several other starting men), and other positions on various teams. The social scene was no different. Parties were known far and wide as being some of the best in the area. This era ushered in a new annual social event, the Open Season party. This was held for the sorority pledges.

One of the most important events for the fraternity during the early 1940s was Greek Sing and Swing. Greek Sing and Swing consisted of almost every Greek organization on campus preparing song numbers for an audience of students. Unlike the way it is held today, during the 1940s it was a very formal event; men wore tuxedos and sang their hearts out with the hopes of winning the coveted trophy, the Sing and Swing Cup. Kappa Sigma always fielded a very strong team, placing in the top three on several occasions between 1939 and 1949, most notably in 1942 when they won the Cup for the crest. This was the same year that Kappa Sigma won one of its several buggy trophies during Carnival.

There is no denying that Kappa Sigma was at its pinnacle of success on Carnegie Tech's campus. One of the many attributes they were known for was their staunch cooperation on almost every matter. Pledges (who were confronted with a pledge period of anywhere between one and a half semesters to two full semesters) and brothers alike, the fraternity was a first class institution. However, the involvement of the United States in World War II brought quite a struggle to the Clyde Streeters. With six men who were in the Naval ROTC program, the membership of the Fraternity took a hit, beginning in 1944 when the membership sank to a dismal twenty five. After having a population of 44 the previous year, losing nineteen men was a shock. Despite this, the house continued to excel on the social, athletic, and academic fronts in similar ways to years prior.

1945 began the toughest year for the Delta-Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma. With Uncle Sam taking many brothers off to Europe to defend the Stars and Stripes, the fraternity was left with only four men (in the picture, from left to right): D.H. Christie, J.W. Simpson, D.F. Stewart, and R.G. Anderson. From 1943 to June, 1945, the Kappa Sigma men were forced to house the Phi Kappa Theta's 11 active men because the United States army had taken over their residency due to war efforts. Langley Laboratory, which used to sit on the site where Hunt Memorial Library is now, was used as a training ground for draftees who were preparing for war. Carnegie Tech was a central hub for the military as it still is, in large part, today concerning government research and development.

After June of 1945, the men were in desperate need of a way to handle their situation, especially financially. The mortgage on 624 Clyde Street still needed to be paid and, with just four men, they were in dire straits. Despite the lull in numbers, Kappa Sigma managed to play in intramurals as well as other campus-wide activities. Under the title of KSAE (Kappa Sigma-Sigma Alpha Epsilon) the fraternity gained distinction by sharing the honors with the SAEs in the campus football championship.

Later that year, due to costs and the war effort, the Pi Kappa Alpha's of the University of Pittsburgh took over the house at 624 Clyde Street. It was in this way that the Kappa Sigma's were able to retain their house (Pi Kappa Alpha maintained the house and paid the rent during their residency there). The Pike Fraternity men were allowed to live there with the understanding that Kappa Sigma's were always welcome in the house (an open-door policy of sorts). However, it was to wait one more year before the Kappa Sigma men would regain the prestige they had once had. When the last Kappa Sigma man left for the war in late 1944, it looked very dismal that there would be a Kappa Sigma ever again on the campus of Carnegie Institute of Technology. But in the spring of 1946, a core group of 28 men returned to campus and, with that, took back control of the 624 Clyde Street residence on June 1, 1946 . Powerful rushes in the summer and fall of 1946 yielded a fruitful pledge class of 27 men. Kappa Sigma was back in full force. Brother Jack Boor (DA#411) puts it well:

“Life was much different in the years after WW II. Most of us were returning after being in the Service; therefore we were all at least 21 or older. That meant that no one was concerned about underage drinking. Furthermore, our house was off campus at 624 Clyde Street so the School didn't bother us. We had a finished basement with a bar and tapped many a keg on weekends. We also had formal dances at country clubs with tuxes and formal evening gowns. We participated in intramural sports and had a number of brothers on the varsity football team. We spent a lot of time on the buggy race and building floats for Spring Carnival. We had several members in the Glee Club, and we won a couple of the annual Greek Sing and Swing fraternity competitions with a chorus of about twenty brothers. In other words, we had a ball!”

