It is a classic who-done-it, but the missing item is hard to miss considering the slate of wood stands 7-feet-tall and 4 feet-wide.

Like many fraternities during rush week, Lambda Chi Alpha placed its sign on the front lawn of the Bovee University Center at Central Michigan University. It went missing today and fraternity members are searching for it or anyone who knows of its whereabouts.

“We have no idea who took our rush sign,” said Michael Houlihan, President of Lambda Chi Alpha. “It’s a big sign. I don’t know where it could have gone.”

The Office of Student Life also has no idea where the sign is, whether it was taken down by another Lambda Chi Alpha member, another registered student organization or has disappeared as a practical joke.

Student Life Assistant Director Tom Idema said the sign was approved for placement in front of the UC between Sept. 16 and Sept. 23. The sign was still on the lawn Monday, he said, but he does not know who removed it. Any registered organization can post signs on the lawn between the UC and Preston Street for one full week.

Idema said University Services will remove signs if groups do not take the signs down. University Services, he said, did not take down the sign though.

“At the moment, we really don’t think it was stolen, but rather that the fraternity doesn’t know where it is,” Idema said. “It’s one of those oddball, nobody knows type of a story. I am curious myself to find out what happened to it.”

Idema said if the sign is found to be stolen, Lambda Chi Alpha can chose to report it to CMU Police. He said if another RSO is found to have taken the sign, the fraternity can report the group to the Office of Student Life.

“That would all really be up to the members of Lambda Chi Alpha,” Idema said.

Houlihan said if anyone has any leads to please inform a Lambda Chi Alpha member. He said whoever has the sign can return it to their fraternity house in front of Deerfield Village on Deerfield Road.

“It’s just a rush sign, but it lets us get our name out there and get students to know who were are. This helps students get familiar with our letters,” Houlihan said. “We just want our sign back.”

E-mail the author: Jake May