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Two brothers from Lambda Chi Alpha were brought to Eastern Maine Medical Center early Sunday morning following a fist fight on the porch of the fraternity house.
Levi Watkin, president of the fraternity, was one of the Lambda Chi brothers involved in the April 8 altercation.
“There were four I know about,” he said. “Another came outside with us, but I don’t know if he was involved. And maybe another, I don’t really remember.”
The two were taken to EMMC by University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, where they were both treated for broken noses and then released.
Watkin said the brothers were responding to a noise they heard outside of the house.
“Somebody heard them messing around outside and went outside to check it out,” Watkin said. “He came back in and yelled for everyone to get out there.”
The noise the Lambda Chi brothers heard was a group of four vandals, two of whom have been identified by Chi Omega sisters as Phi Gamma Delta brothers. Reportedly, another vandal was visiting from Canada and a fourth has yet to be identified.
Daniel Davidson, president of FIJI, said there is no connection between the FIJI house and the fight at Lambda Chi.
“It has nothing to do with FIJI,” he said. “It has nothing to do with any problems between FIJI and Lambda Chi Alpha.”
Watkin said there have been no problems between FIJI and Lambda Chi to trigger the vandalism.
Dr. Robert Dana, senior associate dean of Students and Community Life, said there will be no sanctions imposed on Lambda Chi in connection with the incident because the men were defending their house.
“As far as I know Lambda Chi did not participate in any misconduct,” he said.
He said if there were FIJI brothers involved they would be dealt with as individuals instead of representatives of the house because FIJI is no longer sanctioned by the University of Maine. FIJI has not been recognized since February of this year as a result of a November 2000 incident where brothers took a phone away from a woman in the house who was placing a call to Public Safety.
Watkin said some of the brothers were in the basement watching a movie when they first heard smashing noises. Watkin admits he and some of the others were intoxicated at the time.
“The guys were downstairs watching movies,” he said. “Most everyone had gone to bed except a few people.”
By the time Lambda Chi brothers arrived outside, the mailbox had been knocked down and vandals were in the process of knocking down a column that holds up part of the roof of the house. Watkin said the brothers yelled at the others to leave, but they did not. He said one of the vandals, some of whom were still trying to knock down the column, threw the first punch.
“They did all the damage to themselves.” he said. “One guy got hit in the head by the pole when it was kicked out.”
According to Dana, one of the vandals was injured, but Public Safety reported that only two people were brought to the hospital.
Watkin said the vandals left Lambda Chi after hitting two of the brothers and knocking down the post and the mailbox, running down College Avenue towards Orono. Chi Omega sisters confirm that two FIJI brothers as well as two other men were found on the front lawn of the sorority, where Public Safety caught up with them.
The mailbox has been fixed and the blood-spattered post has been put back into place but is still not securely attached to the roof of the house. Watkin said he does not know when it will be fixed or how much it will cost.
Watkin said charges have been filed and Public Safety said the incident is still under investigation.
Bangor Daily News