San Diego State Suspends 6 Frats in Wake of Drug Raid

Six SDSU Fraternities Placed on Suspension

By Patrick W. Connelly
Co-Editor, The Frat Boy News

A day after a massive drug raid on the campus of San Diego State University in which 75 students were arrested, school officials on Wednesday suspended six fraternities until further notice.

The fraternities suspended were Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Theta, Theta Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Mu, a news release on the university's Web site said.

The fraternities were placed on an "interim suspension" until a "hearing into evidence gathered" in the raid, the university said.

The raid was the conclusion of about a year long investigation by the university and Drug Enforcement Administration into a drug ring involving students and an off-campus gang with ties to Mexican drug cartels, police said.

It was spawned by the 2007 sudden death of 19-year-old San Diego State University student and Alpha Phi sister Shirley Jennifer "Jenny" Poliakoff.

Miss Poliakoff died in her apartment the morning following a sorority dance. At the time of her death, she had cocaine and alcohol in her system but she didn't necessarily overdose, her parents told The San Diego Union Tribune.

The original 75 students charged included brothers of Phi Kappa Psi and Theta Chi, police said. It was unclear Wednesday night if brothers of other fraternities were also among those charged.

A Theta Chi brother sent out a mass text message to people police called his customers alerting them he and his associates in the drug dealing operation wouldn't be able to sell cocaine while they were away in Las Vegas, agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration said.

In the bust, police seized money, weapons, and drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, hash oil and methamphetamines, they said.

A total of four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 hydroponic marijuana plants, 350 ecstasy pills, 30 vials of hash oil, a shotgun, three pistols, three sets of brass knuckles and $60,000 in cash were among confiscated items, police said.

More than 130 transactions between undercover agents and sellers took place, police said.











Posted May 8, 2008 on The Frat Boy News.

2005 Hit-and-Run Continues to Haunt Murray State's Lambda Chi Alpha

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Murray Fraternity

A wrongful death lawsuit against Murray State University's chapter of the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha involving the son of a state representative may be nearing an end, a report said Saturday.

Police said Lambda Chi Alpha brother Harrison Yonts had left his frat house in November of 2005 when he struck student Nadia Shaheen with his car. Yonts, the son of North Carolina state representative Brent Yonts, has already been convicted in Shaheen's death, and will likely serve at least 17 years of a 20-year sentence in prison.

The latest lawsuit claims that Lambda Chi Alpha and its brothers lacked responsibility for giving alcohol to Yonts. Yonts admitted to being drunk the night of the accident.

Lamda Chi Brothers Hustle Up Charity Poker

Fraternity Deals Chips for Charity

The University of Missouri's chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha are working as dealers in charity poker fundraisers for the second year in a row.

“We jumped into it right away,” fraternity President Brett Anwander said. The volunteer activity runs seven events, and almost ten brothers deal at each.

The winner of the poker contests gains entry to the annual Chips for Charity event, a $500 fee. All proceeds of the events benefit the Rainbow House.

Lambda Chi Brother Mentors Nets to Playoffs

Frat Guy of the Week: Lawrence Frank

With the NBA playoffs in full force, there's no better Frat Guy of the Week than New Jersey Nets head coach and brother of Lambda Chi Alpha Lawrence Frank.

Frank graduated from Indiana University in 1992, where he was a Lambda Chi brother and earned a degree in education. Frank spent four years as the manager of the Hoosier basketball team, serving under eccentric coach Bobby Knight.

After college, Frank served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and Marquette University. He went on to work as an assistant with the then Vancouver Grizzlies, and eventually took a similar position with the Nets.

Frank officially took over with the Nets as head coach in January of 2004 after Byron Scott was fired. He was, and still is the youngest NBA coach at the age of 36.

Frank is under contract with the Nets through next season. They are currently playing the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Around the Horn With a Lambda Chi Brother

Frat Guy of the Week: Woody Paige

Woody Paige, an outspoken sportswriter and a panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn, was a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha at the University of Tennessee.