Following such a successful year, 1947 was the twenty-fifth year (Delta-Alpha was not in existence during 1945) that the Delta-Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma had been on Carnegie Mellon's campus. Festivities that year were more exciting than usual and they included several sorority parties, “kid” parties, the Christmas party, invitational formal, and Spring formal. All of the happenings at the Kappa Sigma house earned it the name “Club 624.” In addition Kappa Sigma, once again, won the buggy races during Carnegie Tech's 1948 Carnival Festivities.

Not all of the happenings in Kappa Sigma were happy that year. Brother Charles Oakes died during the school year. The cause is unknown but it is the only time that a brother of the Delta-Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma has died during his tenure at Carnegie Mellon University.

By the end of the 1940s, Kappa Sigmas were notorious on campus for being the best of the best. Having representatives in Student Council, The Tartan, The Scottie, Cano, Technical, Thistle, Glee Club, Kiltie Band, Debate Club, Y-Cabinet, Scotch and Soda, Varsity “C” Club, Intramural Board, and the Inter-Fraternity Council as well as the football, basketball, track, cross country, and swimming teams, Kappa Sigmas lead the way to an enjoyable career at Carnegie Tech.

One of the most important achievements of the Delta-Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma was the paying off of the house mortgage for 624 Clyde Street. “Significant of a debt faithfully paid,” the mortgage was paid off and a celebration ensued. This occurred in the fall of 1949 during Homecoming celebrations, by which there was a party to commemorate the burning of the, now paid off, mortgage. This cemented the foundation that Kappa Sigma had endowed the Carnegie Mellon campus with through the past quarter century.

The Retro Years of Delta-Alpha

Delta-Alpha was in its prime at the start of the 1950s. With eighteen new brothers initiating from a twenty nine man pledge class in February of 1950, the roster was at a whopping fifty seven. The annual Orphans' Christmas Party, New Years Eve Party, Christmas Party, and two formals highlighted what continued to be a very successful social calendar for Kappa Sigma during the 1950s.

The establishment of the Mothers Club aided in keeping Kappa Sigma in a dominant position on Carnegie Tech's campus as a result of the support they gave to the house. For example, they helped repanel and refurnish the lounge. Kappa Sigma began taking a more involved role in interfraternity competition, as they competed in all of the usual sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, as well as fielding the first place teams in handball, swimming, and volleyball. Furthermore, Spring Carnival's Float and Buggy Design Competition saw Kappa Sigma place first as well. The spring, 1951 sweepstakes competition was dominated by Kappa Sigma; a track record was attained that year.

Sports were an integral part of Kappa Sigma's social and campus life during this period. Besides the aforementioned “firsts” in 1951, 1952 saw first place teams for Kappa Sigma in swimming, softball, volleyball, water polo, Greek Sing, and Spring Carnival buggy design. Varsity athletics contained many Kappa Sigmas, for the athlete of the year came from the Delta-Alpha clan. Similarly, the intramural athlete of the year was also a brother of our Order.

Carnival remained a great time for Kappa Sigmas and Delta-Alpha alumni and friends. “Konk a Kappa Sig” was a popular display in which Kappa Sigmas took pies to the face from paying patrons. One of Delta Alpha's more scandalous displays for the Carnival Parade was the “Plan for a Greater Pittsburgh of the Future.”

The varsity football team of 1955 was the first undefeated team in Carnegie Tech's history. In this milestone event, nine Kappa Sigmas represented the Delta Alphas: E. Karcher, A. Schell, R. De Vries, M. Brown, W. Kennedy, J. Blatt, J. Williamson, C. Luchok, and R. Cortes. In addition to athletic excellence, brothers were represented in student government as well.

