Chapter Closings/Hazing and Alcohol
 

I've been reading "Fraternal News" for about a week now. They have reported at least three chapter closings for either hazing or alcohol or both in that amount of time.

DKE at Washington
TKE at Ohio State
Kappa Alpha Psi at LSU

Perhaps it will be instructive to keep this list going so we can all see what we are collectively doing by hiding our heads in the sand regarding risk management/hazing/alcohol abuse.

DeltAlum

DA, what is that site? You and I have the same feeling even tho diff letters!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

By the way I argue with one of my Alums as he says well Tom they are just kids! Kids are the ones that get all of us booted or yanked! When they get to College they are on their own but must be young men that is why we have Fraternitys and not Frats! I was young once and started my own local and am proud to say I am a member of my Fraternity!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Silver Turtle (I believe it was her) published a link a couple weeks ago to the fraternal news Yahoo group, here it is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fraternalnews/messages/1

I'm going to suggest John add this link to the page somewhere so anyone who wants to go to it and read can do so. You don't have to sign up for the group to read the messages.

OK, flame me....I think keeping a list of negative Greek incidents going on this page is a horrible idea.

DeltAlum, I know what you are trying to say and I applaud your passion so long after your college days, but I'm not sure the way you go about it isn't counterproductive. I also don't think it's very cool of you to intimate that we are "sticking our heads in the sand" if we'd rather talk about thong sandals ( http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif newbie) or other aspects of Greek life rather than wringing our hands over hazing and alcohol abuse 24/7.

I don't think there's any regular on this board who isn't aware of hazing and alcohol problems - I've never seen a post called "my fraternity/sorority would never do that!" Not to mention some of the other problems we face like unfriendly schools, eating disorders, scummy landlords.....I could go on and on. I think I speak for all of us when I say I wish I could rip the paddles and/or bottles out of some of these idiots' hands.....but unfortunately, I'm not a genie. I can't blink my eyes and be there. I can (and everyone can) educate the people in my orbit with positive reinforcement and showing them better ways to do things, not constantly telling horror stories and threatening "this could happen to you!" Would you listen to that when you were 19? I doubt it.

Plus, this board serves as a good PR tool for the Greek system in general. Rushees come on here and see people from across the system and across the country interacting with what, it's easy to see, have become close bonds. I'd hate to have someone thinking about Greek life come on this site and see a list of hazing incidents (with no follow-up of what was done to remedy them) and chapter closings and get turned off to the whole system. "Just as I thought....all they do is haze and drink."

Plus that other thread that fancyface started asking for experiences/advice about chapter closure...was it really necessary to bring up the LSU SAE incident from FOUR YEARS AGO? (Hey, in other hot news, I hear Ford's going to pardon Nixon.) The alums of that chapter have had to hang their heads over that for 4 years now (I mean the old alums, not the ones that were there when it happened), why keep twisting the knife? She was asking about personal experiences - didn't you say that one of the chapters you advised was closed? Why not talk about that, instead of dragging 2 other fraternities through the mud? Pike4Life did, very well.

I just hate the idea of reprinting stories that we know nothing or next to nothing about. I would say unless you were in it, or very close to it, you don't know what the hell happened. I saw some very dear friends of mine have their fraternity ripped from them - the supposed reason, "risk management issues" but that was NOT the reason, I assure you. I'm not saying all the news stories are trumped up charges, but I've seen enough crap go down to know that I wouldn't believe anything unless I dug into it.

I think what I am trying to say with this rather lengthy post is that negativity very rarely smashes negativity.

I think that's a great idea. Keep 'em coming... of course, the "wishful thinking" side of me hopes that there are no more to add.

Well 33Girl,

I will respectfully agree to disagree.

Without understanding the consequences of an action, change for the better seldom occurs. That's something you learn in parenting and in business -- really in much of life.

To point out past transgressions that people at the same school, in the same era, obviously didn't learn from, or chose to ignore, is an important factor in showing the disregard for the "good of the order." Besides, as any good journalist (which, although my background is in media, I've never claimed to be) or any good lawyer knows, the background (history) leading up to an event is important to consider when trying to decide the outcome and ramifications of the present circumstance. That's probably why the new article that Fraternal News quotes mentioned the SAE incident as well. It shows a pattern of unacceptable behaviors which aren't being corrected.

When you're standing at bat, you can't simply ignore those first two strikes. After the third, you know what happens.

As division officers and alumni volunteers, it is worrisome that someday we could be on the wrong end of one of those lawsuits simply because we are trying to help our fraternity. How foolish would we be to not have brought problems to the attention of those people and that system that we have dedicated our efforts to? And, no, none of the chapters I advise have ever been closed. A local chapter did close, probably for good, but it was before I became involved in the Division.

I will say this, 33 -- I admire your spirit and sometimes (perhaps even often) agree with you. And you make your points with eloquence. I wish we had been standing side by side in the 60's during those turbulent times of unrest when I was, in fact, 19. Even as we grow older, though, as you were so kind to point out, the "passion" does remain. But as we gain in our life's experiences it is not uncommon to become frustrated as errors are repeated time and again.

Finally, I don't believe that everyone on GC has his/her head in the sand. But read through some of the posts on "Hazing is good," or "Anti Hazing has gone too far." I submit that what you consider negativity (pointing out adverse and natural consequences) may be necessary to counter some of that stupidity.

