Former Syracuse University student and Alpha Chi Rho brother Evan Hanahoe received a sentence of six months in jail and five years probation on Tuesday for hitting Zeta Psi brother Derek Fischbach in the head with a billiard ball in a sock during a brawl between the two fraternities in October 2001.

Hanahoe’s charges were reduced from first-degree assault to second-degree assault on June 6 when he agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge.

Fischbach had to receive emergency brain surgery after the incident and returned to SU the following semester.

CROW president Earl Murphy said the sentencing illustrates how serious the actions of that night were.

“The fact alone that one of my fraternity brothers is in jail makes this no longer a fraternity issue, it is a real life issue,” said Murphy, a senior economics and political science major.

He added that although he understands that what Hanahoe did was wrong and he should be punished, he does not see why he was the only one singled out.

“I am upset that one individual is paying for the actions of a group of kids,” Murphy said.

Craig Nowakowski, the former vice president of Zeta Psi said that he did not know anything about the proceedings and has not been following the sentencing.

University spokesman Kevin Morrow was aware of the sentencing but said that the matter has been outside of SU’s jurisdiction and that the university had no official comment.

“This was a matter dealt with by the criminal justice system and there is nothing that we really want to say about it,” he added.

Murphy said that he and the rest of the CROW brothers are planning on visiting Hanahoe at the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville soon to show support for their brother.

“This is a life changing event,” he said. “I mean, imagine if you went to jail. It is just a true example in how quickly things can change and how big the penalties can be.”

He added that the issues that originally caused the violence were harbored by last year’s graduating class and now he is doing his best to bury the hatchet while he is running the organization.

“The problems have graduated,” Murphy said. “I blame it all on the seniors last year.”

Published on August 28, 2002 at 12:00 pm