In September, a female freshman suffered from alcohol poisoning at an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity party. The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity will be prohibited from possessing alcohol in its on-campus house for two years as punishment for the chapter's role in September's non-fatal alcohol poisoning of a female freshman, officials said yesterday. After two months of negotiations and investigations, Penn's Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and AEPi yesterday finalized an agreement, effective immediately, which permits the fraternity to serve alcohol only at parties in "commercial establishments" such as bars and restaurants. The fraternity -- currently one of the largest on campus, with a total of 55 members -- has been under investigation since the September 17 incident. A female freshman was hospitalized after consuming at least 12 drinks at an AEPi "hotel party." During the event, each room in the house at 3940 Spruce Street, next to Allegro Pizza, served a different type of mixed drink. In addition to the prohibition on alcohol in the house, brothers will participate in alcohol-education programs and community service projects. The Office of Student Conduct began investigating the fraternity after the party and presented OFSA with the results. OFSA Director Scott Reikofski had originally said the disciplinary measures would be released to the public a month ago. But negotiations among the house, its national fraternity office and OFSA dragged on, he said. Alumni and national officers will work closely with the brothers throughout the upcoming years, according to Reikofski, and the chapter will be regularly reviewed to ensure that it is meeting the terms of the agreement. If there are any further violations, it will be suspended. "We are planning to use this as an opportunity to educate ourselves and others about the dangers of alcohol," AEPi President and Wharton junior Dan Tehrani said in a statement. He also said that "we accept responsibility for our actions and have worked hard with the University as well as our national fraternity to come to an agreement that reflects our ideals as a brotherhood." Tehrani refused to comment further. The AEPi national officers, while acknowledging that the final agreement is strict, are confident the brothers will uphold the fraternity's standards and be a successful dry brotherhood. "It is never easy to be the first group on campus to try a new idea, but these men are being held responsible for their errors and the educational sanctions will help to bring focus back into the ideals of AEPi," said Scott Cohon, director of risk management for the Alpha Epsilon Pi International Fraternity, in a statement. Although both OFSA and the fraternity were vague about the precise violations, they did involve alcohol, according to Reikofski. The investigation proved the alleged violations true, and once OFSA received the investigation results on October 15 it began working with the national office and the alumni to reach a disciplinary agreement. Reikofski explained that once the agreement was almost complete, the brothers came in to discuss the terms and make minor modifications. Negotiations took longer than Reikofski intended, but he said the final product is beneficial for all the parties involved because it promotes positive change within the chapter. "If they were to go through a year's suspension, they will go underground," he said. He added that when they returned to campus, they would be the "same guys, same attitudes, same behaviors." Reikofski said he hopes that by going "dry" and allowing the members to engage in community service and alcohol education, the fraternity will undergo both "cultural and philosophical improvement." But although the fraternity may receive an emotional makeover over the next two years, members of other fraternities said that being dry may reduce the number of men who rush AEPi next spring. "A lot of people are interested in fraternities because they want to have a good time, and alcohol is a part of that," Sigma Phi Epsilon President Dan McCaughey said. The College senior admitted that the pledge class might be smaller this year, but he added that it might be made up of "guys who care about the fraternity and what it's about, other than drinking." Although there are no other dry houses on campus, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Nu, Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Sigma have all pledged nationally to be dry by the year 2000. Phi Kap President Jeffrey Snyder shared McCaughey's concerns about becoming an alcohol-free house. He said that with a dry house, AEPi would "certainly have to adapt how they do things," and "it may affect their intake process." But the Wharton senior acknowledged that the number of dry houses nationwide is growing and he thinks that "dry houses are the future of the Greek system." Others said that AEPi can definitely survive without a beer in the fridge. "Fraternities are about brotherhood and philanthropy, and a lack of alcohol will not be a detriment to them," said Wharton junior Steven Fechheimer, the president of Pi Kappa Phi. And InterFraternity Council President Josh Belinfante said he thinks "that they can have a very successful rush process and be substance free." The College senior added that Sigma Chi had two strong pledge classes when they had a similar dry policy. During the 1996 spring semester, Sigma Chi was disciplined for violating the University's dry rush policy, after Penn basketball player Jed Ryan was treated for alcohol poisoning after drinking at one of the fraternity's rush events. AEPi's punishment is the first of a University fraternity since last April, when Phi Sigma Kappa's national organization shut down its Penn chapter, citing repeated risk-management violations as well as pornographic material linked to its World Wide Web page. University officials have since renovated part of the Phi Sig house at 3615 Locust Walk and recently reopened it as the Veranda, an event center.
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