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Greek Life News and Blogs

Greek life has always been a significant aspect of student life at Penn State, but it started to undergo drastic change in 2017. Beta Theta Pi pledge Tim Piazza died in February as a result of traumatic injuries he sustained when he fell down the steps after a night of hazing at the fraternity house for bid acceptance rituals.

Penn State announced a number of new Greek life regulations over the next few months, including a moratorium on socials with alcohol and a deferred recruitment process barring first-semester freshmen. Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller levied charges against the fraternity chapter itself and eighteen of its former members. Follow along as Penn State attempts to fix a broken Greek life system and charges related to Piazza’s death play out in court proceedings.

September 19, 2017 0 IFC On National Hazing Prevention Week: ‘It Starts With Us’

“Change is necessary. And it starts with us, not as Greek members, not as Penn State students, but as human beings.”

September 19, 2017 0 Beta Theta Pi Motion For Return Of Surveillance Video Denied

By StateCollege.com

Judge Kistler added that since the equipment is now held by a search warrant, not consent, a ruling by a civil court could interfere with pending criminal action.

September 18, 2017 0 Piazza Family Appears On Today Show For National Hazing Prevention Week

By Anthony Colucci

Jim and Evelyn Piazza appeared alongside Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie to talk about the death of their son and how to advocate against the dangers of hazing.

September 14, 2017 0 Motion for Summary Judgment Denied In Donor’s Lawsuit Over Beta Theta Pi House

By StateCollege.com

A Centre County judge has denied Donald Abbey’s motion for a summary judgment in his lawsuit against the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi over what he says was a multi-million dollar loan for improvements to the fraternity house.

September 12, 2017 0 Panhellenic Council Clarifies Parameters Of Informal Fall Recruitment

By Caitlin Gailey

Penn State Panhellenic has announced the chapters that will participate in an informal recruitment this fall.

September 8, 2017 0 Beta Theta Pi House Open To Fraternity’s Alumni During Football Weekends

By Steve Connelly

Alumni of Beta Theta Pi have been invited to stay at the now unoccupied on-campus fraternity house, according to an email obtained by the Associated Press.

September 7, 2017 0 And So We Wait

What will it take for hazing to be a crime, if not the concrete video evidence surfaced from Tim Piazza’s death?

September 4, 2017 0 Breaking Down Beta Theta Pi’s Current And Dismissed Charges

By Steve Connelly

Judge Allen Sinclair dismissed the most serious charges — involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Only 14 of the 18 originally charged former brothers will head toward trial.

September 1, 2017 23 Lesser Beta Theta Pi Charges Bound Over For Trial, All Felonies Dismissed

District Judge Allen Sinclair announced Friday morning in Bellefonte which charges are bound over for trial related to the death of Tim Piazza.

August 31, 2017 0 Interfraternity Council Donating $10,000 To Houston Disaster Relief After Twitter Campaign

The IFC also challenged Penn State to match its donation, but the university has not yet responded.

August 24, 2017 0 Why ‘Aggressive’ Reform Won’t Change Anything For Penn State Greek Life

Anyone who’s taken a stroll down frat row this week has already seen what’s supposedly banned: alcohol and parties (or socials) at fraternity chapter houses.

August 21, 2017 0 IFC Releases Statement On New Greek Reform Details

“We continue to look forward to working with the University to better our community, especially as our leadership is serving on Greek life response team advisory committee.”

August 21, 2017 0 ‘Neighborhood Enforcement Alcohol Team’ To Relaunch As Part Of Greek Monitoring

By Steve Connelly

NEAT, organized by the Penn State and State College police departments, puts officers together in pairs to patrol on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, focusing on alcohol, noise, and other disorderly conduct incidents.

August 21, 2017 0 University Announces Greek Tax Will Cost IFC & Panhel Members $90 Per Semester

Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council members will only be required to pay $30 per semester.