Although I don't totally agree with concept of "tough love," my experience tells me that standing silent can be more damaging than pointing out those consequences.

Fraternally,
DeltAlum

Hey Delt Alum -

You're right - there are idiots out there who need to be told over and over. Unfortunately, the ones who need it most hear it the least. We haven't heard from Gaspard since his little "hazing is good" hit & run post.

I don't think we should be silent, but I think having the link would be sufficient. I just know how I would feel if every time I came on here, there was another "incident" listed involving my sorority. I feel I'm doing what I can (as probably a lot of alums & alum volunteers do) and it would be like getting slapped in the face.

Education is sorely needed. I just don't think this board is the place to do it, that's all.

Sorry if this ia a little incoherent but the caffeine has not kicked in yet. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

Hi again, 33,

You always make your point just fine, with or without caffeine. I wish I could agree with you. But again, respectfully, I can't.

I'm afraid that I don't think enough of the right people will link to Fraternal News to make a difference here. My gut tells me that this is the forum to get the information to the most Greeks.

And if I seem relentless, I simply recall something I learned in speech, advertising, journalism and marketing classes in that far distant past:

"You tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, then you tell 'em, then you tell 'em what you told 'em."

Hopefully that will get the message through. Sometimes, though, like a mule, you have to smack someone in the head to get his/her attention before you can get any movement.

In the end the people who "get it" already aren't the ones we have to convince.

DeltAlum

I agree that posting these articles here is what has to be done. In this day and age when we all KNOW that our National organizations are DESPERATELY trying to get us to understand that ALCOHOL RUINS CHAPTERS AND LIVES, WHY does this continue to happen? What is it going to take for GLO's to STOP this irresponsible behavior and start taking responsibility for our personal choices...I feel you take on the honorable task of being an example of your GLO and your actions ALWAYS refelct back on your chapter and organization. When you pick up that second beer, what is going through your mind? What about when you pick up the 7th? When will binge drinking STOP running rampant through the Greek system, and when will it stop DESTROYING hundreds of years of history and hard work? Do you ever pick up a drink and wonder "What would one of my GLO's founders say if they saw me defaming the name of the organization they worked so hard to create?

Why is everyone so afraid to talk about it? When incidents happen that put us in a bad light, you want to sweep it under the carpet and no one wants to blame the feeble minded, selfish individuals who fu*ked their organization, but when you do something good, you want the praise. You have to take the good with the bad. We need the bad to become less frequent and start associating ourselves with service, love, and sisterhood/brotherhood...This CANNOT happen when alcohol has ANY role in your chapter activities...What you do on your own time is one thing, but the minute another sister or brother is with you, you become GLO members out drinking. As much as you may not like that statement, it is true....TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS!! OWN YOUR BEHAVIOR AND CHOICES! When did it become ok to justify and defend illegal behavior because you believe it is the staus quo? Or because "everyone else" is "doing it"? Or "that's what you do in college"? These are EXCUSES that are used to pass the buck off of yourself! NO ONE PUT THE BEER IN THEIR HANDS OR ANYONE'S HANDS! And no one said you had to join a GLO. But you did, and with that comes privileges and duty to honor the name and those letters you worked hard for for 8 weeks. When you agree to become a member, you had better be damn sure that you are AWARE and ABLE to handle the consequences of your actions and the ramifications of poor judgement. Because, let me tell you, you are flagrantly disrespecting your ENTIRE organization when you disrespect yourself with alcohol and it affects your chapter!

OK, I think I'm done for now...

Signed,
A Sigma Sigma Sigma sister that wants Greek Life to PROSPER!

Okay, here's my problem with this whole thing. I completely agree that we greeks need to remain educated on the important issues surrounding hazing and alcohol abuse in fraternaties and sororities. No one on this site is going to suggest for a minute that it does not exist. But there is one major problem. If XYZ in cityland gets closed for hazing, it makes XYZ everywhere look bad.

This reminds me of a huge expose 20/20 (I think) did on a hazing incident that caused the death of one of the pledges pledging a certain fraternity. It was a horrible tragic story, and forever tainted the name of the Fraternity involved. The story would have been just as effective by telling the story as an example, but leaving out the name of the actual fraternity. Countless other threads on this site alone have discussed the differences chapter to chapter, state to state, even country to country. Yes, it is true that every chapter of every greek org should consider the ramifications of their actions on the greater organization, beyond the bounds of their chapter. But should I be embarrased to say I belong to XYZ because of what some idiots in cityland did, when I live in nowheresville, thousands of miles away? One bad seed should not destroy the name of an entire organization. Singling out chapters and schools of organizations who have idiots running the show only speaks badly of the school mentioned and the greater organization. Share the horror stories if need be. Maybe we all need a wake up call now and again to remind us of what can happen or of what does happen. I will not debate the merits of sharing these stories. But what good does it do to single out the names of the particular school and Fraternity or soritity involved? If I hear a chapter at whatsville was closed for abuse of alcohol, it won't have anymore impact for me where that school was or what org was involved.

It is for percisely this reason that my school does not recognize the greek system on my campus. Because one person, or one chapter, can forever taint the name of an entire school, or an entire organization. That is a potential that I, as a greek, and as an aluma, would hate to see happen to my organization, or to anyone else's.


