San Diego State U. bans liquor for Greeks
 

(from Fraternal News)

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:36:21 -0800
San Diego State U. bans liquor for Greeks

_ The Daily Aztec
San Diego State University
November 17, 2005

San Diego State U. bans liquor for greeks

By Barbi Smith, The Daily Aztec; SOURCE: San Diego State U.

At San Diego State University, Jack Daniels and his friend Jim Beam are no
longer welcome at greek associated events or facilities. As of Nov. 9, all
hard alcohol has been banned from the greek community in order to decrease
alcohol abuse.

The moratorium on hard alcohol, an effort of the university's
administration, states that a zero-tolerance approach will be enacted to
prohibit all hard alcohol at chapter-related activities and facilities
including the chapter house, courtyard, hallways and common areas, and all
apartments leased to members of the fraternity.

In addition, "beer bongs" and "ice luges" will be prohibited along with any
type of drug paraphernalia.

Scenarios ending in alcohol poisoning, detox, sexual assault and other
self-induced injuries typically begin with hard alcohol, said Douglas Case,
coordinator of the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life.

"We've identified 17 incidents this semester in which hard alcohol played a
significant role," he said.

Case, who reviews reports from University Police and residence halls' staff
on alcohol related cases, said students who wind up in the hospital for
alcohol poisoning typically measure their intake in terms of how many shots
they have taken.

"The alarming thing is they're talking about having 10 shots, 11 shots, 12
shots of hard alcohol," he said. "That's an excessive amount of alcohol
that could lead to some very serious consequences, especially for young
females that don't weigh as much."

In terms of accountability within the greek community, Andrew Roy,
Inter-Fraternity Council vice president and Lamda Chi Alpha member, said he
feels the answer lies in responsibility.

"I think they should start having fraternities and sororities being
responsible for their members and that they'd be able to watch out for one
another," he said. "Not so much, 'Let's try to get as drunk as we possibly
can,' but more along the lines of 'You are held accountable for your
actions,' which is not happening now."

Case said any violation of the moratorium will result in a minimal sanction
of that chapter being "dry" for no less than one semester at all
chapter-related events, regardless of location.

While hard alcohol is already prohibited at chapter events, unless the
party is held at a licensed establishment such as a hotel or country club,
this new prohibition is raising question of a student's personal right to
party.

"A lot of people think this is just a frat-guy thing," Alpha Phi member
Melissa Straight said. "But really, all people who have ever been to a frat
party need to realize the effect this is going have on the social scene.

"I hope that members of the greek community will step up and take
responsibility so that this doesn't become permanent."

And permanency is not intended through the moratorium, Case said.

In review of the policy, Case said he will converse with the Associated
Students Advisory Board, Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life Advisory
Board and the University Affairs Board representatives to review his
decision at the end of the Fall 2005 semester. Anyone is welcome to give
input he said; however, he would prefer it to come from a greek council or
established board.

"I think there are certain aspects about it that are beneficial to the
greek community, and I think there are certain aspects that are imposing on
individual's rights," Roy said. "But I do think that a temporary kind of
solution like they have kind of in place can be beneficial, as long as it's
temporary.

"As long as they honestly, truly evaluate the situation at the end of the
semester and not just bulls*** us by saying that they are going to, and
they never do."

It looks pretty bad when the university bans stuff (hard alcohol, bongs, drug paraphenalia) that GLOs are not supposed to have in the first place. Hopefully these groups get their act together and start holding more responsible social events.

I'm actually glad they did this...drinking hard liquor is different from drinking beer when people choose not to set limits on themselves...

It's funny though, because these things were already banned before, so it's like they made a rule already implemented.

I still don't know how this will decrease the number of crimes. SDSU is currently under the biggest crime wave in 20 years, but the vast majority of them are occuring outside the parties, on empty streets and parking structures and by non-SDSU students who don't get inot parties and shouldn't be in the neighborhood to begin with.

It sucks because all the wrong people are coming to SDSU because it's a party scene, and then they get pissed when they don't get in...I mean, you're not an SDSU student let alone Greek...

funny enough the problems that reasult from liquor isn't really the greeks... it is the stupid freshman that think they can handle 10 shots the first time they drink....

at least that is the case on our campus

True, but at the same time, it's the Greeks responsibility to make sure that they don't drink to the point of...stupidity when they come to greek parties.

I wouldn't include hard alcohol with the other two - for the time being at least, hard alcohol is not illegal (as long as you are of age).