After writing for several newspapers around the country, Paige joined the staff of the Denver Post in 1981. Paige is one of several regulars on the ESPN show, which features a debate on daily sports topics among sportswriters from around the country. On the show, he is best known for his constant banter with Jay Mariotti, of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Paige also was a regular on ESPN's morning show Cold Pizza until early this year, where he worked with Skip Bayless. Paige has since returned to Denver to spend time with his family, where he continues to write for the Post.

Kent State Lambda Chi's Attempt Water Balloon World Record

Water balloon toss

Last year Kent State University's Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity members broke a world record for shaving heads after they shaved off 272 students and others hair for cancer research.

The event raised $1000. This year they plan on doubling that amount in an attempt at another world record, water balloon tossing. The current record was set on a beach in Australia, at a XBOX 360 release event.

At that event on April 22, 2006 nearly 3,000 people gathered and threw 55,000 water balloons at each other. The picture above is from that event.

The Lambda Chi Alpha house from Kent State plans on topping that number.

On April 19, 2007, at the Manchester Field the fraternity will attempt the world record balloon toss in an event to raise funds for the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.

If the fraternity is to break the record they will need the help of at least 3,000 people willing to get soaked for charity.

Rage Against the Frat Party

Students Protest Fraternity Parties

After two Cornell University fraternities held parties featuring racially-charged themes, two other groups held a protest on campus to proclaim their disgust.

According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Lambda Chi Alpha held a themed social event called the "South of the Border" party, while Sigma Alpha Epsilon held another party called "International Borders." Black Students United and another group called United Progressives and Amnesty International held a rally to put a stop to such parties.

“We are not here to make examples of these two fraternities ... But this should not be tolerated, we should not have to wait until things get bad enough,” said an angry student.

“It is a disgusting idea that I attend Cornell and that it fosters racism and creates stereotypes," said another.

Oregon State ΛΧΑ Brother's Body Found in River

Body Recovered From Umpqua River Identified as OSU Student

The body of an Oregon State Student and brother of Lambda Chi Alpha who had been missing since November was found North Umpqua River last week.

The body of Jeffrey Bernard Schmidt, a 22-year old geology major was found Thursday and was identified by his dental records, police said. Schmidt and his girlfriend, Delta Gamma sister Quinn Do Truong, went missing Nov. 19 after leaving a social event.

Schmidt had driven his Jeep off a 70-foot embankment and into the North Umpqua River. His girlfriend was found in the vehicle, but he had disappeared.

University spokesman Todd Simmons said Sunday that the long wait for Schmidt's body was sad for all the students but especially for his fraternity brothers.

"The guys just never really had any closure for their member, and at least now, 3 1/2 months later, now there's some semblance of closure for everyone involved," he said.

Greek Numbers Down at Lehigh, Frat crackdown hurts recruitment

Fraternity Bids Down, Greek Hopes Still High

Campus administrators have tried to put a positive spin on it, but the fact stands: Numbers are down for Lehigh rush.

The Brown and White, Lehigh's student newspaper reported that 238 men accepted their bids this year versus approximately 293 last year, a nearly 19% decrease.

“Numbers are down this year, but not when you average it out among the chapters,” said Tim Wilkinson, assistant dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs.

Wilkinson is referring to the average number of new recruits per chapter, which stands at 13.1. This same measurement came in at 13.9 per chapter last year, representing a 5.8% decrease.

Most blame the poor recruitment on the crackdown on fraternities that has resulted in Alpha Chi Rho losing their house and Kappa Sigma losing their charter. The Hill, where most of the Greek housing is located, has also seen an increase police presence.

While the FratBoyNews does not deal in conspiracy theory's, we are wary that Lehigh, under the leadership of their new President is undertaking an anti-Greek stance. These low recruitment levels will likely trigger new evictions under their Greek occupancy rule, which requires a 90% occupancy level for Greek organizations to keep a house on campus. This is how Alpha Chi Rho came to be without a house.

It's a chilling time line: August 2006 a new President takes office at Lehigh, six months later, two fraternities are gone, police now patrol fraternity hill, and recruitment is down. Is Lehigh attempting to "thin out" the Greek population?

