The Interfraternity Council is trying to prevent fraternitiesfrom vandalizing other chapter houses.
IFC will vote Thursday on a new piece of legislation that willset a minimum punishment for vandalism, Jason Matney, IFC vicepresident said.
The legislation will include a series of fines for fraternitieswho damage another house, Rob Turning, assistant director ofstudent organizations and activities, said.
This is the first time IFC has created any legislationconcerning vandalism and feels that it is necessary to have awritten policy to turn to when a situation arises, Turningsaid.
The IFC judicial board has handled cases of vandalism, and thelegislation will not drastically change the current process.Instead, it will create a standard of discipline.
IFC President Ben Tietz, however, said he does not feelvandalism between fraternities is a big problem.
"It doesn't happen as much as people think," Tietz said. "It'smore of an issue with non-greek people."
But Jason Lebata, president of Sigma Chi fraternity, said otherfraternity members cause a lot of the vandalism that occurs atfraternity houses.
"They just think it's funny," he said.
The legislation, if passed, will mandate that a letter be sentto the offending fraternity's headquarters notifying members ofwhat they have done. A monetary fine to IFC will be charged againstthe fraternity, and it must replace and return anything damaged ortaken, according to the legislation.
Dave Frye, president of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, saidfraternity rivalries caused problems three years ago, but sincethen, they have not been an issue.
Turning said he isn't sure where this rivalry comes from.
"There will always be some kind of rivalry because we aredifferent organizations competing in the same things," Fryesaid.
He said he hopes it's not other fraternities doing thevandalism, Frye said.
The most-recent vandalism happened early Friday morning to fivefraternities.
Delta Tau Delta reported that their volleyball net was stolenand a sign, which said they support Bush and their brothers at war,was spray painted with obscene words in their front yard.
Sigma Chi experienced the same type of vandalism. The cross intheir front yard was spray painted, and an alumni welcoming-signwas stolen.
"This type of vandalism is not uncommon," Frye said.
He said he does not think last weekend's vandalism was greekrelated since it happened to numerous fraternities.
Currently, if a fraternity does feel they have been wronged byanother fraternity, the IFC judicial board brings each sidetogether to discuss the problem.
If it involves property damage, the fraternity who caused thedamage is asked to pay for it, Turning said.
If that does not work, fraternities could be put on socialprobation, preventing them from participating in campus activitiessuch as intramurals.
Turning said that in the two and half years he has been at BallState, he has never had to put anyone on probation.
Last year the IFC held an amnesty day where fraternities couldreturn property of other fraternities with no questions asked.
Turning said composites that had been taken long before thecurrent members joined their fraternity comprised the majority ofthe returned items.
Composites are large, wooden frames containing pictures of eachmember.
"Composites have always been very popular to steal," Turningsaid.
In the past Sigma Chi had to pay $1,500 to replace a compositethat had been ripped off the wall and broken.
Fraternity members pay for such expenses unless the culprit iscaught.
Lebata said their composites are bolted to the wall, and theybreak when ripped off.
Photographers only hold the negatives for so long, so the oldercomposites that are not returned might be irreplaceable, Turningsaid.
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