Last semester, investigative snitch Anita Taka Boutit presented The Yowl journalists with information regarding the presence of a horse being stowed away in the North Carolina Theta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) house basement. While appearing well-fed, the stallion was disturbingly contained in suboptimal conditions. This jarring report raised significant concerns amid dropping temperatures from late November to mid-December.

The Yowl has been working diligently with Club Equestrian to ensure the safety and well-being of the SAE horse. Though the horse has remained in good condition the past few months, Club Equestrian’s members report declining health upon the most recent visit. Without a brother’s CatCard access, the SAE house, and thus, the basement, are inaccessible, requiring the aptly named “SAE Horse Acquisition Task Force” (SHAT) to observe the horse through a connecting storm drain that allows for peeping into the area. In a recent report, SHAT team leader and biology major Mary Smith describes the horse as “[lethargic] [with] a [dull] [coat].” As a self-proclaimed “horse [expert],” Smith predicts the horse may be in a comatose state of hibernation as a self-preservation technique to cope with colder temperatures. Smith believes that as temperatures warm, the horse will recover to full health.

SHAT is currently leading an official investigation with the Animal Sanitation Society (ASS), a federally-funded program working toward proper animal maintenance. However, as federal programs are defunded, ASS finds itself stretched wide without any official budget. This has caused SHAT to limit their movement through ASS and encouraged internal action by SHAT, now referred to as SHART (SAE Horse Acquisition Resilience Task Force) under private funding.

This has remained but a mere speed bump for SHART members. While some action has been harmless, such as SHART’s heist of the hay bales used for Warner Hall house’s placement day, other members have been reported breaking into SAE members’ cars, presumably in search of a basement key or some type of access to the building. As of present, SHART’s next move is unknown. Brothers have yet to comment on the matter.