One of the most important events in Delta-Alpha's history took place in 1952. The hiring of Alberta McCall and Frank Kennedy as the cooks for the Clyde Streeters brought a new era to the house. Alberta, who would eventually be known as the “Power of Delta-Alpha” cooked for Kappa Sigma until 1989. A Starduster initiate of 1964, Alberta would become a house legend; from the tales of her discipline to the love for the Chapter that she shared with the brothers, she was an innovator, a strong woman that would forefront many of the traditions that Delta-Alpha still celebrates. Alberta would go on to marry “Fast” Eddie Gant and remain in the Pittsburgh area for many years. She passed away peacefully on August 14, 2008. Frank Kennedy, hired in 1952, served Delta-Alpha for thirty five years. Retiring in 1987, Kennedy initiated into Kappa Sigma on September 9, 1971. Since his retirement, Brother Kennedy has joined Chapter Celestial where he rests eternally. In his honor, the Frank P. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship is awarded to rewarding initiates of Delta-Alpha twice per year, at the end of each semester.

In 1956 Brother Howard Harpster (I #122), initiation class of 1926, was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend , Indiana . As a quarterback from 1926-1928, Brother Harpster led Carnegie Tech to a 7-1 in his final year and played quarterback, punter, kicker, and safety during his illustrious career at Tech. At the age of twenty five, in 1933 he took over as head coach of the Tech football squad, posting victories against the powerhouses of Notre Dame, Temple, and Purdue.

The social calendar towards the latter half of the 1950s became even more uproarious with functions being organized with the West Virginia Kappa Sigmas and several area sororities. Interfraternity rivalries spiked in a healthy manner, as Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Tau Omega became prime targets of Kappa Sigma's brothers. The campus football title returned to Kappa Sigma in 1958 and the Mothers Club continued to support the house in its many endeavors with a focus on maintaining the functionality of the house.

The “Zoo,” as 624 Clyde Street had come to be known as, played host to several social events to start the 1960s. A Halloween party highlighted the 1960 academic year and the alumni-active football match made Homecoming enjoyable for all over the next decade. Extracurricular activities continued to be promoted with brothers holding positions like the president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and vice-president of CFP.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the university began pushing for fraternities to move onto campus. The 1962 year showed to be the final year that Delta Alpha would occupy the Clyde Street residence. With the mandate that all fraternities be located on university property (or cease to be recognized), the Kappa Sigmas moved to 5075 Forbes Avenue. 624 Clyde Street was sold to the Diocese of Pittsburgh for a little more than fifty thousand dollars and remains as such today. What now was the Kappa Sigma House had been Schiller Hall, a mansion built in the late 1800s that functioned as a student union, faculty club, and administration building. In addition to the new house changes came a housemother, Mrs. Erlichman. A joy to the house, she became a very important part of the chapter. In addition, a house dog graced Delta Alpha; it was named Candy.

The new house sparked new fervor in the brotherhood. A pledge class of thirty-one hallmarked exactly what a success Delta Alpha was. The scholarship of the chapter improved dramatically, going from eighth to fourth in fraternity rankings. The softball team continued to be successful along with the other IM teams, highlighted by three selections to the I.M. all-star football team. The 1964 pledge class party was exceptionally named with the theme being “Kappa Sigma Goes to Hell.”

A trying event that occurred at Kappa Sigma added some excitement to 1965. The brotherhood was caught wire-tapping the pledges during a pledge meeting and, as a result, was investigated by headquarters. The Supreme Executive Committee came to look into the incident and the chapter was restored to good standing the following academic year.

Through the mid to late sixties, much of the success in athletics and the carnival festivities continued while others evened off to par performances. It wasn't until Saturday, December 14, 1968 that tragedy again struck the Delta Alpha Chapter. A fire, supposedly caused by “electrical problems," spread throughout the Kappa Sigma house at 5075 Forbes Avenue , completely demolishing the house and destroying nearly everything in it. From an oil painting commissioned to commemorate the death of a brother in World War II to the clothes and belongings of the brothers at the time, everything was caught in the blaze. The community helped by giving clothes and other items to aide the homeless Delta Alphas but nothing could erase the horrors that took place that Saturday morning.

