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Murray State officials place 4 fraternities on social probation
Alcohol consumption violates regulations
By Stephanie Zeller
Published: Friday, September 16, 2005
The Murray State News
The Year of the Greek is off to a rocky start after delegates from four fraternities admitted to consuming alcohol at the University-sponsored Greek Retreat.
Rob Whitfield, public relations director for the Interfraternity Council, said a custodian found empty alcohol bottles and cans in the trash. He said consuming alcohol violated the regulations of the center and the Constitution of Murray State's IFC.
While this is a specific requirement, the fraternities were not made aware of these regulations and were not made aware that they applied at this (particular event)," said Whitfield, senior from Paris, Tenn.
Mike Young, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, said all fraternities and sororities were placed on social suspension immediately after the University received a phone call from a staff member at Jonathan Creek Camp and Convention Center.
Young said University officials who attended the retreat were unaware any attendees were drinking alcohol and no negative behavior, such as fighting, or damages were reported.
Individuals from
Alpha Gamma Rho, Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Chi fraternities confessed to drinking in their rooms, and University officials removed the suspension from the other Greek organizations. He said Wednesday
the four fraternities remained on social probation.
"(Social probation) means that they are not to have any social functions until they are taken off," Young said.
He said the fraternities can, however, participate in the recruitment process, which takes places next week. All recruitment events are required to follow the no alcohol policy during Rush Week.
The IFC also charged the four fraternities $250 each and offered the money to Jonathan Creek. The involved members also volunteered for 85 combined hours of community service at the facility.
"We felt that was a way we could hold these individuals responsible for breaking the law," Rob Whitfield said.
The Interfraternity Council received a letter Wednesday from Jonathan Creek stating they received the donation.
"They were very satisfied with the measures that we took and the speed at which we rectified the situation," Whitfield said. "Furthermore, the camp welcomed Murray State Greeks and any student organization to use the facility in the future."
Despite this negative incident, Mike Young said the University is still supporting the Greek system and is asking Greeks to follow the values on which their organizations were founded.
"We plan to move forward," Young said. "We still want this to be a positive year for the Greeks."
Four delegates from each of the University fraternities and sororities attended the retreat held Aug. 26-28. A total of 80 Greek members and four Murray State administrators were present.
"The purpose of the retreat was to promote Greek unity and empower the Greeks to work together in the Year of the Greek campaign," Rob Whitfield said.
He said many positive results emerged from the retreat, and the IFC is in the process of establishing an all Greek community service event.
A motion to close the vast majority of fraternity parties passed Monday at the IFC meeting by a two-thirds majority.
The decision allows three open parties a semester and prohibits non-greek males from attending the fraternity parties if they are not on the list. Whitfield said this is because non-greek males have not undergone the mandatory alcohol education that Greeks must complete.
Whitfield said the vote passed because it reflected the liability and accountability fraternities have had to deal with but is not in response to the incident that occurred at the retreat. He said the regulations were discussed this spring.
Phone calls to the four fraternities involved were not returned or the members would not comment at press time.
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