[This message has been edited by gphi2k (edited June 17, 2001).]

According to Fraternal News, San Jose State University closed down the ATO chapter there recently due to alcohol and hazing.

I'm not going to get into details, but you might be interested in reading about it.

Stupidity reigns.

DeltAlum

While I agree with most things said, we as Alums all know that alcohol is on the minds of all nationals and that is why they are going to Dry houses.
Let's get serious, there will be alchol at partys but how is it taken care of?
I rode one weekend with the designated driver to pick up Brothers of legal age who could not drive. !!! This is something that was started 3 years ago and I find it refreshing that someone would stay at the house to do this. It was explained to them, that it was better to have Des. Driver than carry the casket to the ground!
I find nothing wrong with alchol as I was in the Business for 22 years at all levels excet a bar business. The main thing is how it is used and how much. If to the detriment then I say No.
These young people are on their own for the first time and get a lot crazy. The older , maybe a year or 2 must guide them. It is not the first time they ever had the evil spirits as most partied in HS where it was great to get drunk and stupid. They soon learn that they are looked at with a jaundiced eye and will not be around long because
Lets admit folds the reason you go to college is to learn and graduate so you can work the rest of you lives. If not you are flipping burgers or greasing a car or mowing lawns, digging a ditch. Some steam has to be blown off and it is better you are with your Brothers/Sisters who can take care of you or on you own where you may caus a death, yours or someone elses.
The intolerence today has become a rebellion point an I will show them. That is where the problem stems!
As you see i never edit! I say in my heart!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Tom,

bravo....bravo....(applause sounds) http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

Much as I love you guys some of you are killing me. I mean like slowly driving a stake through my heart . . . a very blunt stake and slow hammer strokes . . .

Drinking, partying, etc. are value neutral activities.

This means, if someone wants to make this into a negative issue they have to do exactly that: Create/spin a negative slant on the issue.

The operative word being SPIN.

Alcohol is a MORAL issue to most people against drinking. And most of the people I have met are careful to say that they aren't against drinking, just irresponsible drinking, however, they usually define irresponsible drinking as anytime that drinking impairs you. I have actually stood there and heard people shake their heads with disgust and say "Can you believe they drank to feel it! Or get drunk?"

Jesus Wept.

Earth to your planet: Alcohol does not taste good people drink it to feel it. Why else deal with the calories and the negative physiological effects?

If you have a personal thing against drinking alcohol, which is usually a matter of upbringing or a factor of control, you need to deal with it and not try to make others suffer for it.

About posting negative articles. It's a fine idea, shit happens, why hide from it? I understand the concerns of people not wanting to scare potential Rushes away, but posting these articles actually gives us the ability to place them in perspective and perhaps defuse rumors.

If alcohol is a moral issue to many people, for us as Greeks it must be a liability issue, and what we really need to do is sharpen our skills at avoiding or transferring liability. Risk Management is ABOUT avoiding and transferring liability. And maybe it would be more honest to teach it that way. The point of a third party vendor is to transfer liability to someone else for serving alcohol. If a tour group runs a ski trip, they have liability you don't. The first commandment of Risk Management, if something goes wrong, and it eventually will, you want someone else stuck with the bill and the responsibility.

It is somehow appropriate that someone who shares a name with one of the twelve diciples would quote the shortest verse in the Bible -- although I think I missed the context.

Anyway, I pretty much agree with James with a couple of exceptions. Some people do like the taste of alcoholic beverages. I do and have since I was a small child. I have no problem whatsoever with drinking. I don't drink much anymore, but that's more of an age thing than anything else.

I do feel concern for those who drink to excess. There's real danger there. Just because I lived through it doesn't mean you will.

The liability issue (and thus the dry housing and third party vendor idea)isn't going to go away in the near future. Just today I read in Fraternal News that the parents of an ATO pledge who died after allegedly forced drinking at a pledge function has sued the Fraternity for $5.3 million dollars. I hope that National has very deep pockets or excellent insurance, because one judgement like that will close most Greek organizations.

On the good news side Lamda Chi is returning to Iowa (I think) after and absence there which was caused by an alcohol related death.

Fraternally,
DeltAlum

To correct a typo...


[This message has been edited by DeltAlum (edited August 01, 2001).]

"IU Fraternity kicked off campus"
The Associated Press (From Fraternal News)

Another fraternity at Indiana University has been kicked off campus, this time amid allegations of repeated alcohol violations.

National organizers for Beta Theta Pi revoked the IU chapter's charter for violating national management policies, which usually apply to issues such as alcohol and pledge rules.

The fraternity's roughly 100 members were told about the move Monday.

In the past three years, the fraternity has had five alcohol cases brought against it by the university, including two that still are pending.

Richard McKaig, dean of students, said five cases is higher than average for the fraternity system, but not enough to have impelled the university to kick the group off campus.


Beta Theta Pi is the third fraternity chapter kicked off campus in the past two years.

Sigma Alpha Mu was suspended by its national organization for hazing and other activities in April, 2000. Theta Chi lost its charter in February after a freshman died as a result of an injury sustained at a party in the fraternity's house."

