You don't need a fraternity to binge drink
 

I often heard the non-greeks on campus, as well as other people not even students at the university, referring to Greek letter organizations as being dangerous because they promote drinking and other behavior. What I came to realize is that the vast majority of the drunks I knew were never in fraternities or even went to college.

I'm not here to pretend that I'm a saint. I myself used to drink way too much and was lucky to never get more than a single DWI and one night in jail. I even went to AA, as required by my probation. When I converted to Christianity I quit drinking for the most part and haven't had a drink since my honeymoon back in September 2005. My own chapter had two tragedies. One brother and friend had a car accident while drunk driving and speeding in 1998 and broke his neck when his car flipped. He still can't see out of one eye and is a paraplegic. After I'd graduated another brother died in a car accident near campus. This was in 2002. Though no toxicology report was ever released I know he was coming from a place where many students met to drink.

Anyway, my point is that the Greek organizations are the ones who seem to get more of the press when a death from overdrinking occurs. I live in El Paso, TX, which is about 40 miles away from Las Cruces, NM. At NMSU two students died in the 2004-05 school year from binge drinking. The first, Steven Judd, was a Delta Chi who had recently been elected president. He overdrank on his 21st birthday and went into a coma and later died. The newspaper articles were quick to mention the fraternity and noted that it "wasn't known" if his drinking was part of a hazing ritual. Later articles stated that he was pressured by his Delta Chi brothers to drink more.

NMSU launched a bunch of alcohol awareness programs and used Judd as their posterboy. They spoke of keeping students from doing this again. Four months later Chris Berry, another NMSU student, died on his 22nd birthday... from binge drinking. Berry was not in a fraternity. All of NMSU's supposed awareness went out the window. Since this one couldn't be blamed on a Greek letter organization we never heard much about it again.

So, My question is?

Is It Greek Letter Organizations or just getting away from Parents?

I am going to be a Big Boy/Girl and show them?

That's what I think. It has more to do with being away from mom and dad and trying to act "cool" and/or "grown up".

Thats why alcohol age should be changed.

As actually being from the NMSU campus all the alcohol awareness didn't really help. I know a lot of people that are not in GLOs that drink more then the ones in them. I'm always around guys due to my major, so yeah I've seen plenty of them drink and say that they can out drink any Greek member. I think that most of the students that are not from the TX/NM area come to NMSU or UTEP because it is so close to the Mexican boarder. Many see it as I'm away from my parents and all I need is my ID and $10 down in Mexico to drink as much as I want. Down in Mexico clubs offer $10 Drink and Drown. Most students, even before they become Greek, enjoy First Thursday in which many of them get trashed.


And as for Steven Judd the media blew that way out of porportion. There is so much more to the story then just him celebrating his 21st.

I'm not sure how many people know this, but binge drinking is a core value of IFC fraternities. Check your by-laws, its in there.

Well, I'm a bit older so I remember the $5 Drink n' Drown in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Later it went up to $8. What's funny is that the drinks are all watered down. Most 18 year olds who can down 20-30 drinks in a night in Mexico don't realize this when they go drinking on this side of the border. When they try to drink the same amount here they get trashed by their 6th drink.

Steve Judd was from El Paso and went to Franklin High, so I'm sure he went to Juarez a fair number of times when he was in high school. I feel really badly for him to this day. His ex-girlfriend was a girl I coached and trained.

My younger brother went to NMSU and drank like a fish when he was there. He and his friends were not Greeks either. I remember the local television stations and newpapers making a HUGE deal out of poor Steve Judd. They pretty much forgot about Chris Berry after a short time though.

Somehow this joke seems less funny when discussing the deaths of young men.

its not a joke.

You are absolutely correct on that point.

I never understood in My College Days a reason to get screwed by drinking? Not saying I never did, but it was not pouring booze down My Gullet to get messed up.:(


But, I always had Brothers who cared enough to take care of Me if I needed it!

I don't binge drink, I just drink every day.

We drank incredible amounts of alcohol in my chapter, and we never had a problem. Thus, I propose that schools outside of the SEC and a few others (Texas, of course, W&L, etc...) attend a mandatory alcohol class. In this class, we will slowly raise the tolerance of these young men, and while doing so wane them from their smirnoff ice addictions. The course schedule will be something like this....
Week One: An Introduction to Bourbon: Save the Rum for the Girls
Week Two: Beer: If you're a Man, and you're Drinking a 12 ounce Beverage from a Clear Bottle, Kill Yourself.
Week Three: TEST-Drink a 12 pack without throwing up or doing stupid things
Week Four: Advanced Class-Scotch
Week Five: Its Beer Pong, Not Beirut, and Put the Funnel Away, Loser
Week Six: Final Exam- Drink a Fifth of Jim Beam and a 12 pack over the course of a day, and perform a rendition of The Road Goes On Forever. If you don't know the words, you fail, and must proceed to take Good Music 101.

Week Four is an absolute must.

I would add an extra week before the final.

Week 7: Proper bar attire/drink and shot ordering/conduct....

Well before week one we'd have orientation, which would include trips to RL stores and Brooksbrothers.com, a "how to get the gel out" seminar, and group bonfire in which everyone would throw their jean shorts, fitted hats, and glow sticks in.

guys that is just pathetic. you should not let alcohol interfere with brotherhood events and community service.

haha classic.

