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A UF sorority party trashes the Columbia in Ybor City
Zeta Tau Alpha becomes persona non grata.
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published October 25, 2007
TAMPA -- Vomit. Bar fights. Broken toilets. Sloppy drunkenness.
It seems a visit by a University of Florida sorority to the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City earlier this month turned into a scene that would appall Miss Manners, and now the Gainesville sorority chapter could face discipline.
About 250 UF students -- Zeta Tau Alpha members and their dates -- traveled from Gainesville to the historic restaurant the night of Oct. 11 for a semiformal date night. By the time Columbia staff kicked them out, the group had vomited throughout the restaurant, engaged in fights, trashed a restroom, and stolen liquor from the bar, according to catering manager Caroline O'Connor.
She declined to comment further when reached by the Times Wednesday, but made her displeasure clear in an e-mail to UF president Bernie Machen.
"The group turned our 102-year-old fine dining restaurant into a frat house," she wrote. "I feel the entire group should be disciplined in some manner."
O'Connor told Machen that 80 percent of the students, many of them underage, arrived at the restaurant drunk. Guys in the group broke a restroom toilet and baby changing table and ripped a handle off the entrance door.
When a fight broke out between some members of the group, she called police to break it up.
"The police breaking up a fight in our restaurant is something we have never had happen, and we are extremely disappointed in the behavior of your students," O'Connor wrote.
According to Tampa police records, officers were called to the restaurant at 10:09 p.m. They didn't take a report, but officers who responded to the scene found "two white men about to start a fight," according to the call log.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the national office of Zeta Tau Alpha is investigating the matter, as is UF's office of Greek affairs. The chapter has not yet been disciplined but could face sanctions, he said. In fall 2002, the chapter had a party involving alcohol that was not registered with UF's Greek affairs office, Orlando said. UF placed it on probation for spring of 2003.
In the meantime, UF administrators called the restaurant to apologize.
Chapter officials could not be reached, but the Web site for the 58-year-old sorority chapter brags: "At Zeta Tau Alpha our social calendars are always full. From the classy to the crazy, Zetas know how to party with style."
Times staff writer Abbie VanSickle contributed to this report. Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at svansickler@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3403.
[Last modified October 24, 2007, 22:44:45]
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Comments on this article
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by Carole
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11/12/07 05:22 PM
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I am a Zeta from long ago and I find this story disgusting. They shoul have their charter lifted by national.
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by Andrew
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11/04/07 05:52 PM
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Sounds like a good time.
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by cassandra
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11/02/07 12:49 AM
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this is so messed up. i am in a sorority KAPPA ALPHA THETA in pittsburgh but i am from tampa. my girls would NEVER do this. way to NOT represent the greeks of other schools....there are better ones out there, please dont judge that is so messed up
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by Mike
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10/29/07 12:37 PM
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UF students please try not to trash our beloved Ybor City, our own students do a good job of it on their own. When will parents teach their kids to REALLY respect private property and not just let them feel entitled to do whatever they want?
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by educated Okie
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10/28/07 06:58 PM
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I'm not defending nor protecting the ZTA. I am not Greek, however, "broke" could mean anything as simple as the handle comming off. "Stole liquor"- someone didn't pay a tab. "Fighting" 250 intoxicated college students, what do you expect???
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by Jay
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10/28/07 11:11 AM
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paris hilton wannabe's
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by TampaGreek
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10/27/07 07:15 PM
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Hopefully these students learn there lesson, but lets not bash them before an investigation shows us the details. I sure hope that bloggers aren't as mean to some of you as you can be to some other people.
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by Olivia
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10/27/07 02:01 PM
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First of all,the ZTA group probably took a chartered bus, ZTA does not allow for people to drive to date functions for the reason of drinking and driving. Just to clear that up.
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by gene
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10/26/07 07:44 PM
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No Respect!I hope all of the students involved get expelled,there are people in this country that would give anything to go that university and represent it in a justly manner.Punk kids these days have NO respect for anything or anyone.Just sickening
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by HeedNole
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10/26/07 05:00 PM
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Sorry, but Greeks are by no means the leaders of tomorrow. Maybe our parent's generation, but not today's. To the girl who thinks the Columbia would need press, please do your research - They are world renowned.
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by Susan
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10/26/07 02:03 PM
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A bunch of barfing bimbos and their boys strike a blow for equal rights for Greek women--be as disgusting as the Greek men! I'm a UF sorority girl myself, but I'm so glad I'm not a Zeta.