The brothers moved into Mudge House for a short time and then to Roselawn Terrace where the brotherhood stayed for a while. With the house mother, Mrs. Gretchen Hart, the brothers attempted to rebuild the fraternity. A year in Roselawn ushered in a new era for Delta Alpha. The rebuilding process would take time, but it would get done and in successful fashion. It was in the Fall of 1970 that the sound of “Damn good food, Kennedy!” was again heard through the halls of the fraternity house, now located at 1063 Morewood Avenue.

The Disco Years of Delta-Alpha and Beyond

The 1970s was an exciting decade for Delta Alpha. The earliest years saw the success of our own Edgar Dean Mitchell. A 1949 initiate, Brother Mitchell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management before achieving a second Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in aeronautical engineering, the same subject he would later earn a Doctor of Science degree in at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mitchell would continue to excel, becoming a pilot on the Apollo XIV flight mission and becoming the sixth man to walk on the moon. On this mission, he brought his Kappa Sigma badge that now hangs in the Delta Alpha chapter house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Furthermore, a flag that he carried to the moon also hangs at Kappa Sigma Headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia alongside some of the most sacred memorabilia from the earliest years of the fraternity such as the gravestone of Stephen Alonzo Jackson. Mitchell would go on to found the Institute of Noetic Sciences. In the long tradition that Kappa Sigma has, Brother Mitchell was named the 1972 Man of the Year. A plaque commemorating his honor remains in the chapter house.

With the Vietnam War flaring in the late 1960s and early 1970s, brothers were constantly being called up by the draft to serve in the military for their country. 1972 was the first year that this did not happen. Finally a sense of continuity could engross the house and nothing embodies this feeling more than the cooks, Alberta and Kennedy. Celebrating nearly twenty years of service for the house, the two cooks were living history and continued to be pivotal parts of the Delta Alpha house. As mentioned before, Frank Kennedy would initiate into the Order in 1971, as would Alberta (into the Stardusters); both would act as “surrogate” mom and dad for many of the brothers.

The physical house was separated on the third floor. Used as the sleeping area, the warm dorm and cold dorm occupied the two large rooms on that floor. Set up something like military barracks, the area housed study areas and was acceptable for that purpose. Pledging was present in all of its glory. The House Mother, a statue of the Greek god, Venus (built of alabaster after the original by Doidalsas of Bithynia), remained in the house, although it was badly damaged in the 1980s. The cannon was also an interesting part of pledge night, being shot off every time a pledge arrived. It also graced the field when a home football game was played.

The house dwindled at the end of 1972 when a large senior class graduated. Further exacerbating this was a small ensuing pledge class. 1972 saw only six initiates (five from the “Seven Dwarves of Kappa Sigma” and one who joined in the spring of 1973) and a similarly meager class was gained in 1973-1974. The house was in dire straits and a major initiative was taken to bolster the fall, 1974 pledge class. Showing the success and fortitude that always characterizes Delta Alpha determination, a twenty man pledge class was acquired, ensuring the survival of the house for years to come.

Although the teams were never very successful, the Buggy program was as popular as it had ever been. Many buggies were built but never won the coveted sweepstakes trophy and title. The Greek Sing trophy was won several times in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Most notable buggy teams were that in the mid nineties led by DeVito and several inspiring brothers throughout the 1980s.

Delta-Alpha continued to strive in the social and athletic scene through the 1970s and 1980s. Known for great parties and a tight-knit group of brothers, Delta-Alpha was a center of fun and joviality. The spirit of brotherhood from those who participated in the house in the 1970s is shown most vividly every other year during the DART excursions.

The Recent Years of Delta-Alpha
"Rising from the Ashes"

Foreword

I was asked to write this history because I was one of the few men to see Delta-Alpha fall from the top and return again; a blessing and a curse not so pleasantly combined into one. This history is obviously riddled with my bias as I lived through these tense events and have not had the passage of time to dampen my intense feelings, both bad and good, surrounding my four years in the House. I do however hope that I will provide an accurate representation of what happened and why we made the decisions we did.

