Last January, members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity shocked the greek community when they announced their decision to disaffiliate from their national organization. Almost a year later, even though the Interfraternity Council and the University no longer formally recognize SAE, members now say they are confident they made the right decision in dissolving.
Members highlighted the increasingly off-campus party scene, the additional responsibility among brothers and a general ability to thrive as an off-campus fraternity as reasons why dissolution was their best decision.
Will Brown, former president of SAE and a senior, said the group can do everything it has done in the past but is no longer restricted by University or national organization regulations.
"We're not missing out on too much," he said, adding he empathizes with Kappa Sigma's decision to dissolve itself last week and that he looks forward to sponsoring joint activities to legitimize their presence off campus.
Charlie Yardley, who is in charge of SAE's recruitment this spring, said that by necessity, ties between brothers have become stronger since dissolving, in order to keep the group functional and organized.
"As a group we're stronger because we have to be a viable group," said Yardley, a senior. "We have more fun with less things to worry about off campus."
Many members agreed that the shifting concentration of social activities to off-campus locations for both official and unofficial fraternities has benefited their group.
"We don't really have section parties on campus, but [other fraternities' on-campus parties] are not just as successful as they used to be," Brown said.
Conrad Gordon, a sophomore who accepted a membership bid from SAE last year after it decided to dissolve, said he misses having a residential section to call his own, but agreed that SAE has suffered few setbacks from not being able to host traditional section parties on campus.
"I haven't really been to on-campus fraternity parties [this year]," Gordon said. "I don't really feel like I've missed out on anything on campus."
Although off-campus parties could pose potential dangers, such as increased drinking and driving risks and decreased security presence by the University, Brown said off-campus party sites make his brothers more responsible for their actions.
"Last year, when we were recognized as an on-campus fraternity, if a certain member was to go out and break something or do something destructive, they could escape punishment, and it could be blamed on the fraternity," Brown said. "Obviously that's not possible anymore.... Instead of having a fraternity that is punished, it's the individuals that are punished."
Some SAE brothers pointed out that a fraternity's on-campus presence helps attract potential members. Even though this year many SAE sophomores blocked together in Crowell Quad, they said they are restricted when they want to show students that SAE is still a legitimate group.
Some freshmen said the fraternity's off-campus parties can be better than those on campus.
"I've had more fun at most [of the off-campus parties] than the on-campus parties," said freshman Charles Benzyk. "Some of the best parties I've been to this year have been with SAE."
Members of some officially-recognized fraternities said they are concerned that SAE can interact with freshmen during the fall semester without following any of recruitment rules that IFC groups must follow. Members of SAE said, however, that the additional interaction can only benefit the recruitment process, and that their spring rush schedule will be much like that for IFC fraternities.
"What it gives people is more time to figure out if we're the fraternity for them," said Yardley, who added that SAE can also more effectively find freshmen who closely fit with their group.
Some freshmen said that SAE's status as a dissolved fraternity could negatively impact their decision to rush the group.
"It makes them less attractive to rush with them, but if I really like the fraternity, it wouldn't prevent me from rushing," said freshman Chris Champion.
Other freshmen said the trend of more fraternities moving off campus makes them more likely to consider rushing dissolved fraternities.
"At first I wasn't really considering it because I wanted to be in a nationally-recognized fraternity," Benzyk said. "But it seems like in the future, more and more fraternities will be going off campus, and I'm considering it a lot more."
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