(What is interesting to me is that the Beta National apparantely took this action, not the university. IU has a huge Greek System. When I visited there I was absolutely blown away by the size of the houses and chapters. This story is really disturbing to me -- losing three chapters in such a short time is really bad news.)

DA, what we as Alums must remember, is that the schools, not all are looking for ways to pare the Greek Organizations OFF campus!
I am so damn sick of this, that it is the Greek Organizations who do the most on campi. The Biggest contributors are Greeks Who Went to that school! It is to me a time of Revolt for the ALUMS to say enuff, if you wnat to kick my organization off campus for No reason, then forget My Donations to you School!
I Graduated from My School, but I Do NOT go back down to see My School, I GO DOWN TO BE WITH MY BROTHERS!
The Old Saying Money Talks and BullShit Walks in our Society!
We do more for the world and our schools than gdi's!
God Save the King!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Tom,

Yup. Except in this case, the university said the Beta's hadn't been bad enough to pull their charter -- but their own Nationals closed them down.

It's that liability thing again, I suspect.

DeltAlum

OK, I have to weigh in on this one. At my univ. a chapter of a fraternity was closed due to alcohol issues. A pledge died from having 16 drinks in one evening.

All sororites on my campus were dry. If you were in a housed sorority and lived in the house, you were not permitted to have alcohol even if you were of legal drinking age. In any event you would not wear letters and drink at the same time. Alcohol awareness was part of every sorority's new member education program. The same was true of some fraternities - and in this respect, Greek life does good.

Alcohol is ok in moderation - you just have to take care, and not overdrink.

[This message has been edited by aephi alum (edited August 01, 2001).]

AEPhi

That's exactly the point. Most things are OK in moderation. We just haven't been too moderate with alcohol.

DeltAlum

A couple of random thoughts:

NPC rules state that all chapter houses be dry. Apparently there is talk of a resolution that would require any housing with 2 or more members of a chapter living there would have to be dry as well. This is ridiculous, for obvious reasons.

I am worried about dry frats because if guys do not want to live in the chapter houses, they are going to lose them. I am not saying alcohol is the only reason to live in your house, but it is more an issue of freedom. If you are 21 years old, and can not have alcohol in your room, I understand why that would be upsetting.

On our campus, many men pledge as sophomores or juniors. That means they live in the chapter house as juniors or seniors. It is a lot harder to tell a guy who has had his own apartment that he has all these rules, even if you could tell it to some sophomore who had just been living in the dorms.

DeltaBeta,

I agree with much of what you say.

My strong preference would be what Delta Tau Delta calls "damp" housing. In that case, those members who are over 21 may drink in their rooms. There would be no alcohol in public areas of the house.

I prefer it, but don't believe it will work. How long would it be before everyone in the chapter ends up in the 21 year old brother's room drinking?

As the saying goes, "I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night." I wish I was wrong.

DeltAlum

To respond to all of this... in every dry sorority I've ever run across either the sisters are sneaking in alcohol or they are going somewhere else to drink. Making greek houses dry does not stop people from drinking.
If someone is of the legal age to possess and imbibe alcohol, they should be allowed to make their own adult decisions on when and where they are allowed to drink. The LAW states that they are allowed to do this.

Come on.. non-greek college kids drink just as much as greek college kids.. if not more. It's just not publicized when something "bad" happens, because the parents don't have a National to sue.

Finest...

Again, I find myself wishing I could agree.

You're correct about drinking in sorority houses from what I've been told. But I think that's beside the point. The rules are broken, and if the sorority decides to take action, the offender will face the consequences. Thankfully, most don't, but that may have to change someday.

The law does not "state" that person's of age can drink anywhere. I own my house, and if I don't want you to drink in it -- you can't. If a chapter says it's members can't drink in it's house -- they can't. That's assuming, of course that the chapter (or house corp) owns the house.

In addition, every "scientific" survey I've read has found overwhelmingly that college age Greeks drink more than non-Greeks.

You do point out correctly, however, that drinking is not a problem only to Greeks, but to other college students as well. We do seem to be the bigger culprits, though.

Even with the above said, I still don't like "Dry" housing. I just continue to think that if we don't clean up our own act, (and I see no evidence that we will) it's inevitible.

It's that damned liability thing again.

DeltAlum

NOTE: Actually, I need back up a bit. I think I misread what Finest_Alum said in one area. It is true that the law allows of age people to make their own decision on whether to drink or not. It just dosen't allow them to decide where. Sorry, Finest.

[This message has been edited by DeltAlum (edited August 08, 2001).]

What one of our HQ guys told us was if chapters don't start following LXA's alcohol and risk managemenet policy, LXA will be dry within 5 years. If chapters do start following the policies, at least more closely, it will be at least 10 years. From his statement, the inevitable can be assumed. LXA has no intention of going dry, mainly because we shouldn't not be able to drink if it is legal. However, there are dry houses. i think Baylor is one of them, and of course, now all of the houses at IU are "dry".

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

What we seem to be finding when trying to colonize on a new campus, or recolonize a closed chapter, is that many university administrations are demanding dry houses as a requirement.

They're getting named in the same suits as the GLOs.