Related:
Lehigh Crows Can't Fill House, Must Leave by Jan. 24
Lehigh Crows Taking Traditional Frat Boy Approach to Problem Solving
Kappa Sigs Gone at Lehigh

Booze Finally Allowed at Wake's Lambda Chi House

Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity No Longer Dry

“We are truly making history here.” said senior Philip Smith, brother of Lambda Chi at Wake Forest.

When Lambda Chi was re-colonized at Wake Forest in 1994 they were established as a dry chapter, and have been ever since. However, the bylaws were changed on February 11, 2007 to allow alcohol at fraternity functions. The Old Gold and Black reports that alumni of the fraternity were present at the time of the motion and support the chapters move away from being a dry chapter.

“The alumni are in support of our decision,” said Benny Levi Cooper, Jr., President “They just want it to be a carefully made decision.”

Maybe its just me, but a "dry" fraternity that actually adheres to that principal strikes me a truly bizarre. Well congratulations guys, I hope it works out for you.

Lambda Chi Alpha Shut Down at Randolph-Macon

R-MC Frat Shut Down
The Lambda Chi Alpha Chapter at Randolph-Macon College has been shut down over a hazing incident on December 3rd of last year. Around 2 am that day, a call was put in requesting medical attention for a student who was passed out in front of his dormitory. While paramedics were rushing him to the hospital, they had to revive him from heart failure. The police later found out the student, who was a pledge at the fraternity, consumed the alcohol at the Lambda Chi's house that evening.

Fortunately, the student has fully recovered. Additionally the fraternity which was established at Randolph-Macon in 1926 will remain an active chapter, and will be available to re-activate when the school and the nationals see fit.

Former Lambda Chi Guilty of Murder

Jury Finds Lawmaker's Son Guilty of Murder

Harrison Yonts, Lambda Chi Alpha brother, and son of Kentucky State Representative Brent Yonts, has been found guilty of murder. A jury convicted him of murder, driving under the influence, tampering with evidence and leaving the scene of an accident. Yonts is pictured at left.

Police alleged that Yonts, at that time a sophomore at Murray State, struck 62-year-old Nadia Shaheen with his silver Lincoln LS the morning of November 11, 2005. Her body was found along the road later that day. Shaheen dies of trauma to the head.

In move right out of CSI, police linked evidence at the scene to Yonts vehicle. There was a piece of broken mirror on the scene, and marks on the vehicle that matched the victims pants.

Shahee was set to graduate in December 2005 as a masters student in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. She was a native of Egypt, and was struck within a few hundred yard from her home.

Yonts had left a Lambda Chi party around 2 am and was intoxicated when he struck the victim. Lambda Chi Alpha was immediately suspended after the incident.

It's a Celebration Bitches!!!

Tarleton State Students Upset Over MLK Party
Outrage Over Texas College MLK Day Party

A questionable celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, held by members of Lambda Chi Alpha, has Tarleton State officials asking what happened.

At a party at an off campus location, guests came dressed in gang apparel, Afros and fake gold and silver teeth. They slurped malt liquor and feasted on fried chicken. One girl even came dressed as syrup queen Aunt Jemima.

A Tarleton State sophomore who heads their NAACP chapter said he found pictures on Facebook from the party and became upset at their mockery of black heritage, stereotypes, and history.

Lambda Chi Alpha said they had nothing to do with the party idea, but it was organized by a few of its brothers.

Check out some pictures of the party here.

Another Bad Theme Party

Green Means 'Go For It' at Arkansas' Lambda Chi Alpha Latest Theme Party

Arkansas' Lambda Chi Alpha has taken the level of bad theme parties to new heights, so to speak, as the frat's latest idea became a reality. More than 750 reportedly attended the frat's "Stoplight Party," where how you dressed determined your hook-up status.

Wearing 'red' signified you were in a relationship, 'yellow' meant getting some action but not dating, while 'green' represented you were single and looking for someone to take home. Awesome idea guys, hopefully you can keep these great party concepts coming!