Delta Upsilon evicted, appeals

The fraternity quad might soon undergo significant changes. A judicial board has recommended that Delta Upsilon lose the lease on its house for one year.
A University Committee on Discipline (UDC) found DU responsible for an unspecified violation last week, and advised the administration to take the fraternity?s house away for one year.
Paul Day, president of Carnegie Mellon?s chapter of DU, stated that the community should not assume that DU will lose its house. ?As of now, nothing is technically official. The decision is under appeal, and we won?t know the final results until President Cohon or Dr. Elliott reviews the decision,? Day stated.
According to Day, the chapter strongly disagrees with the administration?s move. ?We are being penalized because of risk management issues,? he stated. ?The house is already on a police-patrol-enforced ?dry? status, and there have been absolutely no incidents at all in the chapter house since they began. We don?t understand why harsher punishments are necessary when we have already shown improvement.? Any action taken against DU would likely not affect the house significantly before the semester ends. The chapter will continue to build its booth and participate in Carnival.
Since the UDC?s decision is under appeal, administrators refused to comment on the process. Dean of Student Affairs Michael Murphy stated, ?For confidentiality reasons, we don?t discuss judicial matters, except to confirm aggregate data on incidents and action by semester, and to disclose action against organizations when finalized.? Others were bound by confidentiality agreements as well. ?There?s only so much that I can say because of privacy issues,? said John Kubasiak, Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) president. Monica Bebie, the University?s coordinator of Greek Affairs, said, ?I?m not in a position to comment.?
Both the Delta Upsilon national organization and Director of Student Life Renee Camerlengo were unavailable for comment.
If DU loses its appeal, the brothers will have to vacate the house by some point in late May. ?This decision is not immediately effective, nor would that be a reasonable demand by the University,? Day stated. Day stated that the house would probably become first-year housing, with renovations paid for by Greek savings, in the interim.
Day categorically denied rumors that the fraternity?s punishment was a result of sexual harassment, stating, ?The sexual harassment and gay bashing idea is absolutely ridiculous. Our situation has nothing to do with anything remotely resembling those things.?
Members of the Greek community seemed unaware of UDC?s decision, but remained supportive of Delta Upsilon brothers. ?DU has been a strong part of this campus for a long time, especially when it comes to Carnival, and the entire Greek community would like to see them succeed and remain an active part of the community even if they are not on the quad,? said Greek Council President Erin Weber.
?All I have to say is that as the president of IFC, IFC is trying to help DU work through anything that occurs coming from this,? said Kubasiak. ?There?s a mixed sentiment on the quad as to what?s going on and as to what the true feeling and mood of the university is.?
The University?s plans for the vacated house remain unclear.
?Hopefully a strong sense of community will be fostered, that of a Greek community on the Greek quad,? said Kubasiak. ?I have hope for the future.?