The Fraternity Incident

Collected by Janet Stephens (janet.g.stephens@vanderbilt.edu)


Summary: The tale is about the incident that caused a fraternity to get kicked off campus some years back

Text:: As my informant heard the story, the SAE fraternity had a traditional party where they would
light the lions, which were on the stairs leading to the house, on fire. At one such event, the drunk
participants were putting some substance on the lions so that they would burn (gas, hairspray?
she didn't know what). However, some of this substance accidentally got on a girl who was attending
the party. This student was also set on fire. The incident caused the group to be thrown off campus,
allowed to come back only after the chapter disbands for 4 years.

Notes: I was also told this tale as a freshman. Since then i have
heard various accounts of what happened, from intentionally lighting a
pledge on fire to rapping a female at a frat party. there are also
varying accounts as to when/if and under what conditions the fraternity
is allowed back on campus.


CONTEXT
A. Brief summary of tale: The tale is about the incident that
caused a fraternity to get kicked off campus some years back
B. Tale type and motifs: College Greek System; fraternity party
incident.
C. Comments on tale: This tale shows how a group that is no
longer present on campus can become a favorite subject of students who
were not present when the incident supposedly occurred. Since it
happened before their time, they are even more curious as to what a
group could do that would be so bad as to get them kicked off campus by
the administration.
D. Approximate date informant first heard the tale: In the fall
of her freshman year.
E. Relationship of your informant with the individual from whom
the informant heard the tale: My informant heard the tale from a girl
who lived in her freshman dorm.
F. Circumstances when tale was first heard: My informant heard
the tale during a dorm room conversation about fraternities
G. Give the following information on your informant:
Age: 20
Sex: Female
Place of birth: New York
Ethnic group: East Indian
Languages spoken: English
Religion: Christian
Year in school (or education level if not a
student): Jr
Extracurricular jobs? Yes
Date Collected: 9/10/98