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by Gator Greek
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10/26/07 09:49 AM
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As a recent greek (not a ZTA) graduate of UF, this story does not surprise me. This is NOT typical sorority behavior. It is, however, typical ZTA behavior. They deserve to be kicked off campus for this ridiculous display of trashiness.
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by Paul
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10/26/07 09:34 AM
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FL finest-but they are forgiven-after all they are the priveledged few-w/ their future ahead of them- set them free-Gator judges in Hillsboroug-set them free-they are not FSU students- FREEDOM for GATORS
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by canes
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10/26/07 09:09 AM
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how classy...im sure mr.Tebow would have a say in it
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by Bryan
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10/26/07 08:48 AM
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No police report? Vomited throughout the restaurant, broke their toilets, stole liquor from the bar, and engaged in fights (plural). Something is very wrong with this story. All this mayhem and no police report? I seriously doubt it.
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by ashley
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10/25/07 10:44 PM
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I likewise was a sorority girl at UF and we never had any of this conduct. Way to go Zeta and represent UF and the greek community. Undue everything good the greek community does in one night
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by Doug
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10/25/07 08:02 PM
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This isn't news. It's news when Gators don't get drunk, throw up, break things and start fights.
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by UCF ZTA Mom
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10/25/07 07:48 PM
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Not all Zetas behave that way. Not all Greeks are rich - my daugh certainly wasn't. But UCF pounds into their heads Dont't Drink and Drive. So how did they get there already drunk and how did they expect to get home? Designated driver or party bus?
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by Leah
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10/25/07 07:40 PM
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I am proud to call myself a Gator. It is sad that people are putting the whole student population (50,000 ) in the same barrel as 250 that most of us don't even associate with. I agree that they were wrong in their actions, but don't group me in.
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by Kattie
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10/25/07 05:31 PM
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Gator or not, these action of young potentional leaders is disgraceful! What are we teaching children before they leave home. Go to college and party, don't worry someone else will take care of your trash? This was wrong and they need consequences!
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by Matt
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10/25/07 03:39 PM
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Nice comments Gator fans. Stay Classy!
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by Kaelin
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10/25/07 03:08 PM
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Real classy. They should have been made to clean up the puke and certainly replace any of the broken items. Do their parents know what their money is paying for????
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by Kathy
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10/25/07 03:03 PM
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250 people at the event. Don't condemn everyone who was there because of the bad behavior of a few. Haven't we learned as a society that stereotyping is dangerous? Think big picture, and punish only those individuals who are guilty.
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by Tom T
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10/25/07 02:43 PM
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Floridian by birth. Gator by the Grace of God. Some people are Gators. Others wish they were.
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by Al
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10/25/07 02:26 PM
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Something smells fishey. Why would a group of kids drive from Gainesville to Ybor City just to party? That's a long way to drive home drunk!!!
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by gator
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10/25/07 02:23 PM
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Has nothing to do with Gators as a whole, I've been to the Columbia without destroying it. Greeks usually are the bottom of the barrel these days. Good job ZTA, way to make UF proud
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by Holly
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10/25/07 02:22 PM
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Reprehensible. Wonder if it would be okay for the same be done to them?
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by tom
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10/25/07 02:15 PM
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Good Ole' Gators....gettter done....real classy......
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by Timmy
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10/25/07 01:28 PM
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What's wrong Tebow, coulnd't get into UF? You must be a nole.
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by Dave
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10/25/07 01:03 PM
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Come on now...anyone who when to college knows that the key is figuring out how to drink a lot and study just enough to get by. Nice job ladies!
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by frank
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10/25/07 12:56 PM
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ybor city, college kids, and alcohol. what could go wrong?
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by St. Pete
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10/25/07 12:23 PM
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I would expect nothing less from a bunch of "ladies" that call themselves Gaytors.
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by Jim
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10/25/07 11:07 AM
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Many Greeks act responsibily and help the community, but the news media pays more attention to stories like this. No, I never was a Greek; I just believe that people jump to conclusions and think all Greeks are bad because of an occasional story.
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by ali
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10/25/07 10:59 AM
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as a sorority girl myself, I would tell you all to do your research about greek life and look at the philanthropy work they do and maybe stop criticizing something you know nothing about. But its just like the media to only publish the bad!
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by julie
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10/25/07 10:48 AM
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who cares...welcome to college - its all part of the experience!!
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Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
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