A.E.K.D.B.,

Joseph R. Phillips
DA #1291

Trouble Brewing

Throughout my time pledging and my first few months as an initiate, I noticed that there was something lacking, something different about the spring 2003 pledge class. Maybe this is a case of hind sight being 20/20, but there were warning signs of the events that were about to take place.

We had problems with one pledge who actively chose when his participation was mandatory and when it wasn't. The amount of excuses flowing from this man was almost unfathomable. But at the time we ignored this in hopes to integrate him into the Brotherhood. He was truly an alright guy, a good student and fun to be around.

However, he was not by any means meant for Greek life let alone Kappa Sigma. His self-promoting attitude was the exact opposite of what we looked for in good pledges, and hence good Brothers. After repeated instances of disrespect and excuses, he was asked to leave the Fraternity.

Unfortunately, by the time the Brotherhood decided to ask this pledge to leave, he had already corrupted the attitudes of the rest of his class and the fall 2003 pledge class. Subsequently, both classes dropped out of the program in a “show of unity.” Fortunately for us, we were able to explain what actually happened and why this pledge was asked to leave to fall 2003 and convince five of the original ten to return.

The Bomb has Dropped

The week before Thanksgiving break 2003, the Tartan published an article entitled “Hazing at Kappa Sigma” in their weekly paper, front page and above the fold. While I wouldn't particularly call the piece “journalism” it was enough of an impetus to start into motion the events of the next three years.

The story itself recounted various events which took place or supposedly took place concerning the fall 2003 pledge class, sparked by the news of a mass drop-out. I admit that there were some truths in the article, but there were far more exaggerations and outright fabrications. There was no fact checking in the article and no room for us to voice our side of the story.

And then the media frenzy began. Originally, we felt that no one would pick up this piece and make a story out of it. We were wrong. Within a week the story had escalated to the local papers, local TV news, and was eventually picked up by the AP. Our GM-elect was contacted the night before publication and asked for a quote; however, I doubt that this was in anyway a gesture towards getting the truth, rather a feeble attempt at making the article seem unbiased.

Hard Decisions

As soon as the media took hold of the situation, everything truly spiraled out of control. Countless hours were poured in an attempt to make the situation right. However, no matter how much we attempted to keep the facts straight from the lies or protect our name from being dragged through the mud, the effort was useless. Kappa Sigma nationals ordered that we suspend all activity until further notice. Not only were ritual meetings, pledging ceremonies and the like suspended, but recruitment was also on hold. After all of the spring 2003 pledge class and half of fall 2003 dropped-out, the repercussions of not being allowed to recruit in spring 2004 would be deeply felt in terms of manpower.

Alumni Leadership and Support

Things were not going well, but every cloud has its silver lining. Before the incident Delta-Alpha had an alumnus advisor in name only. With the obvious need for alumni support, Brother Alex Bacas ( DA #1050) stepped into the role as AA and played an instrumental part in helping the Brotherhood rebuild itself over the course of the next few years. Also, a great increase in general Delta-Alpha alumni support was present. More men were volunteering their time and efforts than ever before. Instead of simply having the Delta-Alpha Club cut us a check twice a year, the alumni became tremendously more supportive both in terms of finances and advising.

At the same time our DGM slot changed hands. At the time of the incident the current DGM lived outside of the Pittsburgh area and had little if any contact with the undergrads. His absence was especially felt when the trouble began. Instead of completing an investigation in person to ensure the fact was separated from the fiction, this Brother chose to conduct a select few phone interviews with undergraduate Brothers. When the job of removing our Charter came, he didn't even do it himself. He (over the phone again) selected Patrick Corr ( Xi-Epsilon, 1997) to come to the House and remove the Charter and ritual equipment. While Patrick's first official task made a poor first impression, he played an invaluable role advocating for us with nationals in his later role as DGM.

SEC Meeting I

We were ordered to attend a show cause hearing at the January SEC meeting in New Orleans . A show cause hearing is nothing that any Brother ever wants to experience. It is basically a discussion of what your Chapter has been doing right, what you've done wrong, and ultimately whether or not your Chapter's existence is beneficial to national's goals.

