STAFF EDITORIAL: IFC setting a good example

The InterFraternity Council's decision yesterday to extend compliance with penn's new alcohol policy is exemplary. Although party-goers will not notice very much difference between GAMP-regulated parties and parties held under the new regulations, the move is nonetheless an important one. Administrators and student leaders alike have been careful to frame the recent discussions about abusive and underage drinking in campus-wide terms, but because fraternity parties make up the great bulk of registered undergraduate parties, attention has inevitably focused on Penn's Greek organizations. That focus has long seemed overly exclusive -- the notion that fraternity parties are somehow more likely to induce binge drinking than other types of events is unfair at best. Now, the IFC Executive Board's unanimous ratification of this new policy is the latest example of a reality that differs substantially from the old perception. Once again, the IFC has toed the line of responsible consumption -- advocating firmly on behalf of student's rights to drink while taking the necessary steps to minimize incidents of underage and binge drinking. Indeed, all in all, there is a strong case to be made for fraternity parties as the best-regulated on campus -- and that means the odds of students abusing alcohol at such parties have never been lower. Students, Greek and non-Greek alike, would do well to emulate the IFC's attitude toward the issue of alcohol abuse. Through responsible action on the part of individuals and appropriate regulation on the part of organizations, Penn students can ensure that drinking remains a part of campus life. And that drinking dangerously does not.