I expected nothing less from you with that user name. have fun with "community service"

Found these interesting sites that go with the original post thread:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld...l/15365572.htm

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/col...king_brief.php

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...drinking_x.htm

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/14748469.htm

Honestly, i'm not trying to be rude.....but do you sit on the internet all day and look up different sites that you can link to different threads? Every one of them that I have read that you have posted in has a multitude of links to different places.

Next time you check a link, you should take the time to read the page that goes along with it.

And as I indicated, the pages at least have some connection with the forum and have some good facts on them.

Do I sit on net all day??? No

Good. Just wondering. I try to read everything....

Wondering the same thing My self?:rolleyes:

While you may be a good member instanding, My question would be for how long if You chapter does stupid things and go De Chartered?:(

When did I ever say my chapter did stupid things? I don't discuss what goes on in my chapter on message boards. You can make assumptions all you want.....

UT actions make Greeks nervous
Suspensions, cancellations force frats, sororities to make changes

After the permanent cancellation of the Sigma Chi fraternity in 2004, Greek organizations all over campus are more nervous now about any violation that might cause suspension.

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was also suspended in 2004 for hazing, the same violation which led to Sigma Chi's cancelation, according to the University Greek Life Web site. The suspension was put in place after an investigation by the Office of the Dean of Students confirmed that hazing policies were in use by the fraternity, a violation of University rules.

While under suspension, organizations are not allowed to host on-campus events and are stripped of their "organizational" rights and recognitions for the allotted time.

Despite SAE's situation, fraternity members say they found some good during a trying time, as the organization fought to sustain old traditions.

George Wommack, a finance senior and president of SAE, said the biggest impact of the suspension was that it brought attention to certain changes that needed to be made in the fraternity's internal structure, citing modifications of the treatment of pledges and re-thinking certain practices in general.

Taylor Baird, an accounting senior and officer of SAE, expressed the same sentiment. Baird said the main thing the suspension did was make the group realize that fraternities weren't the same as they used to be.

rest of article here:

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/medi...exanonline.com

Sigma Chi did a lot of charter pulling in that time period. We lost Texas, University of Missouri, University of Michigan, and I think Ohio or Ohio State all for hazing within a 2 year period. All well-established, old chapters. Shame.

Oklahoma University also, I think.

No, that wasn't a hazing issue. It was investigated to make sure and hazing was ruled out.

If anyone doesn't know, a pledge named Blake Hammontree, died of blood alcohol poisoning at the Sigma Chi house at University of Oklahoma. Sigma Chi pulled the charter. Sigma Chi requested to return to campus this year, but the President of OU felt it was too soon. He wants us to wait another couple of years.

Having taken part and read most if not all the postings, I think most of us can agree on most of the following:
College students, as a part of society, do drink. And they can be prone to either binge drinking or "allow" themselves to be "over-served" for many "reasons"

But, if the student is not a member of a GLO or any organized group, his/her problem stays with them alone (and family, friends et al ).

If a member of a GLO/organized group, then besides the family and friends, their actions now have a much wider impact.
While a school can not go after a dorm, an organized living group is a whole different matter. Schools and family members now have marked target to go after.

And if it is more than one person involved, it just gets even worse.......

Which is one of the many reasons the GLO's/organized groups have to set a standard higher than just about anyone else on campus and live by it every day, every term et al.

As I indicated above, even if only one member falls short, many eyes start to look for other faults, other problems in that group. And that interest may be on the group for a rather long time, longer than the group thinks.

And with Risk Management and other issues today, does not take too long to lose everything a group worked years to get.

I am pulling on my fire suit and opening up the floor......

Just using a general statement.

But dont many Chapters do stupid things no matter which GLO?

And, because of Stupid things from risk management, the insurance goes up which means either the dues go up/room payments go up or budgets are cut!

So, I guess some can take or make the choice!:(

Yes, you are right.

You won't need your fire suit with me.

I think you are exactly right. And as you said, the risk management issue is just one of MANY reasons why GLOs should set a higher standard.

College is about getting an education first. Secondary, but almost as important, is learning important social skills and creating a social network for future career opportunities.

Fraternities and sororities offer an ideal environment for this sort of thing. And they also cost a lot of money- and will hopefully deliver something of value other than a place to drink.

I think many non-Greeks appreciate this because I am personally aware of several situations where chapters got caught in a bad risk management situation involving only a very few individuals, and yet the chapter was not heavily punished because the overall reputation of Greeks at that school, and that particular chapter as well, suggested there was an isolated incident.

As for Texas,

- When I was at Texas, the all-fraternity GPA was below the all-men's GPA for the University.

- While there is a lot of fundraising activity, hands-on philanthropy and community outreach at Texas are well below what I have seen at other large southern schools (especially among fraternities.)

- The Greek community at large does not formally participate in Homecoming or any other major University events. We have no Greek Week here either.

And so it is no wonder that so many non-Greeks look at our system and stereotype us as a bunch of rich drunks who have no interest in the University or what we are all there for.

We are not all like that- most of us are not, but considering how reclusive we have become over the years- who gets a chance to see that? On the face of it, we look just as bad as many think we are- even though some groups do strive to take a more balanced approach.

I think this is one reason why so many Greek organizations at Texas come under such scrutiny. It is not just about the incidents that happen. It is also about the fact there is little outwardly visible context to support the very real fact that serious risk management incidents are just as isolated here as they are at other schools.

Perception is reality. And while I do think the Greek Community at UT is subject to biased student press and sometimes excessive scrutiny, there is a lot we could be doing to get rid of the false perceptions that cause that.

As bad as I want to comment on that I wont from previous discussions!:D

But basically each to their own and as has been said, Schools vary widely!