Just as countless hours were spent trying to deal with the media, a superlative amount of time was poured into preparation for the show cause hearing. We consulted with Alex and Bob Stevens, president of the Delta-Alpha club. Our strategy was set and we were confident that we would succeed in showing our success as a Chapter to the SEC. We decided to go to New Orleans as a Chapter to show our solidarity and show that what happened was not the fault of any one person. We were going to fess up to what we did, correct the exaggerations, and outright deny the lies. This was planned, printed, reviewed, and airtight, so we thought.

When we arrived and witnessed what a SEC meeting was in practice, we realized that all of our preparation was for naught. This was not a trial of right or wrong, fact and fiction. It was a cursory evaluation of the Chapter and what was in the best interest of the Order. It was void of any judicial process. It didn't truly matter what we had to say nor what evidence or testimony we presented. All that mattered was the image we reflected upon Kappa Sigma.

When our time came, there was more tension in the room than I've ever seen in my life. Brothers were obviously upset. One Brother rebuked the WGM when he cracked a smile during the hearing. One Brother resigned in dramatic fashion in front of the meeting. A member of the SEC talked down to one of our alumni officers and was met with swift rebuke. And one pledge even stepped up to voice his heartfelt opinion. After some very passionate words from undergrads and alumni alike, the SEC vote to revoke the Charter of Delta-Alpha failed to pass (the vote was 3-2 with WGM Kevin S. Kaplan, WGP Donal L. McClamroch, Jr., and WGT Jeff A. Crow, Jr. voting to shut the chapter down with WGP Phillip Bell, IV and WGS Ronald J. Webb voting to maintain the chapter's standing). Instead, the SEC named the following conditions on the Chapter:

1) Charter is placed in trusteeship
2) All EC members brought up for expulsion charges at the March SEC meeting
3) All other initiates suspended pending a membership review
4) The current remaining pledges (fall 2003 class) were to be initiated immediately and installed as the new EC.
5) Chapter is fined $5,000
6)Chapter is dry for one year

It was not the outcome we had originally hoped for, but after seeing the process of a show-cause hearing, we were glad for what we had.

University Actions

Surprisingly, the University was actually easier (but not truly easy in any sense of the word) to deal with. Their process was straightforward: they knew what we did because they took the time to talk to the ex-pledges and figure out which part of their stories checked and which parts were fabricated.

Student life gave us the option of taking their recommended punishment or go to UDC hearing. We still didn't think the student life recommendation was completely fair but argued with them to no avail. We decided not to take our chances with the UDC and accepted the following:

1) Off campus for one year
2) Out of 1063 Morewood for two years
3) Complete 2,500 hours of community service over 2 years

SEC Meeting II

We thought we had weathered the worst and planning for the future had begun. A new pledge education program was already complete and the standing-rules and by-laws were revised. We truly believed the Chapter was going to weather the storm and be back to normal in a few months.

We sent a scant representation to the March SEC meeting in Philadelphia. To our knowledge, the agenda was going to be routine: those up for expulsion were going to be expelled, some brothers were going to be reinstated and some were going to be suspended until graduation based upon the opinion of the membership review board and the newly appointed EC, and we were going to showcase what we've accomplished in the past two months.

Unfortunately, we were blindsided. Individual discipline proceeded as we assumed it would. However, we were quite shocked when the SEC continued into a vote to revoke the Charter. They cited three main reasons why the Chapter was not progressing as they hoped. First, a Brother was overheard in January at the New Orleans Airport saying some negative (and probably alcoholically induced) things about the procedures at the show-cause hearing. Second, two Brothers, who I might add were both suspended at the time, got involved in an altercation. Although this altercation had nothing to do with the state of the House, it was somehow blamed on the general state of disrepair within the Brotherhood. Third, a document was mistakenly sent out to nationals in which the unnamed DGM above was referred to by a less than flattering alliteration.

