IFC, UA may pool funds for frat parties

A Pennsylvania law bars Greeks from charging door fees for social events. The InterFraternity Council may join forces with the Undergraduate Assembly in order to help fund fraternity parties in the fall, IFC President and College junior Matt Baker said yesterday. And for the first time since assuming his executive position, the Alpha Chi Rho brother met with administrators Wednesday to discuss funding parties this semester. Administrators, enforcing a Pennsylvania law forbidding Greeks to charge admission to social events, and the brothers, who say they cannot afford to hold free parties for the entire spring semester, have yet to reach an agreement on the issue. Negotiations will continue until both parties agree upon a method of raising the $75,000 to $90,000 which former IFC President and College senior Josh Gottheimer cited as the amount required to sustain Greek social events this semester. Although administrators recently purchased sound system equipment available for student use, Baker said using the equipment would defray less than a quarter of party administration costs. "Obviously we're up against a law here," Baker said. "[But] obviously we just can't manufacture this money ourselves." Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta informally suggested that IFC could seek financial support from the UA. To compensate for the shortfall of funds, UA Vice Chairperson and College junior Larry Kamin drafted a resolution proposing that the UA provide the IFC with $20,000 if the University and the Greeks can raise $55,000 to $70,000 in party funds by October. The group will consider the resolution at its February 23 budget meeting. "It is essential that the UA do whatever it can to preserve a social life that is strong, inclusive and on-campus," Kamin said. IFC Vice President of Academics and Community Service Jason Judd said collaborating with student government is more conducive to a solution than working with the administration. "That's who cares about the social life," the Tau Epsilon Phi president and College junior said. And Baker added that "a lot of the UA is pro-Greek, if not Greek." Moneta said that while the details of the Greeks' plan to fund spring social events are being worked out, he will not think in a "punitive" manner about the recent incidents when fraternities allegedly violated the state charging law. "I am not going to spend a lot of time monitoring," Moneta said after the Greeks' first violation. He added that Scott Reikofski and the Peer Judicial Board would handle punishment based upon graduate student observers' records. "The University is well aware that we're a very socially based organization and that we are a significant contributor to University social life" and would be willing to work with IFC, Baker said. In other Greek news, Baker said the administration has given its "full support" to plan a peer educator program for next fall's New Student Orientation week. The IFC will work closely with other student organizations -- including Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education, Students Against Acquaintance Rape and the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team -- to educate freshmen about alcoholism, peer pressure, time management and crime. IFC Executive Board members are already excited about the program's prospects. Judd said Baker's "brainchild is probably one of the most brilliant ideas ever, [because incoming freshmen only] care about the fact that they're away from their parents and that they can live a carefree life."