Behind the Sigma Report

by Andrew Grossman

Zeta Psi’s weekly Sigma Report, the internal house newsletter over which the house has been protested and now faces College discipline, possibly derecognition, may not be quite so scandalous as initial reports made out. New details have emerged concerning the contents of the Sigma Report and the manner in which the Report was discovered and released to the College.

News of the Report was initially broken in a Daily Dartmouth article, "Zete’s Graphic Sex Papers Exposed," by Mark Brubriski. The Daily Dartmouth had obtained two copies of the newsletter, one titled "The Zetemouth," and reprinted the most-scandalous passages. A Zeta Psi brother describes the Daily Dartmouth’s coverage as "completely outrageous."

Follow-up reporting has revealed, however, that most of the newsletters’ references to sexual innuendo are factually false. A Zeta Psi brother explained that the purpose of the newsletter was "to make fun of brothers," often by "making up sexual exploits." He discounted claims that the newsletters’ contents could have been misunderstood or considered factual, citing the distribution of the Sigma Report to house members only. "We all knew it was a joke…. [It is] preposterous to claim that it could have been misinterpreted."

The Sigma Report’s "Next Week" section, which purported to list the next issue’s features, were similarly made-up. Mentioned repeatedly in campus discussions, one item promised "Next Week: [Brother X]’s patented date rape techniques!" Members of Zeta Psi describe Brother X as "the nicest guy" and someone who "would never date rape, ever," adding that Brother X "doesn’t go on a lot of dates." One brother said the joke was funny because "everyone knows [Brother X]" wouldn’t engage in such behavior.

Another section, "What If," which asked and answered the question "What if Zetes were women? Where would they be affiliated?," has been criticized for disrespecting the College’s sororities. A Zeta Psi brother claims that the section was intended to "poke fun at brothers." He also mentioned a perceived exclusivity among the sororities, by appearance, that he believes is absent from the fraternities. "Some of our brothers are strange and couldn’t get into a sorority at all" were they women.

Perusing a complete issue of the Sigma Report’s "Zetemouth" issue reveals the Daily Dartmouth’s pointed editing. Only the upper half of the issue was included in the "Sex Papers" article. However, the remainder of the issue, excised by the Daily Dartmouth, chastised a brother for his alleged laziness, giving credibility to the claims of several Zeta Psi brothers that the Report’s contents tend to be tamer than what has been sensationalized in the campus press.

Accusations made by former brother Alex Nazaryan ’02 regarding the Sigma Report’s role in Zeta Psi have also come under fire. In a Daily Dartmouth column, Nazaryan deemed the report "often the centerpiece of weekly house meetings." According to several brothers, the Report was brought out at the beginnings of meetings "to warm people up" for the meeting. It was "never a major part of meetings."

Additionally, Nazaryan now acknowledges that he ran for the position of Sigma, the preparer of the Sigma Report, while a member of Zeta Psi. He denies that he knew at the time what the position entailed. Responding to this, one Zeta Psi brother asserted that Nazaryan "certainly knew what Sigma was." This brother believes that Nazaryan lost the race because of his unpopularity in the house and that "he was not funny."

Nazaryan later de-pledged Zeta Psi and now argues that "derecognition is necessary."

Melissa Heaton ’02, primarily responsible for bringing the Sigma Report to the College’s attention, has had a long history with the Zeta Psi fraternity. She had been banned from the fraternity’s house in the fall of last year for harassing a brother and was only formally readmitted in the summer, when that brother was off-campus. She was banned once again this past fall.

According to two students, both unaffiliated, Heaton had been in relationships with several brothers in the house.

Heaton claimed, in the Daily Dartmouth’s "Sex Papers" article as well as in a column, that she was promised by brothers that they would halt publication after she confronted them last summer with a copy of the issue she had discovered. Several familiar with the situation claim that this summer issue of the Sigma Report was stolen by Heaton from a Zeta Psi brother’s jacket and that she removed it from the house after being asked to return it. Normally, copies of the Sigma Report were destroyed immediately following Zeta Psi meetings.

A Zeta Psi brother alleges that Heaton asked the house to leave her out of the Sigma Report. This brother claims "there was never any ultimatum [from Heaton] to stop publishing." The brother could not remember whether Heaton had been mentioned in subsequent issues.

This past week Zeta Psi was put on probation by its national organization, The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America, pending their investigation.

The College’s charges against the fraternity, as yet unreleased, will be heard by a panel of College administrators.

Zeta Psi declined to involve the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council’s Judiciary Council in the hearing. When involved, the JC can make recommendations to the administration.

The brothers of Zeta Psi are surprised that an internal publication intended to antagonize one another could have struck such a chord with campus radicals. Denying rampant charges of sexism, one echoed the thoughts of many: "If you think [the Sigma Report] is misogynistic, that you’d have to claim we also hate our brothers."

Sensitive to the mood on campus, the brother was quick to add, "And we don’t hate our brothers."