Greek sys. hit by alcohol-related incidents

Thomas S. Wootton High School '98 Rockville, Md. Alcohol-related violations plagued the Greek system this past spring, altering the future of fraternity and sorority social events. The death of 1994 College graduate and Phi Gamma Delta brother Michael Tobin, which occurred after a night of drinking before and during an alumni dinner for the fraternity -- nicknamed FIJI -- propelled University President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi to temporarily ban alcohol at official undergraduate parties. Following the death at FIJI in March, the FIJI national fraternity determined that the Penn chapter had violated alcohol and risk management policies. Two weeks later, FIJI forfeited its charter, ending its 117-year history as a Penn fraternity and 85-year history at 3619 Locust Walk. The fate of the former FIJI house remains unknown. Both academic and Greek uses have been suggested for the space. Currently, several fraternities but no sororities inhabit Locust Walk. "There is a general desire to get some sororities permanently on the Walk," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said. The decision to temporarily ban alcohol at registered undergraduate events prompted the creation of a student-faculty alcohol task force, which met several times per week and finally recommended a permanent alcohol policy in April. The policy includes enforced monitoring of the bring-your-own-beer system at all student group social functions. "Large parties with cases of beer provided by the chapter are most likely a thing of the past," said InterFraternity Council President Mark Metzl, then a College senior. Metzl, a Tau Epsilon Phi brother, said Greek organizations are "social bodies," and among college-aged students, "social events often include the consumption of alcohol." At least three other Greek houses found their way into the spotlight this year for alcohol policy, hazing and rush violations, forcing the Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternities to become dry for the next several years. The Kappa Alpha Theta sorority was accused of a rush infraction and has recently become the only Panhellenic Council sorority at the University to exist without a house. In November, AEPi was prohibited from possessing alcohol in its on-campus house for the next two years because of its role in September's non-fatal alcohol poisoning of a female freshman who consumed at least 12 drinks at an AEPi hotel party. The punishment was extended for an additional year in April after the chapter missed deadlines and failed to comply with its agreement from the September incident, which caused the AEPi national office to ask at least three members of the Penn chapter to forfeit their membership from the fraternity. SAM's social events must be alcohol-free for the upcoming year after the fraternity violated the IFC's dry rush policy in January when over 100 brothers and prospective pledges allegedly brought five kegs to a New Jersey bowling alley, charged the alley's bowling lanes and stole hundreds of pieces of equipment. And SAM is currently barred from holding any chapter activities while under investigation by the University and the SAM national fraternity for allegedly holding an informal event involving both alcohol and pledges this past spring. The event might have violated the University's anti-hazing policy and the disciplinary agreement that stemmed from the chapter's violation of the IFC's dry rush policy. While AEPi and SAM were forced to go dry, the Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Nu and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternities have all pledged nationally to be alcohol-free by the year 2000.

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