DeltAlum

A couple of things:

I live in a Beta house that is dry (as in the actual structure has no alcohol ever) but that certainly doesn't stop us from going and getting trashed nearly every thursday, friday and saturday night. The actives who are 21 recognize that this is beneficial to everyone, for several reasons--1)the younger members and especially pledges put a priority on studying on the nights when they need to study, 2) Our house is widely recognized as by far the cleanest house on Campus, and that is directly related to the fact that we never party in our house. 3) obviously it is somewhat safer to party in a single level duplex (as we normally do) as opposed to a three story structure that also has a very large deck on the second level. and 4) we never have to worry about getting busted by Campus Security for possesion of alcohol (all living units at Nebraska are supposed to be dry) and that prevents many problems--just ask the brothers at ATO here at UNL.

Basically my point is this--being a dry house doesn't mean that you are alcohol free, or even have to be.

Also, I think that we can all agree that greeks are unfairly targeted. I mean do you really think that if the chess team threw a party and someone died there that the university would close down every club on campus? Of course not, but if a problem happens at one house, the administration will automatically issue some statement to the effect "We are investigating the matter, and also the status of our Greek system as a whole" a prime example is the closing of the entire greek system at Bowdoin. That seriously is not cool.

I think basically that a lot of the greek anti-dry housing policy especially among frats is the product of a lot of misinformation. I would encourage any of my younger friends, when they rush to join a house that has dry housing--and I would tell them that it won't ruin their social life.

Beta--

You make the point that nobody seems to understand. You do drink, can drink and have a good time. You just don't do it in the place where you live! Fraternity houses at some campuses are in such bad shape from partying, it's a sin that folks actually have to live there!

With all NPC groups already being dry, the only change to their mixing policies is really that they can't do it in the fraternity's housing either. But unfortunately, many undergraduates view this as a freedom issue rather than a safety/quality of life issue. It is proven that most sorority houses that are alcohol free, which they should be, are in much better shape than fraternity houses.'

Not only though are NPC groups and IFC groups passing these policies, but actual entire campuses are doing so as well. This isn't a thing that's going to go away. Big greek systems have this in place and it's working. I know this first hand from chapters of D Phi E where their CAMPUS has these policies.

I'm not going to quote this entire article. You can read it in "Fraternal News," Digest #67.

"IU Fraternity suspended over alcohol" -- The Herald-Times, Bloomington, IN, Sept. 20, 2001

"Three years after an Indiana University student died at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, the chapter has again been suspended for an alcohol-related incident.

The good news this time: No one died.

IU Dean of Students Dick McKaig suspended Pi Kappa Alpha after learning from the parents of an IU sophomore that the fraternity pledge had been taken to Bloomington Hospital on Sunday night or Monday.

The alumni housing corporation of the fraternity suspended the chapter Monday, according to a statement released by the chapter.

The national fraternity is also conducting an investigation.

Since April of last year, four fraternity chapters have been thrown off the IU campus. At least three of those cases involved alcohol violations.

The student had been in the fraternity house for a pledge activity known as Dad's Night, in which an active member beomes the pledge's house dad. Later that night, according to McKaig, the student drank heavily.

The student recovered and was released from the hospital.

'He feels primarly responsible,' McKaig said. 'He said he was not forced to drink and it was his choice.'

Even so, having alcohol in a fraternity house is a clear violation of university rules and a serious matter, McKaig said.

The chapter was suspended in 1998 when Joe Bisanz died after a party. The official cause of his death was listed as choking on his own vomit, but his parents have challenged that finding.

Several members of the chapter were kicked out and the house was reorganized, but it never lost its charter and was never kicked off campus.

(McKaig said...) he believes fraternity members can be educated, even if the evidence of chapter closings and violations would tend to indicate otherwise.

(IU IFC President Ben Schmidt) said he hoped it was a case of a few indivduals breaking the rules and not part of a chapter-sanctioned event.

Pi Kappa Alpha member Scott Flannagan is a member of the Interfraternity Council Executive Committee who has been working on policies and progams to respond to alcohol problems at IU fraternities.

Schmidt expressed relief that this latest alcohol incident did not end in a student death -- as happened in Bizanz's case and earlier this year when Seth Korona died after attending a party at Theta Chi.

Korona died after being returned to his dormitory with what turned out to be a fatal head injury. He did not get medical attention for more than 24 hours after his injury.

Eric Wulf, executive director of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity International, said he doesn't know much about the incident yet, but will be investigating.

'We are gathering facts,' he said. 'If there was an incident such as it sounds like, then it would also be a violation of the fraternity policy.'

'We are very concerned about what has happened give what we just went through three years ago.'

The fraternity, which was established at IU in 1950, had 73 members at the end of Spring Semester."

(apparantely continuing the same article as a sidebar...)

"Four Fraternities already kicked off IU campus...

In the last 18 months, four Indiana University chapters have been kicked off campus. Pi Kappa Alpha, which was suspended this week, could be the fifth, depending on the actions of IU and the fraternity's national organization.

Sigma Alpha Mu: The fraternity's national organizations closes the chapter for hazing and other unspecified conduct, April, 2000.

Alpha Sigma Phi: The chapter is suspended by IU inNovember, 1999 after numerous hazing and alcohol violations, including some that require medical treatment. The fraternity's national organization closes the chapter in August, 2000 after a party in the house violates its probationary status.

