Sigma Tau Gamma (STG) has become the recipient of rumors and the central focus of modern myths at the University of Southern Indiana for more than a decade.

Over the past 14 years, the truth has stretched so far from reality that it is now difficult to differentiate fact from fiction.

As the myth goes, a STG brother was drenched with alcohol and caught on fire.

Although STG did in fact suffer hazing charges during the 1990’s, the charges are a minor faux pas compared to what the myth suggests.

In January of ’96, the hazing victim told USI officials that his STG brothers blindfolded him and placed him under extreme amounts of harassment and duress.

He did not experience physical abuse, and the incident was dubbed as “psychological hazing” by Dean of Students Barry Schonberger.

However, USI has a strict no tolerance policy for hazing of any kind, so the university charged the fraternity with a one year probation starting May 1, 1996.

However, after this incident, the fraternity’s alumni pulled the chapter from campus for 14 years.

STG Expansion Counselor Ryan Binkley explains that the fraternity was going down a path that the alumni were dissatisfied with, and, consequently, the chapter was shut down before further damage was done.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams was one of the alumni that decided to pull STG’s chapter from USI’s campus.

“There were many factors taken into consideration. It was a very difficult decision but was made with the best interest of the university, fraternity and alumni,” Williams said.

Although no clear reason exists about why the fraternity was shut down, Williams gave a small bit of insight.

“There were several reasons,” he said. “Some included the financial status of the chapter, the reputation on campus and the seeming departure from the guiding principles of the fraternity.”

Regardless of the illegal activity STG has delved into in the past, the fraternity makes it indubitably clear that they are taking advantage of this second chance to start over new.

And as for the tremendous 14-year time gap, Williams said, “We thought much more time [more than one year] would need to pass to make sure there was no longer a dark cloud over the fraternity.”

The alumni wanted to make sure that the timing was right on campus and with the national fraternity so that the chapter could be brought back in the manner that the alumni wanted.

“The timing is right on all fronts and we are back on,” Williams relayed enthusiastically.

Vanco discussed how he would like STG to continue the actions and goals of the previous STG brothers as they seek to recruit “the top men on campus.”

“We typically go for guys that have a 2.75 (GPA)” he said. “We shoot for people that are involved in other organizations.”

Vanco explained that STG has many goals for this year at USI. They strive to have the highest GPA of any fraternity on campus this coming year and the years to follow.

“We’re trying to get people who are going to help spread the organization around campus so that we can be known as men rather than frat guys.”

STG certainly has their work cut out for them. Some of the other USI fraternities have expressed apprehensive thoughts about STG returning to campus after the incidents of the past, but Vanco explained how the fraternity is only trying to make Greek life better and stronger.

“It’s something that we’re trying to do for everybody,” he said. “We’re not trying to compete with other fraternities or do bad things.”

Williams believes that STG will have no problems with regaining the respect of the campus and the community.

“By staying true to (STG’s) guiding principles, working cooperatively with the university and collaboratively with the other student organizations to make the university the best it can be.”