Ronald McDonald blows whistle on 24-kegger

[hoosier]

Fraternity suspended following 24-keg party
By Hailey Heinz
Published: Wednesday, October 26, 2005
(Northeastern Univ.)

The Phi Gamma Pi house is a Victorian mansion in Brookline, valued at nearly $2 million.Over Homecoming weekend, police broke up a party at the Phi Gamma Pi (PGP) fraternity house in Brookline, confiscated 24 kegs - 20 were empty - and arrested four of the fraternity brothers.
Fraternity president John Chesnut, secretary Kevin Boyle, Michael D'Antonio and David McBride, all 20-year-old Northeastern students, were arrested and arraigned in Brookline District Court Monday. They were charged with keeping a disorderly house, providing alcohol to minors and underage possession of alcohol. In addition, Boyle and D'Antonio were charged with possessing false identification.
Northeastern has placed the fraternity on administrative suspension pending an investigation.
This is not the first time PGP has been in trouble. In 1998, the fraternity was suspended by Northeastern, and Brookline selectmen revoked their license to house more than three people.
Fraternity members and students who attended the party were contacted for this story. All declined to comment.
Busted
On Oct. 15 at 10:12 p.m., police were called to PGP's fraternity house, a Victorian mansion valued at nearly $2 million according to public records. The call came from the neighboring Ronald McDonald House, a non-profit organization that houses cancer patients and their families.
According to Brookline police reports, staff at the Ronald McDonald House complained of loitering on their property. When police arrived at the scene, they observed "20-25 underage youths on the sidewalk," according to the police report.
As partiers began to leave the home, police counted 148 people leaving through the back door, mainly through a basement exit, and more than 150 leaving through the front door. Police reports described the scene inside as "overcrowded with underage youths shoulder to shoulder."
The police report described the rest of the scene:
"There was an alcohol punch bowl in a gray plastic barrel that contained a yellow wiffle ball bat used to mix the drinks. Also in the basement there were electrical wires going through puddles of liquid at the base of the stairs. There was a smell of urine throughout the basement."
The report recounts a scene of disarray, including leaking pipes, empty liquor bottles and frightened party-goers.
"While checking the house we found underage people hiding in closets, under tables and in rooms," the report stated.
History of problems
PGP came under close scrutiny in 1998 for hazing a pledge so severely he had to seek medical treatment. According to 1998 Quincy Patriot Ledger and Boston Globe newspaper reports, the hazing involved severe paddling on the buttocks, which left bruises the pledge later showed to a university resident assistant. The pledge did not press charges, but Northeastern suspended seven of the students involved.
According to a 1998 Boston Globe report, the students attempted to sue President Richard Freeland, claiming Northeastern's judicial process was unfair because it did not allow them to retain a lawyer. A Suffolk Superior Court judge ruled that because Northeastern is a private institution, their rights were not violated, and their suspensions were upheld.
The university also suspended the fraternity indefinitely, which meant they could not accept pledges or hold social events. The suspension was lifted in fall 2000, said Laura Parrillo, assistant director of student leadership and Greek advisor.
In connection with the same offense, Brookline selectmen suspended the fraternity's lodging license for three months, which meant only three people could live there. That suspension was later extended indefinitely, because there were reports of fraternity brothers firing BB guns at the neighboring Ronald McDonald House.
Relations between PGP and its neighbors have been strained in recent years, although Andy Richards, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House, said it hasn't always been that way.
"In the past we've had good relationships with the guys, but not in the past several years," Richards said. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of sensitivity toward what our families are going through ... no one wants to hear people fighting at 2 a.m. Our families just don't need that right now in their lives."
Other troubles have spotted the fraternity's history. In 2003, The Northeastern News crime log reported an incident at a PGP party in which a young woman claimed she was sexually harassed.
The entry, dated Oct. 3, stated an 18-year-old female student reported she was followed into a room by a few men, groped and inappropriately touched while she was at a party hosted by PGP. The student also reported beer was thrown on her while in the room, and she believed fraternity brothers were involved.
Because of incidents over the years, PGP has acquired a negative reputation in the eyes of some students, including members of other fraternities.
"PGP has been the exception and not the rule when it comes to Greek life on campus," said John Guilfoil, brotherhood chair of Kappa Sigma and executive vice president for student affairs of the Student Government Association. "I'm very disheartened to hear that they've started out the year with trouble for the rest of us."
A Greek enigma
On the Interfraternity Council Web site, which includes descriptions of all Northeastern fraternities, PGP is the only fraternity that does not include a crest of arms or contact info. Their group description also does not list a theme or mission, as most of the others do.
"Initially our fraternity was composed of top-notch engineering students, but through the years we have evolved into an organization comprised of individuals who differ in the specific studies here at our illustrious university," the description states.
PGP is also not part of any larger fraternity. While other fraternities on campus are chapters of national organizations, PGP exists only at Northeastern.
The university has yet to determine what future repercussions for PGP will be. In a written statement, Parrillo, who advises Greek life on campus, said, "We are aware of an incident that happened concerning the Phi Gamma Pi Fraternity on the weekend of Oct. 14 -16. Based on judicial protocol within the Greek system, PGP has been placed on Administrative Suspension pending an investigation of the incident."
Parrillo said "administrative suspension" means the fraternity must temporarily stop operations until the Greek Council can decide on sanctions. Parrillo declined to comment on whether the university will try harsher sanctions than suspension in light of PGP's history.
"I can't comment on that by the sheer fact that the last time they got in trouble I wasn't here," Parrillo said. "I only know what's in the files."