Confusion and More Hard Decisions

After the March SEC meeting, we were left with more questions than answers. Lengthy discussions were had about whether or not we wanted to work with the March SEC ruling, for both ideological and logistical reasons. Was it better to be a colony of Kappa Sigma or to break from Kappa Sigma and have an independent Chapter of our own? The discussion about going independent had been in the background even before the problems began, but now it was front and center. The debate swirled round, but eventually we decided to remain with Kappa Sigma for three reasons:

1) Ties with alumni
2) Problems finding affordable insurance
3) Unresolved questions about recognition from the university and IFC (which in turn could affect our ability to reoccupy 1063)

Although we were unpleased with the recent interaction with nationals, they were our best and possibly only option.

In addition, finding some type of suitable housing was vitally important, not only because of our own personal comfort, but because of the centrality of the House to recruitment. We knew we could not find a House to accommodate the remaining Brothers, so we were looking to rent the largest place we could for as many Brothers as possible. Of course, by the time we realized we were in no way getting 1063 back for a while most of the real estate near campus was long gone. We were debating between a 3 unit ten person house on Beeler and a similar house in Point Breeze. While the house in Point Breeze was far less expensive and newly remodeled (2 Jacuzzis!), the house on Beeler was far more accessible to campus, both for the Brothers and potential rushees. But fate didn't shine upon us. When we went to see the house on Beeler, the top unit had already been rented and we were not ready to share a house with two random students. Ultimately, we found a house farther from campus at 5607-5609 Wilkins Ave , directly across from the CVS. It was old and drastically overpriced, but Delta-Alpha would use it well for the next two years.

Off-Campus

After an arduous process of moving 30 years worth of clutter out of 1063 Morewood, Kappa Sigma took up residence at the Wilkins House for the 2004-2005 school year. Accommodations there were far from sublime: fewer Brothers could live there, there was scant commons area, a small kitchen, and it was far from campus. It was a poor setting for a Chapter House, (when our membership grew, the House could barely hold the members for weekly meetings or other events) but it was what we had to work with.

Off-Campus Rush

Ensuring a good rush was essential to the future of the House. Since the fall 2002 pledge class, we had initiated 5 men (one of whom had left CMU to continue his studies overseas). Our numbers were down to the point where there were far more House positions than Brothers available to fill them.

Fall Rush 2004 was more of a laboratory experiment than a well planned Fraternity function. It was literally thrown together at the last minute, but its events were standards from the previous few rushes. Unfortunately for us, the situation had changed. Instead of rushees wandering to our House on the quad, we instead had to go out and actively seek people to come to rush events. While being off campus did have its advantages (little IFC, student life, or CMU police regulation) the situation proved not to bein our favor. Our goals were unrealistically inflated by pressure from nationals, but in the end we gained four dedicated pledges from the semester. During spring 2005 rush, we attempted to have more events on campus at first (actually resorting to having events in the UC) then gradually moved events, especially the invite only events, to the House. This strategy proved mildly successful. Although the spring 2005 pledge class was filled with solid men, they numbered only five.

Pledge Process

Through the whole process, one of the most difficult questions facing the Brotherhood was exactly what was to become of the pledging process. In addition to the close regulation by nationals resulting from the hazing allegations, nationals was at the same time instituting the 60 day Brothers in Action (BIA) pledge program across the board. I pledged for over 6 months; but now we had no choice but attempt to pack as much of the old pledge process in over the course of 8 weeks. In addition, the more rigorous requirements of the pledge process were abandoned in order to come into compliance with the BIA program. Over the course of two years, the pledge process developed in what seemed at times as a quite haphazard manner. Depending on the particular pledge class and pledge educator, the pledge program swayed between attempts at incorporating many of the older practices to attempts at defining a new style, less stringent process. While the House is still in a state of flux, countless hours of debate and discussion seem to have the proverbial pendulum coming to rest somewhere in the middle; ensuring full compliance with BIA regulations while still attempting to maintain some type of congruency with the past processes and traditions.

