New Greek workshops pay off

Penn Greek officials have revamped their system of mandatory pledge workshops for 1998 -- and attendance figures and feedback show that more people are going to and enjoying the workshops than in past years. The new workshop, which is mandatory for all incoming members of the Greek system, deals with diverse safety issues including AIDS, date rape and alcohol abuse. It combines two older programs, previously conducted separately by Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape and the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team. Kate Ward-Gaus, a health educator and DART adviser, said evaluations submitted by fraternities and sororities are more positive than ever before. She added that attendance at this year's workshops has been much better compared to previous years. The program has also received national praise. The workshop, piloted last year, was cited in a national source book produced by researchers at George Mason University in northern Virginia. Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategy described the program as an "exemplary campus-based effort for addressing alcohol abuse." According to Ward-Gaus, the activity typically takes place in a fraternity or sorority house -- the host house -- and consists of a game called Greek Tac Toe. During the game, participants are divided into three teams and asked several questions drawn from both STAAR and DART issues. If a team correctly answers a question they receive an "X" or an "O," in accordance with the tic-tac-toe style game. Common questions include "list the basic steps involved in getting someone medical attention who may have alcohol poisoning," according to Ward-Gaus. Between each question, the issue brought up is discussed by all teams, with the help of the facilitators. The questions also address issues of sexual conduct. "It's a good opportunity to talk about differences between men and women," Ward-Gaus said, adding that "we talk a lot about 'hooking up.' " Overall, Ward-Gaus said she expects the workshop to give Greek members new insight into several issues. "What's [probably] new to them are conversations that come up about how to negotiate sexual relations when they're drunk," she said. Although the program was officially mandatory in the past, some members were excused from the event, lowering its attendance, according to Panhellenic Council President Janelle Brodsky, a Pi Beta Phi sister. InterFraternity Council President Josh Belinfante, a College junior, called the program "another step in the right direction for the Greek system." The program was changed this year to allow for greater interaction between attendees and STAAR and DART representatives. Also, in past years, new members went to separate workshops for STAAR and DART at an unspecified date during the semester. This year, chapters from all three Greek umbrella groups -- the IFC, Panhel, and the Bicultural InterGreek Council -- have been organized into clusters and given preset dates on which they are to attend the combined workshop, according to OFSA Director Scott Reikofski. Greek leaders credit the single session and the more organized scheduling process with increasing attendance for the event. STAAR and DART initially created workshops for Greeks several years ago, but they became mandatory when the Greek 21st Century Report was passed in March 1996. Reikofski lauded the combined program -- which fraternities and sororities will continue to attend on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights throughout the semester -- as being far more interactive than past workshops. Brodsky, a College and Engineering junior, sat in on one of the workshops. She stressed the importance of the issues discussed in the program, such as alerting students about potential dangers they may not have been aware of and teaching them how to help their friends.