If one looks a little, it is not just Freshman Students.:(

I think Stan is correct in His Post. A School that is known as a Party School will attract Likes to The Campus ergo Chico State at Cal.

I went to a Chapter, Could Not Drink On the Pourch but could smoke and vise versa.

I did not argue with them, It was their House!:)

The Problem is, if The Students dont Control Them Selves, the School will and will not be A+ for Greeks.

Again, this is why the US is really sucking anymore. No one is ever responsible for their own actions.

People can get just as drunk off of beer, especially freshmen, as they can hard liquor.

I've been in school long enough to see that most of the time I get in trouble does involve hard liquor-but that's after a bottle myself. Still doesn't justify banning it.

I wonder if the university is applying this ban campus-wide, or if it's just directed at the Greek community?

Curbing alcohol abuse is obviously a good thing, but one doesn't have to be Greek to drink too much, and being Greek isn't synonimous with alcoholism either.

No ice shots? Poor ice companies are going to go out of business. What other reason would you buy a block of ice for?

Ice sculptures.

I agree...on the surface perhaps it will look like the adminsitration is taking action...but really students who are out to get drunk will think that since it's 'harder' (I only say harder b/c lets face it...there not going to all lay down their bottles of Wild Turkey in simple subordination) to get drunk without hard booze and they'll think need to double their efforts as they try to drink 20 beers instead of taking 10 shots...not realizing that they are really taking in twice as much alcohol. Bad things can happen with beer too.

I don't claim to know what the reasonable answer is, but this looks like a band-aid to me. It's not always WHAT you are drinking, but the drinking itself, how its done, and the attitude towards it, those are where the real problems rest and where the real solutions must be geared towards. It's not an impossible task to change a collegiate cultural attitude that existed for decades...it takes a lot of time, patients, and effort...three things that Universities afraid of lawsuits and parents and students who want to place blame elsewhere sometimes don't have.

Don't blame Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker, Jose, or even the Captain...if you want to place blame then blame the kids who don't take responsibility for their own actions, blame the parents for not teaching them how to be responsible, blame decades of college culture for creating this trend, and then stop blaming and work to find real solutions.

Funny, Discussed this with IRS Agent who came in the Store today 2 Hours! His Daughter is a AXO From Ks. State and told Exactly How I felt and He Totallay agreed. He was not ever a Greek, But Paid for One!:rolleyes:

Federal Govt. Held The Startes Feet to The Fire about Highway Funds to raise the Age to 21 for drinking of anything.

So Now is the day and age of Give Me and Just Drink untill drunk!

"Give Me" being The Key Words.

The Chapters and Their Brothers/Sisters have to be the Guardians now. It just isnt happening.!:(

Drink in Binges, Haze and see what We see!

They dont! They Dont get it!:(

3 Chapters at Un. Ks are Gone, and just why?

A Strong Greek System!

Maybe It is Stoopidity!:eek:

Agreed. It's great that Doug is trying to crack down on the drinking and all, but I honestly don't think it has much to do with the crime that has been occuring around here recently.

Also...I don't think the ban is going to decrease the amount of drinking or hard liquor around here. It is already not allowed anyway, and people (greeks or nongreeks) are just going to be more careful about when and where they drink.

Hard liquor is no good:

Nov. 21, 2005 ]

Student injured in suspected fall from window

By Devon Lash
Collegian Staff Writer

A Penn State student has been hospitalized for serious back and neck injuries, which police said may have resulted from a fall from a fraternity house window around 5 a.m. Saturday.

The 19-year-old student was transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center and flown to Geisinger Medical Center after neighbors heard her calling for help outside of Tau Kappa Epilson fraternity, 346 E. Prospect Ave., early Saturday morning, the State College Police Department said. Police declined to release the woman's name.

State College police Detective Chris Weaver said medical professionals are optimistic about her condition and believe she will make a full recovery.

Doctors said the victim's injuries are consistent with a fall from "some height" -- at least a second-story window, Weaver said. Given the victim's location, he said, there are six possible windows from which she could've fallen.

Weaver said the woman was located in an alley on the west side of the house under the influence of alcohol and complaining of back and neck pain.

Weaver said police have determined the victim was drinking elsewhere until she arrived at Tau Kappa Epsilon around 11 p.m. He said fraternity members denied there was any large party at the fraternity that night or that the victim had been drinking at the house.

He said some fraternity members told police the victim was last seen sleeping inside the house around 2:30 a.m. Police have not determined the victim's whereabouts from 2:30 a.m. until she was discovered at 5 a.m.

