Sigma Tau Gamma Illinois State University ISU Triangulation, Dirt Slinging, Slander, Defamation Normal Illinois

Answer to an article in the SAGA

Sigma Tau Gamma

Is Greek Life Still Worth It?

NO!

From my experience, Sigma Tau Gamma (Gamma Psi) was detrimental to my life.  There were good experiences that I was apart of, though it was not enough to make up for the time wasted and a lack of any real friendships or connections.

Aside from many people needing to get wasted to interact socially (myself included), triangulation, dirt slinging, slander, and rumors were used to control peoples perceptions.   Ruining reputations and mind games were common tactics used during and after my time with Sigma Tau Gamma. 

During the pledge semester, the people who excelled were the people who spread rumors for a couple of older active members.   If you did not partake in this negativity, it could be turned against you.   

During my 4 years of membership and my declining desire for ISU and academics, I put up with constant negativity and backstabbing which held over in some of the relationships I had even after my time at ISU.

Similar tactics were used against Sigma Tau Gamma's very own Dan Rutherford by the opposing camp which derailed his strong bid for The Governor of Illinois in 2014.  One look at the main complainant's last name seems to be more of a hint than just a Bruce Rauner strategy.

Does Sigma Tau Gamma teach these tactics?   Would Sigma Tau Gamma use these tactics against its own members?   Some members did depend on these tactics instead of actually doing something positive.

aking a look at a recent ISU article related to Sigma Tau Gamma, you can easily see the same excuses and talking points that have always been used to clear the fraternity and members bad behavior.

On several occasions, I was called a coward after defending the Frat House from drunken invaders when no one else did.  This was echoed by people I didn't even know personally.  When I defended my self from defamation I was asked, "why would your frat brothers lie about you?"  In another instance,  I had been attacked in the parking lot and fought off 4 or 5 people while having a couple knock-outs and a knockdown before I wrestled with one attacker to the ground and he escaped.   Soon after I was chastised because some of the attackers were NOT from a rival frat. 

For a couple years I had bad interactions with some of my pledge brothers.  From what I know now it was because a few older members had brainwashed some pledge brothers against me.   One of my pledge brothers threw a full closed can of beer at me from a 2nd story window just missing my face.  When I yelled about it, some members came out to fight me saying I was tearing up the house or damaging it.   

Some members had an inside track, while during our pledge semester we were taught that we are all equal with no special privileges.  The members who taught us this bullshit were creating their own echo chambers to give themselves success and steal from others who were able.  Several times I was called or asked to reveal information about members or enticed to say negative things as my response.

We were often told that Michael Schermer who was an honorary member of Sigma Tau Gamma working for the University, was not liked or respected.  It is possible this was a story given to me to believe, though it could have been given to other members.

Some years later and away from ISU I was invited to several gathering.  Sometimes I was given directions to a place where nobody was at.  Other times I was invited to places where few people would speak or associate with me.   Even among my own friends in Sigma Tau Gamma, there was always some type of mind game or trickery that was taking place which stopped any real friendship from continuing.

It was common to have things stolen from bedrooms or to have money taken if visible.   There were times when I was told that people were touching some of my belongings in a perverted way, almost as if to steal or give bad juju to me.  These members were viewed as upstanding and good people.  

I cannot deny there were times that some members and their girlfriends did treat me well or did a kind gesture here or there.  There were some members who I did not talk to much who were probably better than the members who I did associate with.   

It is quite possible that although we were a somewhat structured organization, that there were many wedges and fissures that were put into place to keep us separate and to prohibit the gaining of information that would be needed to achieve and cooperate with each other.   This became visibly obvious to me when I returned to Sigma Tau Gamma a couple years later and saw how the composite fraternity picture had been hijacked to make some people look bad and to make others look good.   The picture I choose to represent myself was not the picture in the composite.  

As I looked around on my visit, I was asked by a member why I had not come back and visited Sigma Tau Gamma.  This was a great question but at the time I did not have an appropriate answer.  Maybe I was biting my tongue.   It was because I had been disgraced and had little respect left for my once brothers.  Some might say I brought it upon myself, but looking back at the mind games, manipulations, added stress from some members, slander, blackballing while an active member and worsening health took a toll on me.   As soon as I left Sigma Tau Gamma and ISU, my health came back quickly.

Considering this fraternity was erected out of WW1 by soldiers, I did not see much honor here after joining, but bad morale and infighting.  I grew up in a military family and around other military men close to my family who fought in real wars.   I found out later one had belonged to Sigma Tau Gamma in one of the first 2 or 3 chapters created.  From some of the behaviors of those especially who became part of the exec board, if it was a time of war and a real battleground, some of these members would have been fragged as they slept.  I would not be surprised if this was the case for other chapters of Sigma Tau Gamma, especially those larger in number.

This is not a posting or letter that looks to rekindle any friendships or brotherhood.   This is a condensed personal experience with a couple of highlights, In response to a SAGA article. 

P.S.   If you want to start building stronger chapters, make sure the incoming members do not have any student loans or debt.  
This debt can be used against them by the work world or other members who seek to manipulate and gain control of others.  With little to no debt after graduation, the alumni can make better decisions for everyone instead of cutting corners and following the tradition of becoming a puppet for employers or other members of Sigma Tau Gamma.