An article in the Sunday edition of the New York Times Magazine has raised a stir on campus for its depiction of Northwestern fraternity life — a depiction some say is unfair and biased.

Written by Benoit Denizet-Lewis, a Medill ’97 graduate and member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, the article titled “Ban of Brothers” explores the problem of fraternity drinking, and questions whether making fraternities dry is an effective solution.

Denizet-Lewis visited the Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Chi and Phi Delta Theta chapters for research on his article, comparing the current fraternity experience to his own as a Medill undergraduate.

“My goal was to go back to my chapter and see what this whole dry thing was about,” Denizet-Lewis said in a phone interview from New York.

Some of those portrayed in the article said they are unhappy at the way fraternities are presented.

Kyle Pendleton, associate director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said he was unhappy with the beginning of the article, which depicts Phi Delt members drinking at an off-campus party.

“Unfortunately, that was not representative of the majority of fraternities and sororities on campus,” Pendleton said. Pendleton stressed that a number of NU’s fraternities are held up as model examples by their national organizations.

Pendleton declined to comment on any specific repercussions stemming from actions portrayed in the article.

“At this point, we will work with student leaders, alumni and national offices to address the issue,” he said.

Theo Michels, the president of Phi Delta Theta who was quoted in the article, said although he didn’t think the article said anything specifically against Phi Delta Theta, parts of it revealed administrative bias.

“Pendleton called Sigma Chi an ideal fraternity in the article, even though they just colonized,” Michels said. Sigma Chi returned to campus in the spring of 2004 after being kicked off in 2000.

Michels said that no one has contacted him yet regarding any administrative consequences from the article.

Although his house is described as the “ideal fraternity” in the article, Sigma Chi president Diego Berdakin was unhappy with what he thought were preconceived notions about his chapter.

“He made it seem like most NU frats were like ‘Animal House’ and portrayed us as ‘Revenge of the Nerds’,” Berdakin said.

Denizet-Lewis describes the Sigma Chi house as “too clean, too perfect,” and clashing with his experience with fraternity life at NU.

“We probably looked more like 40 guys from Campus Crusade for Christ than from a fraternity,” Berdakin said.

Berdakin also said he took issue with a quote from an anonymous member of another fraternities that said that people rushed Sigma Chi “because no other fraternity would take them.”

“Most of our guys got bids from other houses (during the Rush process),” Berdakin said. “They just didn’t think that it would be right for them.”

Not all reaction on campus has been negative. Sig Ep president Nick Johnson said that, although to some extent the article does give some false impressions, it also raised interesting and important questions.

“It did explore the idea of universities taking a hard line on alcohol,” Johnson said. “Dry fraternities have been forced to go off campus to drink, which hasn’t helped relations with the city or police. It doesn’t always solve the problem — it just moves it somewhere else or creates more problems.”

Denizet-Lewis said that reactions to his article varied.

“A lot of people wrote to me to say how it’s absurd that fraternities were warned against showing ‘Animal House’,” Denizet-Lewis said. “Others told me frat boys were a bunch of misogynist rapists. People clearly have very strong reactions about fraternities.”

Reach Joseph DeMartino at [email protected].