eatings, the suggestion of bestiality and other forms of humiliation were forced upon FarmHouse fraternity members as acts of hazing.

According to information released Friday by the University’s Student Activities Office, fraternity members forced students into sleep deprivation, beat them with a strap and took them to livestock pens where students believed they were to have sex with animals.

The students were taken to livestock pens and given condoms, but they were told it was a joke before they actually entered the pens.

Members also were hung over a balcony in their underwear while water was poured on them.

The Student Activities Office memo stated some students also were expected to clean the house with toothbrushes at any time, day or night.

In late February two students complained to the University about the activities. The chapter is under suspension from the University as well as the Interfraternity Council until spring 2007.

The University is investigating 15 students.

“We’ve been coordinating with the University, and we’re moving forward,” said FarmHouse International Executive Director Jim Griffith. “We have a lot of work to do, and it’s time to move forward with the guidance of the chapter.”

Griffith said it was his goal to see hazing removed forever from college campuses. He also said he hopes students become educated about hazing and what should be done about it.

“I think there is a value in trying to see this from an educational standpoint,” he said.

Interfraternity Council President Alex Vu said he was “shocked” at the severity of the hazing.

“That is really unacceptable,” Vu said. “People have heard of different measures of hazing, but that is the most extreme.

“At first we thought the punishment was extreme, but we didn’t know what they did,” Vu said of the at least yearlong suspension at the very least from the University. “Now it’s pretty appropriate.”

FarmHouse chapter president Jeff Schmitz did not return a phone call for comment. University personnel also could not be reached for comment.

Delta Kappa Epsilon President Matt Mountain said he wouldn’t comment on the FarmHouse issue.

“It’s none of my business,” he said.

Other fraternity members said they were instructed by their organizations to not comment on the issue.

Although some people said there were stunned by the acts, not everyone expressed shock.

“I’m not really surprised,” said journalism senior Kimberly Schneider. “You hear about things like this going on at other schools.”

Mechanical engineering junior Brandon Schendel said he hasn’t been paying attention to the issue, but also said he didn’t have any strong feelings.

“It wasn’t surprising, but I didn’t really have very high expectations of anyone,” he said.