Fraternities preparing for alcohol-free houses

Nationwide, fraternities are looking to de-emphasize the role alcohol plays in Greek life. There's more to fraternities than alcohol, and four fraternity chapters at Penn are putting down their beer bottles to prove it. The fraternities -- Delta Upsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Sigma and Sigma Nu -- will all become alcohol-free beginning July 1, in accordance with policies mandated by their national organizations. And they are not alone. The move toward alcohol-free housing is part of a growing national trend aiming to reduce the role of alcohol in fraternity life. Seven other national fraternities -- which do not have chapters on Penn's campus -- will also go dry this summer. "Fraternities are about a lot more than alcohol and parties," said Interfraternity Council President Andrew Mandelbaum, an Alpha Chi Rho brother. "I don't think [this] will greatly affect the social scene." Also following the shift in Greek life, Penn's Panhellenic Council will no longer hold mixers in fraternity houses that are not dry, in accordance with a suggestion put forth by the National Panhellenic Council. While only five of Penn's eight sororities -- Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi -- were required by their nationals to follow NPC's suggestion, Panhel decided to adopt the resolution across the board. "We're trying to be proactive," Panhel President and Sigma Delta Tau sister Jennifer Chanowitz, a College junior, said. "We want to make it a fair playing field for all houses." Panhel sororities will still hold mixers with non-dry fraternities at third-party locations. Sigma Nu National Director of Insurance and Risk Reduction David Glassman said there are many advantages to having an alcohol-free fraternity house. For instance, Glassman believes that de-emphasizing the alcohol aspect of fraternities will help to boost their sagging memberships by portraying fraternity membership as an asset rather than a liability. "The question now is, can students afford something they perceive will detract from their ability to compete?" Glassman asked. "They need something they can sell to a graduate school or future employer." Tom Balzer, project coordinator for alcohol-free housing at Phi Delt's national organization, agreed. Balzer pointed out that the Phi Delt houses that are already dry have experienced larger pledge class numbers. Glassman also said banning alcohol from chapter houses may help to reduce insurance costs. Fraternity members, he explained, typically pay between $70 and $120 each per year -- while sorority members, whose houses are alcohol-free, pay only about $20. According to Balzer, Phi Delt's decision to go dry reflected a desire to return to the fraternity's founding principles. "The question was, could our founders sit in any one of our chapter houses and be pleased at what they saw?" Balzer said. "And the answer, in many cases, was no. Our No. 1 problem is about the misuse and abuse of alcohol." "We don't want to be the entertainment center on campus," added Bob Miller, the national executive vice president of Phi Kap. "Besides, you have a better time when your feet don't stick to the floor," Miller said. Balzer said Phi Delt has a "zero tolerance" policy for blatant violations -- four alcohol-free chapter houses have already been shut down for major alcohol infractions. "If there were keg parties or minors drinking, we have closed the chapter down without question," he said. "But if a chapter member walks in with a case of beer and drinks it alone in his room, there will be no punishment on the entire chapter." Penn Greeks said they were positive about the changes. "It's a good idea for the houses to go dry," said Sigma Nu IFC Representative Erik Franks, a Wharton junior. "It's an attractive living option for those people worried about alcohol in the chapter house. It also puts more of a focus on brotherhood, on becoming good friends with a bunch of guys."