Theta Chi: While under a no-alcohol police imposed by its national organization, the chapter holds two parties within three days in late January of this year. At the second party, IU freshman Seth Korona falls and strikes his head. He dies a week later in Bloomington Hospital. The chapter is kicked off campus in February.

Beta Theta Pi: The student representatives of Beth Theta Pi chapters across the country vote overwhelmingly to close IU's chapter for repeated alcohol and hazing violations and for ignoring previous disciplinary sanctions. The chapter was facing a lawsuit from a January, 2000 beating of an IU student when it was closed in July of this year.

Other incidents

IU sophomore Joe Bisanz dies after a party at Pi Kappa Alpha in December, 1988. The fraternity is suspended but not kicked off campus.

Zeta Beta Tau fraternity closed in 1997 after a scavenger hunt for new members required them to perform tasks and collect photographs that mocked a variety of racial and ethnic groups as well as homosexuals and women. They also were encouraged to steal pulic and private proterty. The chapter returned to the IU campus last fall.

Text of another article on the situation above:

The Herald-Times
Bloomington,IN
September 21, 2001

IU's efforts to curb drinking criticized
Father of student who died three years ago wants stronger response

By John Meunier,
Herald-Times Staff Writer

Gary Bisanz wasn't surprised to learn of another Indiana University student having a dangerous bout with drinking.

His son, Joe, died in 1998 after a party at the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity house where he was a member.

On Monday, another IU sophomore was rushed to the hospital after drinking a large quantity of whiskey at Pi Kappa Alpha, 1012 E. Third St. His stomach was pumped and he survived.

The chapter was suspended by IU Dean of Students Richard McKaig on Wednesday and it is being investigated by its national organization and its local housing corporation.

While IU has taken steps in recent years to crack down on problem drinking among its students, this week's incident makes clear that some students still don't get the message.

In this case, Gary Bisanz doesn't believe IU will take strong enough action to keep more problems from happening.

After his son died, the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter was suspended and some students were kicked out of the fraternity, but the house was allowed to remain on campus.

"They treat these young adults as children and they slap them on the wrist," Gary Bisanz said. "These are serious, life-threatening
conditions, so I think the response should be at a level that is
comparable to the offense."

He said the police, not the IU dean of students office, should
investigate such matters.

IU police were not notified of the incident or the chapter's
suspension by IU until the department received a news release sent out by IU Wednesday. The department has not been asked to look into the matter.

Bisanz accused McKaig and IU President Myles Brand of failing to
protect the health and welfare of IU students.

"Their lack of immediate and long-lasting provisions just encourages further hazing and alcohol abuse on their campus," he said. "If they were serious about making their campus safer, my son, Joseph, and his classmate Seth Korona would not be dead."

Korona was an IU freshman who died in February after sustaining a fatal head injury at a party at Theta Chi fraternity.

That fraternity chapter was closed down by its national organization and all the fraternity members were evicted from the house.

"I understand a parent's grief," McKaig said. "I think the university deals as forthrightly as it can with violations of its rules.

"I presume he believes the closing of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter
should be the result of this process. We will see what happens as that process has 14 days before it concludes."

McKaig believes the university took the right action after Joe Bisanz died.

He believes the members of the fraternity who remained were serious about turning around the chapter and bringing it into line with the ideals of the national fraternity.

He doesn't yet know exactly what happened at the chapter house Sunday night.

After talking with the student - whose name he would not reveal out of concerns for his privacy - and the student's mother, McKaig
offered the following version of the events that night.

At a ceremony, each potential new member was paired with an active member, who would become that new member's dad.

The new members are traditionally called pledges but Pi Kappa Alpha prefers the term "associate member."

The sophomore student and his new dad went to a room in the chapter house after this ceremony. Another dad and son pair may have been there as well.

The student was given a bottle of whiskey and according to him was not pressured to drink it. He was told he didn't need to finish it if he didn't want to.

McKaig said the student was told by his dad that his "family" drinks Jim Beam.

The student told McKaig he didn't like the taste of whiskey so he
drank it as fast as he could.

He wasn't sure how much he drank.

Sometime early Monday morning he was taken by one or more fraternity members to Bloomington Hospital where his stomach was pumped.

In the discussion with McKaig, the student or his mother told McKaig that the student's blood alcohol level had reached .375.

To reach a blood alcohol level that high, a 180 pound man would have to drink 18 to 20 shots of whiskey over an hour's time.

At much more than a .40 blood alcohol level people can fall into
comas and the risk of death rises as the level climbs.

McKaig said the student insisted that he was solely responsible for his own conduct.

His mother, however, made it clear that the blame goes farther than that, McKaig said.

"She told him, 'You need to know that if you died, I would be holding someone responsible for manslaughter,' and then she looked at me," McKaig said.

The fraternity chapter released a statement Thursday saying the
student's blood alcohol level was not .375. The statement did not say whether that number was too high or too low.

The chapter's statement said two fraternity members have been
suspended from the chapter, seven students have been fined and placed on probation and three students are still under judicial review. The statement did not say how the sanctioned students were connected to the incident.

McKaig said the chapter's actions would be considered as part of the IU judicial process.

He admitted to frustration over the difficulty in changing student
behavior. Closing down a fraternity doesn't stop drinking, but he
hopes messages are getting through to the next generation of students even if some of the current ones don't appear to listen.

