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Sigma Alpha Mu's charter has been revoked and the house will be rented to
another Greek organization.

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Three members of fraternity to
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SAM chapter at U-M is disbanded.

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Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer

1926040

harges are being filed against
three members of the Ann
Arbor chapter of Jewish fra-
ternity Sigma Alpha Mu (SAM) for
their actions during a January ski trip
where extensive damage was caused to
Treetops Resorts in Gaylord.
According to Otsego County
Prosecutor Michael Rola, the chap-
ter president and treasurer will face
charges of consumption of drugs/alco-
hol by a minor, with another member
charged with malicious destruction of
a building over $1,000, but less than
$20,000, which is a felony. At press
time, the names of the three SAM
members were not released.
Rola issued a press release stating he
anticipates additional charges will be
issued against several other members
of the fraternity for malicious destruc-
tion of a building as soon as his office
obtains the necessary information to
identify those responsible.
"Due to the significant number of
students attending at the time of the
event in question, determining the
identities and specific actions of other
individuals believed to be involved has
been hampered; however, additional
steps are currently being taken to have
them held accountable according to
Rola's statement.
Michigan State Police still are gath-
ering information about who is liable
for the damage to Treetops during a
Jan. 16-18 ski trip attended by more
than 250 U-M students.
The criminal charges were
announced three days after the SAM
International Board of Directors
officially disbanded the Ann Arbor
chapter. According to a statement
issued by the international SAM
Executive Director Leland Manders,
the decision was based on the refusal

of those responsible for the vandalism
to come forward and the chapter offi-
cers' failure to identify the members
responsible for the wreckage. The lack
of action on the part of the bystanders
was also cited as a factor.
The Greek letters have been
removed from the SAM house at 800
Oxford St., and the members were
given a May 3 deadline to vacate the
house, which is the last day of the
semester. The house will be rented to
another Greek organization, according
to Alan Greenberg, a SAM alumnus
who serves as president of the non-
profit housing corporation that owns
the residence.
"There are plenty of people who
know who did what:' said Greenberg,
who is also de facto adviser of the Ann
Arbor SAM chapter. "It's ironic that the
[chapter] officers favored the ones who
destroyed the chapter rather than save
their chapter."
The SAM chapter will be suspended
for a minimum of four years; members
have been placed on alumni status
in the meantime. Because fraternity
policy prohibits members from joining
another Greek organization, the SAM
members will finish their college years
without the benefits of fraternity life.
"It is regrettable that these vandals,
as well as the officers of the chap-
ter, decided that avoiding personal
accountability and/or university sanc-
tions took priority over the welfare of
the entire chapter; Manders wrote in
a press release. He also said most of
the senior members of SAM refused
to participate in a membership review,
which involves written questionnaires
and personal interviews with members.

Reputation Tarnished
Both Greenberg and Manders
expressed regret over the loss of the
Ann Arbor chapter, which had won
several national awards, upheld high

Legal Consequences on page 22