(More in the newspaper)

That policy was handed down by the Vice President for Student Affairs, not Doug. The memo itself indicates that this is a response to Greek-related incidents and not necessarily the other crimes you appear to be referencing.



This memo is specifically addressing Greek organizations. There is a statement in there regarding the policing of alcohol policies in the residence halls. Stan is correct in pointing out that hard alcohol is already banned on campus - so, in effect, this is a very specific memo directed to the Greek community.

Please find the memorandum in question below.

.....Kelly :)

----------------------------------

November 2, 2005
REVISED

MEMORANDUM


TO: Fraternity and Sorority Chapter Presidents


FROM: Dr. James R. Kitchen
Vice President for Student Affairs


SUBJECT: MORATORIUM ON HARD ALCOHOL


The University administration is quite concerned about the number and severity of fraternity and sorority alcohol-related incidents this semester. We have received reports of eight incidents involving new members (all minors), two of which involved injuries. There have been four alleged sexual assaults where the apparent victims reported that they were drinking heavily at fraternity parties beforehand. A student was transported to the hospital with alcohol poisoning after having an estimated 10-12 shots of hard alcohol at a party at Fraternity Row. Additionally, there have been incidents of chapters encouraging alcohol abuse by having “beer bongs” and “ice luges” at chapter events.

Alcohol abuse within the Greek community is a nationwide problem. Since fall 2000, there have been over a dozen deaths attributed to alcohol over-consumption at fraternity and sorority events_six of the deaths have occurred in the past 15 months.

It is clear that it is time for the University to take pro-active corrective action. Most of the incidents we have encountered have involved hard alcohol, usually by minors at unregistered functions. The SDSU “Greek Guidelines” currently prohibit alcohol at chapter events unless held at an establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. After consulting with Dr. Darlene Willis, Dean of Students, and Mr. Douglas Case, Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, I have decided that effective November 9, hard alcohol (alcoholic beverages other than beer and wine) will be prohibited at all chapter-related activities (unless held at an establishment licensed to sell alcohol) and at chapter-related facilities. (Note: As defined in the “Greek Guidelines” for Fraternity Row, chapter-related facilities include the chapter house, the courtyard, hallways and other common areas, and all apartments leased to members of the fraternity.) Also effective immediately, the use of “beer bongs,” “ice luges,” drug paraphernalia, and other items that encourage alcohol abuse or illegal drug use is prohibited at chapter-related activities or at chapter-related facilities.

We realize that, unlike the on-campus residence halls where we have staff to enforce the alcohol policies (no hard alcohol is permitted anywhere on campus), we will have to rely on the chapter leadership and alumni to enforce the policy. Your assistance in making our Greek community a safe environment by enforcing alcohol and drug policies is essential. Should a chapter violate this moratorium, a minimal sanction will include a requirement of the chapter being prohibited from having any alcohol (including beer and wine) at chapter-related events (regardless of location) or at chapter-related facilities for a minimum of one semester.

This policy is being implemented on an interim basis for the remainder of the fall 2005 semester. I am asking the Greek governing councils, chapter advisors, house corporation officers, and national fraternity representatives to review the hard alcohol policy and provide written input to me, via Douglas Case, prior to the end of the semester. After reviewing the input, I will determine whether to make the policy permanent and/or whether to make revisions effective the beginning of the spring 2006 semester.

Thanks for the clarification, the article didn't really say where the policy came from so I assumed it was Doug.

I dunno...I think the policy is a good thing, but I have no idea whether or not it will be effective. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Kelly, I pm'ed you!

What is an ice luge?
Silver

Serious?

http://images.google.com/images?q=ic...=Search+Images

Those are some pictures.

-Rudey

Kids these days. What are they being taught in school?

Call me uninformed or naive....BUT....where would you get ice blocks that large? I have never heard of an ice luge until now. :confused:

They are made specifically for this purpose... you get them like from party rental places, I think. You could also use a big block of ice made for creating ice sculptures.

Ice Luges are fantastic. The girls love em and its a good centerpiece at a party. Personally, whatever my school said, good luck pulling the bourbon out of my chapter. Yes fraternities may be irresponsible and immature at SDSU, but why not just pull their charters. If those fraternities cannot handle their party guests and need to have the school act like their babysitter, I really don't want them associated with my nationals. I'd rather see their charters yanked and they can just become a gel-hair, SoCal trash drinking club and not confuse people into thinking what they're doing can be called fraternity.