Fraternity reveals little about fight

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Sigma Chi social fraternity officials have neither confirmed nor denied that
their members were involved in the Sept. 7 beating of a Sanford man.

Sigma Chi Public Relations Chairman John DeLong declined comment when
asked if someone affiliated with the fraternity was involved in the altercation.

He said the organization has conducted its own investigation and has found nothing conclusive.

“As of now we don’t have substantial proof to accuse any of our members,”
said DeLong, Ferndale junior. “All I can say is we have looked into it as
an organization and we have given all the information we have to find the
truth.”

Jacob Showalter, 18, was beaten unconscious and had his head stomped on
after leaving a Sigma Chi social fraternity party during the early morning
of Sept. 7, witnesses said.

According to a Mount Pleasant Police Department report, city officers
were called to the 600 block of South Main Street at 1:59 a.m. where they
found Showalter laying on the ground bleeding.

Police are continuing interviews with witnesses and are narrowing down
the suspects, but no arrests have been made, said Charles Morrison, Mount
Pleasant Police Department public relations officer.

The CMU chapter has contacted the national organization, which DeLong said supports the campus fraternity.

“We have been in contact with them and as of now we have the support of the Sigma Chi international fraternity,” he said.

Nathan Smith, director of undergraduate services for the Sigma Chi Corp.,
said they are doing what they can to support the fraternity.

“We certainly — as with all of our chapters — we are here to serve them,” he said.

DeLong said the fraternity has taken criticism and their house vandalized since the location of the incident was revealed.

“I can confirm that the house was egged, but none of the brothers have
reported anything to me, other than the egging of our house,” he said. “People
have made comments about us, but other than some verbal abuse, nothing.”

He said the Greek letters have been removed from the house, but not because of the beating incident.

“The letters are off of the house, but it is a completely separate incident,”
DeLong said. “The letters broke, so we took them down because we didn’t want
broken letters on the house. We are working on getting new ones right now.”

He said the fraternity members noticed the broken letters Saturday night
and removed them, at latest, Sunday morning. He said the bottom of the Chi
had cracked and fallen off.

“As of right now we have been conducting normal chapter business, just
because life has to continue,” he said. “Life has to continue.”