For the first time in more than 77 years, the Squires sophomore honor society will no longer be recognized as an on-campus subdivision of Omicron Delta Kappa, following hazing allegations and an investigation by the Division of Student Affairs' Office of Student Conduct.
In February, a student submitted a complaint to the Office of Student Conduct alleging members of Squires "participated in activities involving hazing of new members," according to a letter from Student Conduct to ODK President Jacob Callahan obtained by The Auburn Plainsman.
The letter suggests the hazing was an established tradition within the Squires' new member initiation.
After an investigation conducted by third-party investigators, Student Affairs determined active members of Squires, a 10-member sophomore leadership honorary, violated the Student Organizations Code of Conduct and the University's Anti-Hazing policy.
"It's been a long process, and it stinks that it's not over yet," said the president of Squires, a junior who wished not to be named. "What started as something most outside people wouldn't consider hazing, the Office of Student Conduct has turned into, most recently, ODK voting Squires out of ODK and us starting the process of becoming [an independent] student organization."
The letter sent to Callahan said Squires violated two sections of the University's Anti-Hazing Policy. Two other allegations were submitted but were not found to be true or punishable.
Section 3.11, one of the sections violated, prohibits student organizations from forcing members to participate in actions that aren't consistent with the law, organizational ritual or policy. Section 2.8 prohibits forcing students to "carry any items that serve no constructive purpose or that are designated to punish or embarrass the carrier."
During the organization's 10-day new member initiation, Squires initiates were allegedly forced to carry a marble with them at all times and present it to older Squires when asked, according to several sources close to the matter. They were also required to travel in male and female pairs.
The spring 2015 class of new Squires were the last group subject to the hazing. Freshman chosen in spring 2016 have not been initiated into the organization pending the resolution of the complaint.
New Squires are initiated by the class that comes before them.
Members of the Auburn Circle of ODK, a national leadership honor society, declined a resolution Oct. 9 presented by Student Conduct that would have punished the entire ODK membership for the hazing conducted by Squires.
Squires have been selected by ODK since 1939, according to a history written by former ODK adviser Dale Coleman. Though they weren't officially incorporated into the ODK Constitution or Bylaws, Squires have been a part of ODK since their founding and the Squires Constitution and Bylaws reflect that.
The denial of the resolution essentially separated Squires and ODK. Now, Squires will have to go through the formal process of becoming an official student organization independent from ODK, which requires approval of the University's Organizations Board and one year of previsionary status.
"It's our duty to keep it alive because it's something we really care about," the president said.
The declined resolution would have also allowed Squires to stay a part of ODK, but members rejected the resolution by a single-digit margin. The resolution would have required ODK executives to disclose the hazing allegations to members and develop standardized orientation materials for new Squires.
Ninety-five percent of ODK members, including new Squires selected in the spring, would have also been required to attend an anti-hazing workshop had the resolution passed ODK's membership.
Many ODK members did not want to be held responsible for the Squire's hazing, so they voted no on the resolution, according to several ODK members who also wished not to be named.
Others members wanted Squires to remain as a subdivision of ODK.
Callahan, current faculty adviser Jane Teel and faculty secretary Gary Waters all declined to comment on the allegations.
At the same time complaints against Squires were brought to the attention of Student Affairs officials, a student also brought complaints against Spades Honorary and Cater Society, two senior honor societies, according to an official within Student Affairs.
Those complaints, which weren't about hazing, were investigated, and Student Affairs determined the organizations had not violated the Student Organizations Code of Conduct, according to several interviews conducted by The Plainsman.
“If and when I receive reports of hazing, I forward each one of them to the Office of Student Conduct to investigate," said Lady Cox, assistant vice president for student engagement, in a statement. "If anyone is aware of a hazing incident on campus, they should report it."
Squires was founded in 1939 after the SGA established a new Executive Cabinet, which distributed power that had formerly been held within a few key positions among several executives.
"Several honor societies of the time realized the need to groom capable freshmen for future leadership rolls in student government," the official Squires history reads.
ODK founded Squires as a sophomore honor society "to recognize and bring together in one body those students who had shown exemplary character and leadership as freshmen."
ODK annually selected 10 second-year students to be the new class of Squires. Membership in Squires, according to the history, is the "highest campus honor than can come to a rising sophomore."
"The intention is to form relationships within Squires to establish a friend group," the Squires president said. "The mission statement is to serve Auburn. It's to get into serving Auburn wherever we can, wherever we feel the need to. Just to better Auburn's campus."
Throughout its history, Squires have been heavily involved in on-campus happenings. The sophomore leaders lit the Samford Hall Clock and hosted the first Hey Day in 1950.
Squires has been a co-ed organization since 1976.
Many students have considered Squires, Spades and Cater to be small, selective and secret groups on campus, which serve as pipelines to groom and consolidate future SGA and Greek leaders and influence other important student groups.
"People like to pass this secret society thing off," the Squires president said. "We kind of laugh at that. We're in the yearbook. We have callouts. Squires are chosen on the same merits that ODK members are chosen."
Applications for membership in Squires are distributed in the spring.
"While it's true that there have been a lot of Squires that have gone on to be SGA officers or Greek Life officers, that's never been painted or called the purpose of Squires," the Squires president said. "It's a cause-and-effect thing. The kids that they choose happen to be leaders. They happen to have ambition."
Clarification: A previous version of this article said "Brad Smith, SGA adviser, led the Squires project, according to the history written by Coleman. " Smith was involved with the Squires during his time as a student at Auburn from 2006-07 and the website referred to a project he led that involved a plan to develop a CPR/medical emergency training program for fraternities and sororities. Smith is not currently involved with Squires.
Editor's note: Chip Brownlee is a member of the University Organizations Board, but plans to recuse himself if Squires come before the board during his term. The Plainsman chose not to name any students subject to or involved in the hazing allegations.
Hazing reports can be submitted anonymously at www.auburn.edu/stophazing
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Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