"We know the extent of abuse of alcohol among students across the country is pervasive," he said. "We know this issue isn't going to turn around overnight. And we know it's not going to be addressed with a single prong."


A couple of personal observations:

One. The IU Dean, even after two deaths and several other problems did not simply jump to any conclusions and expell the chapter outright. He seems committed to the University judicial policy. He says that he believes alcohol education can be successful, although expressing frustration at the lack of quicker progress.

Two. The young pledge's mom's implication made it clear in her quote that she would have held the University responsible in any lawsuit had her son died. That's one reason administrations are becoming much more proactive in these cases. They don't want the liability. Welcome back to In Loco Parentis. You could reasonably assume that the National and possibly the house corporation and advisors might also be named.

Three. Along the same lines, Nationals and, in this case, local house corporations are becoming quicker to close or suspend chapters -- even before the university. Same issues. A couple of major lawsuits can bankrupt a national fraternity.

Four. This chapter had a previous death.

Finally. How is it that on a campus that has lost four chapters over the past year and a half, the message hasn't gotten through?

A lot of us keep sleeping through the wake up calls.

DeltAlum

DeltAlum--

You know, I thought exactly the same thing when I read the digest this morning. What does it take for folks to wake up and realize that what they're doing is so detrimental?? I can't understand how, after losing a brother in their own fraternity, this group can continue to practice this way. It's so disheartening to know that people just don't get it. I hope we all look out for our brothers and sisters, and have the sense to just not participate in this behavior anymore. Animal House is over!

In defense of IU
 

I have been to IU, and I am going to share my opinion, whether you all want it or not.

IU houses are all located in a "Greek Village," a decent distance from anything else.

Women who pledge an NPC group generally live in their chapter house sophomore, junior, and senior year (I am not sure if this is similar to fraternities), unlike other campuses where the older members usually get apartments.

The bar age in Bloomington is 21.

Basically, the students at IU have nowhere to party. We all know you can't tell college students not to party, especially not at a Big Ten school. So they are going to find a place, in this case, the Greek houses.

IU administration mandates that all Greek houses are dry.

As long as a chapter is breaking the rules, they may as well go all out: free-flowing alcohol, jungle juice, kegs, etc. Additionally, if there is an emergency, no one wants to get busted, so a member with alcohol poisoning is not likely to get medical attention. Instead, his brothers are likely to feel that they are qualified to "take care of him" (read: throw him in the shower until he sobers up).

So what would happen if alcohol was allowed at the houses? Maybe there could be a peer-monitoring system. The university could know in advance who was having parties and when. Maybe alcohol could be restricted to canned beer. Maybe the chapter wouldn't be afraid to seek medical attention if someone needed it. Maybe several sober monitors would be required.

Is this a crazy idea? Not really, it seems to be working just fine on my campus.

D.B.B.

I think the point(s) here is/are:

Underage drinking is against the LAW whether houses are dry or not.

Right or wrong, the rule is dry housing at the university.

There is a history of violations, particularly at Pike.

There have been two deaths -- both alcohol related -- one at Pike.

If anyone or any group knowingly didn't get medical attention form someone who needed it, that's beyond comprehension. And it's probably leagally actionable.

The University, Chapter, Nationals, officers and advisors can all be sued, and may be liable.

Greeks have enough problems as it is now getting liability insurance.

You are only partially correct in you comment about a Greek Village. I've also been to IU to guest lecture. There are actually two or three major Greek areas on different sides of the campus. And it seemed to me that there were bars and clubs in the town.

Bottom line to me is that while I don't agree with dry housing -- it is the rule and the rule was broken. Maybe it would be better to make the beer drinking age 18 as it was in Ohio when I was in college. I don't know whether it would be or not. But it isn't.

I suppose what bothers me most is not learing from past problems and mistakes. That's just plain dumb.

It is just really sad to see FIVE chapters closed on any campus. At least four of them for alcohol violations. It isn't like they don't know the rules.

It doesn't help the Greek System -- it hurts. Especially on one of the major Greek campuses in the country.

(sounding like your parents comment ahead) When you are 19 years old in 2001, 1998 sounds like it's 50 years ago. You were in high school then - your whole life is different. There is a turnover at colleges every 4 years and a very short memory. lifesaver said something about "college time" - that is very true - when I look back I can't believe that was only 4 years of my life because so much happened.

The main thing this says to me is that alcohol free housing (at least at IU) is doing very little to improve the safety, health or drinking habits of students. This might be working at other schools, but at this one, it seems all it's doing is taking liability off the school and the groups and actually encouraging dangerous behavior. It's a bridge that only goes halfway across the river.

DeltAlum,

You are right; I am totally arguing the wrong issue. If dry housing is the rule, that is what should be followed.

I am not saying it is in any way right, but remember, we are teenagers. We still think we are invincible. Sometimes we just need our hands to be held a little.

In a system as large and thriving as the Greek System at IU, you would think there would be more to do than drink. I agree with you Delt, that the drinking age should be lowered. I mean, I drank a hell of a lot more at a frat house when I paid $2 at the door, was given a cup, and was there from 10-2. On the other hand, at the bar, I was more apt to drink less, because it was $2.50 a beer!