[NinjaPoodle]

Why is a fraternity next door to a RMcD house?

[Debutante]

Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
Why is a fraternity next door to a RMcD house?

That is an EXCELLENT question... I was wondering the same thing. What an odd place to have their house.

When are certain groups going to get a clue about rowdy keg parties too?

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
Why is a fraternity next door to a RMcD house?

I don't know, but Ronald McDonald Houses are generally close to a Children's Hospital -- and often in houses that were donated to them. They may not have had much option.

On the other hand, it's pretty bad that a fraternity would have that kind of party in proximity to a McDonald House.

[KSigkid]

This is weird; I live right near where all this happened. Honestly, I don't think people understand how different some parts of the fraternity sytem are in Boston.

Northeastern, much like my alma mater (Boston U.), does not have on-campus Greek housing; if you're a fraternity and want a house, you have to get one off campus. As a result, fraternity houses in the Boston area are just houses, rented by a group of fraternity members, in much the same fashion as houses and apartments are rented by someone else. The only difference is that only fraternity members live there. In most cases, it's not the whole chapter; when I (and KSigRC) was in school, the house had 8 brothers living in it. We had events and ritual there, and it was only fraternity members; however, we were renting from a landlord.

In this case, the Ronald McDonald house is kind of close to the hospital district, which does indeed have the Children's Hospital. It's in a nice area; I was actually surprised when I saw letters on the house the first time I walked by it.

Also, Northeastern's football field is close to the house, so it's not like it's completely off the beaten track. It's a little set away from the campus, but not too much so.

For background, Brookline in general is an extremely nice, extremely affluent suburb of Boston. Chances are, $1 million wouldn't get you much of a house in the area, and homeowners are generally quite wealthy. Frank McCourt, Bob Kraft and many prominent businessmen/doctors/lawyers/etc. live in the area. For those of us without millions of dollars, the apartments are rather nice as well, mostly college graduates and young families; there really isn't a bad section of town.

ETA: It was extremely poor judgement having that huge of a party in Brookline. In a community such as that, a party like that would be like asking to be arrested.

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
Why is a fraternity next door to a RMcD house?

It is very possible that Ron Mc House moved in after the group was already there, SI?

In any instant it was a stupid thing to do, but WTF, it is a college group having a party.

The only reason that it is illegal to be drinking under 21 is the black mail by the Federal Govt and with holding Hwy. Funds unless states so passed.

Maybe, just maybe, this is where and when binge drinking instead of socalizing at partys started!

[sdbeta1]

20 of the 24 kegs were empty, the cops were called at 10:24 p.m. ... either they drank 20 kegs in silence, or got away with this several times beforehand, and this straw finally broke the RMH's back

[Coramoor]

What's wrong with rowdy keg parties?

[hoosier]

Originally posted by Coramoor
What's wrong with rowdy keg parties?

I would guess that at least 25 chapters (perhaps 50 some years) are suspended for "rowdy keg parties" and their aftermath.

Of course, when I was an undergrad I loved 'em.

[Kevlar281]

Originally posted by hoosier
There was an alcohol punch bowl in a gray plastic barrel that contained a yellow wiffle ball bat used to mix the drinks.

Haha

[crackedwheat]

I missed one hell of a party!