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Tag: Delta Kappa Epsilon

  • Caitlyn Kovacs and Darsh Patel, Rutgers Students, Die on Sunday in Unrelated Incidents

    Students and staff at Rutgers University are in mourning after the sudden deaths of two of their own.

    19-year-old Caitlyn Kovacs was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital after she appeared to be “in distress” at a party at the Delta Kappa Epsilon house early Sunday morning. She was pronounced dead at 3:19 a.m.

    Although an official cause of death is yet to be determined, alcohol is believed to have played a part after police reports indicated that Kovacs drank too much at the gathering.

    “We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Caitlyn Kovacs,” said Rutgers President Robert Barchi in a statement. “Her passing over the weekend is a tragic loss to her family, her friends, and the entire Rutgers community.

    “I know this is a difficult time for everyone. We are offering grief counseling at two locations today at 7 pm. Staff will be available for counseling at the Student Activities Center and in the College Avenue Student Center. Our counselors can provide support services, understanding, and assistance to help anyone in the student body better cope with this situation.”

    Kovacs graduated from South Brunswick High School in 2013 and was studying animal science at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

    “‘She was always involved in planning pep rallies and the powder puff games and stuff like that,” Aaron Laserna, friend of Kovac, told reporters. ”She had a lot of energy and always had a smile on her face. She was always happy and fun to be around. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

    At this time no charges have been filed against Delta Kappa Epsilon or any of the 55 Rutgers members but the incident remains under investigation.

    Doug Laphner, president of the Rutgers chapter of DKE, said in a statement, “On behalf of the International Fraternity of Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Brothers of our chapter at Rutgers University, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Caitlyn Kovacs. We also wish to extend our sympathies to the students of Rutgers University as they endure this time of grief and misfortune. As the investigation of the incident is ongoing, Delta Kappa Epsilon is fully cooperating with local and county authorities.”

    This wouldn’t be the first time that a chapter in this fraternity has faced controversy. In 2011, the DKE chapter at Yale was banned from conducting fraternity activities on campus, including recruiting, after a pledge event that included sexually-explicit chanting.

    Sadly, almost immediately after the death of Kovacs, Rutgers lost another student.

    22-year-old Darsh Patel was hiking when he was attacked and killed by a black bear in Apshawa Preserve.

    Officials said that the 300-pound male was likely looking for food and was circling the victim’s body when sheriff officers and wildlife officials killed it.

    “This is a rare occurrence,” West Milford police Chief Timothy Storbeck said.

    Patel was a senior information technology and informatics major at Rutgers University.

  • LSU Fraternity Apologizes, But May Still Be in Hot Water

    As if LSU’s 45-13 victory over Kent State, wasn’t enough Saturday, some Tiger fans just had to take it to another level. However, in this case, it may have been better just to leave well enough alone. The Zeta Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity has been under fire and scrutiny since an offensive banner was hung in front of the fraternity’s house. Then, to add insult to injury, an image of the mocking banner surfaced on Twitter.

    The banner read, “Getting Massacred is Nothing New to Kent St.,” which compared Kent State’s loss on the field to the campus shooting of 1970. The historic event happened when shots rang out from Ohio National Guard, while 2000 student protesters were caught in the crossfire. Four students were fatally shot, while nine more were wounded. The offensive banner caused such a stir over the pass few days that it has attracted national attention. On Sunday, statements of response were exchanged between officials of both universities. LSU officials issued a statement of response, while Delta Kappa Epsilon offered a formal statement of apology.

    Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity’s formal apology stated:

    “We, the men of Zeta Zeta, formally apologize to your entire community for the banner that was hung from our house this past weekend. The sign was inappropriate and should never have been hung in the first place. We hope that the Kent State community can forgive our action and accept our sincere apologies. We apologize not only to the community of Kent State, but also to those who were personally affected by this tragedy in American history. Hanging the banner was a poor attempt at humor. We, as young college students, did not grasp the full scoop of the tragedy and it’s long lasting effects. This is not how we would like to represent our fraternity as well as our school, and we certainly hope we did not put a negative spin on your school’s visit to Louisiana State University.”

    The fraternity also hung a banner of apology to Kent State.

    In most cases, such actions of formality would defuse this type of situation. However, this case is a little different. The Advocate reports that Delta Kappa Epsilon has a reputation for controversial banners that include derogatory references. Business Insider goes on to provide even more visual examples of the fraternity’s infamous behavior and ill-suited comments toward other universities LSU has played during football season.

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    Since statements of apology haven’t quite stopped the fraternity in the past, the university is still trying to decide what further actions can be taken to prevent any recurrences. The fraternity came off of a two-year suspension in 2006, now it looks as they they may be headed back down the same road.

    Image via WAFB’s Jacques Doucet on Twitter