On a campus like IU, which I've never been to, the university has to help themselves when it comes to liability, and that's why the alcohol free housing went into place. I can understand that people want to party and drink...that's fine! But this chapter obviously hasn't learned from its mistakes, and while alcohol education is useful, apparently it hasn't worked there. I hope that IU's fraternities see that five of their brother groups have been banned and think twice when they choose to break the rules.

I'm tired. Our daughter presented us with our first grandchild today, so I hope the following makes some sense.

My thoughts on this thread have absolutely nothing to do with changing anyone's drinking habits. Dry housing won't do that. I think it was James who correctly pointed out that this is totally a liability issue. But that's important. Chapters can't survive without liability insurance. People are bringing suits against everyone these days. As an alumni volunteer, that scares me.

On the other hand, I don't think that you could successfully argue that enforced dry housing causes more people to drink. I think the bridge goes all the way. It just may not reach the intended destination.

It's also a thread about being smart. If you break the rules and the law -- that's not smart. If you get caught, you're going to pay the price. If I saw one chapter closed for breaking the rules, I'd pay attention. If I saw a second one, I'd take it really seriously. These guys have seen four chapters close in the past eighteen months and still don't get it. They'll probably be the fifth.

Geez. If you're going to break the rules, don't do it in the fraternity house. There's already a target on the front door as far as the university and cops are concerned.

I know that lots of undergraduates are going to drink. All I would like to see is some intelligence and moderation. I'm not advocating breaking the law. I'm not in favor of breaking your National rules. I'm not saying it's OK. I'm not giving permission. In the best of all worlds, everyone would wait until they are of age to drink. But I know that's simply not going to happen.

Since I was the poster child for underage drinking when I was young, I would be terribly hypocritical to just say "DON'T." (Even though that would be best for all involved) If or when you get caught, however, why take the chance of taking the rest of the fraternity or sorority down the tubes with you? That's being doubly dumb.

And for your own sake, use a little common sense and moderation. As I said somewhere, just because I lived through it, doesn't mean you will. Drink responsibly. If you're not mature enough to do that -- then don't drink.

By the way, the 18 year old drinking age in Ohio was for 3.2 (we called it "low") beer. What most people don't realize is that that percentage is only the "upper" limit of the brew. "High" beer (6 or 7%) again was only the upper limit. A low beer might be 3.2% and a high beer might be 3.3%. And you can get pretty well trashed on either. Thus speaketh the voice of experience.

I hope that made some sense.

DeltAlum

Uh...back again,

I just received a fraternity risk management newsletter (FRMT News) mailed by the company that works with about twenty fraternities on their liability self insurance. Following are some sobering (no pun intended) thoughts:

"Students consume 4.4 billion cans of beer each year. The typical student spends more money on alcohol than on textbooks. As many of today's college students will die from alcohol related causes as will go on to get advanced degrees, masters and doctorates combined." (I assume that this stat means throughout a persons entire life -- not just college career)

"A recent study of fraternity insurance claims showed that alcohol was involved in 94% of sexual assaults."

"Alcohol Free chapter houses are here to stay. What prompted this move? For the leaders of many groups the reasons were clear cut:

1. The negative effect of alcohol on academics.
2. The ever-increasing cost of liability insurance.
3. Damages to Chapter houses.

The signs of chemical dependency are:

1. Loss of control.
2. The use is excessive
3. Much time is spent using and recovering.
4. Using at inappropriate times.
5. Using becomes the priority.
6. Person continues using despite suffering problems.
7. Person builds up tolerance.
8. Person experiences withdrawal.

These signs all point to alcohol or drug addiction. If you or someone you know might have a problem, consult your chapter advisor and/or campus counseling center."

Portions reprinted from "Risky Times", Risk Management newsletter published by Theta Xi Foundation.

I also just added a post under "Alcohol Free Housing" which was of interest to me and may be to you. I have said in this or other threads that I am not totally in favor of "Dry" housing, but this other post makes a good argument for it.

First off congrats Grandpa :)

I think the "not reaching the intended destination" is probably more what I wanted to say.

See, maybe I'm expecting too much, but as much as it has been publicized and touted, I WOULD expect dry housing to do more than lessen liability and keep the house neat. I'd hope it would show people you can have fun without alcohol - show that Greeks do not drink 24/7 - and make people think more about alcohol before they get poop-faced. In my mind, dry housing should be just ONE PART of getting undergraduates to live in a healthy way, realize their limits and use alcohol correctly. If you don't do that, then that says to me that you don't give a crap about the people involved, just the threat of lawsuits.

But in this case, all it seems to be doing is taking the party from point A to point B. I don't know much about IU's dry housing initiative, but I would hope to heaven that it included some sort of alcohol education and alternatives with it. If all they did was pass this "dry Greek system" policy without much thought, believing it would win them all sorts of good publicity, then that lack of vision has certainly come back to bite them in the ass. As they say, "don't let your mouth write a check your body can't cash."

33Girl,

Here comes that low flying pig you mentioned one time before...

I couldn't agree with you more. That's why I'm not totally sold on dry housing.

However, if it will allow chapters to stay alive by lowering insurance rates -- and if it does save some amount of grief by putting the responsibility and liability on someone else's shoulders who may have more of a vested interest (like they're business, liquor license, etc.), then I'm willing to give it due consideration.

DeltAlum