August 21, 2017 0 Penn State Hiring Eight Full-Time Staffers To Monitor Greek Life

The university expects Greek organizations to allow these spot-checkers to enter any and all common areas in chapter houses.

August 11, 2017 0 Private Investigator Tried To Subpoena Assistant AD Tim Bream For Beta Theta Pi Preliminary Hearings

Bream was a live-in advisor at the fraternity house, but this was not a part of his official duty in his capacity as a Penn State employee, university officials say.

August 10, 2017 0 Detective: Footage From Beta Theta Pi Basement Was Deleted

Police were previously told the surveillance cameras in the basement were not working during bid acceptance night.

July 10, 2017 0 Beta Theta Pi Preliminary Hearings Continue More Questioning Of Detective David Scicchitano

Attorneys spent most of the day questioning and cross-examining Detective David Scicchitano, who investigated the case.

June 27, 2017 0 President Barron Appoints Advisory Board For Greek Life Response Team

The new advisory board is “intentionally broad,” with stakeholders from all corners of campus.

June 16, 2017 0 Barron Explains Rationale Behind Greek Life Decisions In Blog Post

President Barron explained some of the decisions he and the administration have made regarding the Greek life reform at Penn State.

June 13, 2017 0 Tau Kappa Epsilon House Corporation Closes Fraternity House For 2017-2018 School Year

Fraternity members who were slated to live in the house were advised to make other housing arrangements.

June 12, 2017 1 First Day Of Beta Theta Pi Hearings Rehashes Grand Jury Presentment, Shows Surveillance Footage

By David Abruzzese

Preliminary hearings were held at the Centre County courthouse for former Beta Theta Pi members earlier Monday afternoon where approximately three hours of surveillance footage captured from the fraternity’s bid night was shown.

June 11, 2017 0 President Barron Appoints Greek-Life Response Team Members

By Derek Bannister

Eric Barron appointed members to the Greek-life Response Team, a group tasked with carrying out and measuring the effectiveness of newly approved Greek life changes.

June 5, 2017 4 Panhellenic Council Pens Letter On New Greek Life Reform

Penn State’s Panhellenic Council released a letter Monday morning in response to the new Greek reforms passed by the Board of Trustees.

June 5, 2017 0 Weekend Wrap-Up: Greek Life Reform, Spanier/Curley/Schultz Sentencing

Here’s what you should know about this weekend’s Board of Trustees meeting about Greek life reform and the sentencing of former administrators Graham Spanier, TIm Curley, and Gary Schultz related to the Sandusky scandal.

June 2, 2017 0 Attorney Says Piazza Family Disappointed In New Greek Life Reform

The Piazzas released a letter to the Board of Trustees Thursday night outlining changes they hoped to see in Penn State’s Greek life regulation during the Board’s off-cycle meeting Friday. Now, the family’s lawyer says they’re disappointed in the Board’s decisions.

June 2, 2017 0 Interfraternity Council Releases Statement On Board Of Trustees Greek Life Reforms

Penn State’s Interfraternity Council released a statement following the Board of Trustees’ unanimous approval of new Greek life reforms.

June 2, 2017 10 Board Of Trustees Approves More Lukewarm Greek Reform, Imposes Capitation Fee For Greek Members

Penn State President Eric Barron ultimately outlined a plan that doesn’t seem like it’ll add much to the current reforms imposed during the spring semester.

June 2, 2017 0 Interfraternity Council Presented Greek Life Plan To Administration Leading Up To Board Of Trustees Meeting

The statement did not reveal details on the specifics of the plan, but it’s expected the Board of Trustees will discuss the viability of the plan and its implementation during its executive session Friday.

June 1, 2017 9 Piazza Family Addresses Letter To Board Of Trustees On Future University Proceedings

By Steve Connelly

The Piazza family released a letter addressed to the Board of Trustees ahead of its meeting on Friday where the group will discuss “significant changes” that are ahead for Greek Life.

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