The Greek letters adorning Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house have been torn down, perhaps symbolizing the broken fraternity residing within.

Tension at Sigma Alpha Mu, 238 E. Fairmount Ave., led to a decision to reorganize the chapter last semester, and 13 fraternity members were turned away and given alumni status, said Fraternity President Jeff Willner.

But those asked to leave the fraternity -- nicknamed "Sammy" -- say the tension Willner describes never existed and former and current members are unable to agree on what actually happened.

"There was no real animosity," said Larry Herman (junior-liberal arts), a recent alumnus. "There were just people who you preferred to hang out with."

The new alumni say Willner never explained the decision to redefine membership.

"He never actually came to us and told us," said Doug Dolfman (junior-management).

"We thought (the reorganization) was discussed openly," said Bill Schwartz, executive director of Sigma Alpha Mu's national headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. "When something like this happens, when a group breaks up, there are always people who disagree with the leadership."

Though Willner asked him to remain, Glenn Paskoff (sophomore-mechanical engineering) said he chose to leave the chapter because he disagreed with the reorganization, adding that he told other members they were going to be turned away.

Another alumnus, Ryle David (junior-journalism), said some members realized Willner would act on his intentions to renew the chapter when they read a reorganizational mixer advertisement in last Wednesday's The Daily Collegian.

Greek Adviser Rick Funk said he realized the decision to reorganize lacked unanimous support, but noted that no complaints were submitted to the Interfraternity Council.

David said he would feel "a lot less resentful" if Willner had personally turned members away.

"Jeff picked his friends to stay," said Rob Muhlhauser (junior-biochemistry), also an alumnus.

"I understand that they're upset," Willner said, "but they're not handling it in a proper way." He said he wrote letters to members explaining the situation, but never delivered them because "word was out already."

Willner said he spoke with three members -- Dolfman, Herman and John Romano (junior-microbiology) --before the advertisement to reorganize the fraternity was published.

"A couple of them were very close-minded," Willner said. "They didn't want to talk."

Dolfman disagreed, saying that the members confronted Willner.

"(Willner) could have had more tact," Romano said.

Members voted to disband the chapter on Nov. 30, the chapter's last official meeting, David said, noting that ironically, members who were asked to leave are the same men who voted against the disbanding.

"I wonder if the disbanding was just a gimmick to get rid of brothers," Paskoff said, explaining that he thinks Willner had intentions to reorganize the chapter before the last meeting.

Willner said he had no prior intentions, but rather was convinced by the national headquarter representatives to reorganize the chapter.

The fraternity has divided further since the disbanding because both current members and alumni are residing in the house.

"Recently we've had problems," Willner said, adding "A lot of people are really scared."

"I see the future of this house in a very bad light," Dolfman said.

"I'm hoping that things will cool down," Willner said, adding that new Greek letters have been painted on the house in attempts to re-establish the fraternity.