Back on Campus

While there were indeed many hurdles facing the Chapter, one bright spot materialized for the beginning of the 05-06 school year. With improved membership numbers, the Chapter was ready to return to campus. Although our ultimate goal of regaining 1063 was out of reach and flatly rejected by the administration, we did feel there was a place on campus for Kappa Sigma. Through an elaborate and time-consuming application process, we requested and were granted group-housing status in an eight man apartment behind the sorority houses next to Sigma Tau Gamma.

While this was a great step towards rebuilding the chapter, it was far from ideal. There were definitely breakdowns in communication, having some Brothers at the Wilkins house, some at the on-campus House and a few more scattered throughout Oakland and Squirrel Hill. We did not have the ability to walk down the hall and talk about House issues. But what this did do was renew our presence on campus.

Because of our renewed presence on campus, many of our rush tactics changed. Instead of needing to coerce rushees to come to the Wilkins House, we were able to simply encourage them to come over to the on-campus house for a burger or just to hang out; a vital aspect of our rush technique that was not logistically possible living a mile off campus. In addition, numbers at our rush events were up in general. We had at last regained a certain amount of legitimacy in the eyes of the campus community and had begun to reintegrate. And our presence on campus was quite well rewarded. The Fall 2005 pledge class was our largest since we left campus. And, as an indication as to how important our location on campus was, many of our pledges during the 05-06 school year were living in Hammerschlag dorm right next door.

The Path to Rechartering

While moving back on campus was a great leap forward, there was still much work remaining until we succeeded at our ultimate goal: rechartering. Many of the requirements for rechartering were nothing less than toilsome. All of our programming would have to be rewritten, the Brotherhood would have to attend a number of workshops, and, most difficult of all, we would have to bring our membership up to 50 members before the SEC would even entertain our petition to recharter.

But the requirements could be looked upon in a positive light as well. Our programming including our standing rules and by-laws had not been rewritten for a very long time. It was good, although time consuming, to go through the mounds of procedures required to run a house one by one and update what needed to be updated and fix what needed to be fixed. The workshops, on the other hand, while intended to bring a great awareness to the Chapter about a variety of social, health, and academic issues, proved to be no more than a commitment of time to be filled before we were to recharter.

But as was the overarching story of this period, our main problem was gaining the membership numbers needed. We were CMU students, and knew what hard work was. There was never any doubt that we could finish the programming and workshop requirements. What was in doubt was our ability to recruit off the quad. While recruitment had been slowly improving, it was still falling short of what we needed. Being on campus was a boost, but trying to rebuild a Chapter from less than 20 men was proving to be a daunting task. At many times throughout the process, myself and others often discussed giving up the hopes of rechartering. Many of us believed that no matter what we did, we would fall short of the lofty rechartering requirements. Truly, the only thing that kept us going was refusing to be the people to throw in the towel.

Things looked especially grim in the spring of 2006. We were informed that we had come to the end of our maximum of two years to recharter. It was time to put a charter on the wall or Nationals would be shutting down our attempts. But miraculously, we were able to put forth a massive recruitment effort and sign up any and every young man who showed interest in Kappa Sigma. After a long period of frustration and an unfathomable amount of work, we gained the membership numbers needed, petitioned the SEC, and were rechartered on April 22, 2006 . And subsequently, we were granted permission to reoccupy 1063 Morewood Ave. beginning the fall 2006 semester.

Conclusion

What we accomplished was a significant step towards rebuilding the Delta-Alpha Chapter. On paper, we had accomplished everything we set out to do. We had recruited a massive number of new members, we had literally rewritten the book, and we had put a Kappa Sigma Charter back on the wall at 1063 Morewood Avenue.

However, much still remains to be answered. While the paper work is finished, the intangibles are still undecided. The identity of Delta-Alpha is still in flux; a colossal task to blend the useful elements of the past with a new vision for the future. How this new identity will mesh with the current direction of Kappa Sigma national is also still unanswered. But I take solace in this fact: we did the best we could to provide the future generations of Delta-Alphas the tools they need to return our House to greatness.