Alcohol-free
continued from page 1A
nounced officially, she said.
Leavitt said many people in
volved with the greek community
favor alcohol-free housing for all
campus fraternities because the
current greek system social policy
can be confusing to students and
hard to enforce. Depending on the
chapter, sororities have varying
policies as to how many of their
members can attend a party at a
“wet” house before it becomes an
illegal social function.
Fraternities with alcohol-free
housing can also be put at a disad
vantage in recruitment.
“When some houses are dry and
some are not, it’s very hard on the
greek system,” she said.
If Frohnmayer approves the al
cohol-free housing proposal, he
will write a letter to the national
fraternity organizations advising
them that chapters, that do not
have alcohol-free housing will not
be recognized by the University.
Chapters that do not comply will
not be able to participate in Greek
Life events and services, including
recruitment.
Nationally, alcohol-free housing
is being endorsed by many fraterni
ties, said Jon Williamson, executive
vice president of the North-Ameri
can Interfraternity Conference.
About one in five fraternities across
the country now have alcohol-free
housing, he said.
“What we’re looking for is a way
to improve the campus communi
ty,” he said. “And what the NIC be
lieves is that alcohol-free housing
coupled with education is the way
to do it.”
He said the NIC is also looking at
the results of a report released this
month by the federally appointed
Task Force on College Drinking,
which found that drinking rates
were highest among students living
in fraternities and sororities.
Close to home, recent tragedies
have called attention to fraternity
drinking. In spring 2001, an Oregon
State University freshman died af
ter falling from a houseboat during
his fraternity’s trip to Lake Shasta.
And in March, another student
died after falling from an OSU fra
ternity fire escape.
Eugene Police Department pa
trol officer Pete Aguilar, who is as
signed to the campus team, said he
has “absolutely” seen alcohol-re
lated situations at the University
where a similar tragedy could
have occurred.
In a typical week, EPD receives at
least one call from a fraternity, But
that varies, he said. During Dead
Week and Finals Week there are
fewer calls, but at other times po
lice may respond to a single house
several times in a night or a week
end. They respond to reports such
as noise violation, criminal mis
chief or other complaints and often
find alcohol violations when they
arrive, he said.
Aguilar said he believes a dry
greek system would cut down on
campus drinking, because non
greek students attend parties at fra
ternities and the greek system tends
to set an example for the rest of the
University community. But he
added that he doesn’t want to sin
gle out greek students just because
their social structure makes it easier
to blame them.
“If you go to some other house
where college students are drink
ing, you don’t have an organization
to point to,” he said.
Drinking wasn’t always common
in fraternity houses, said Dan Ro
driguez, a former president of the
Sigma Nu national organization.
Before about 1970, all fraternities
had alcohol-free housing, he said.
There was alcohol at social func
tions outside of the house, but stu
dents rarely drank to the extent
they do today, he said. After the
Vietnam War, colleges began loos
ening those regulations.
“You just didn’t get drunk — it
was frowned upon,” he said. “And
nowadays it seems to be acceptable.”
Fraternity members have mixed
feelings about a dry greek system.
Kappa Sigma president Jordan
Fezler said members of his frater
nity were shocked and upset after
hearing the announcement last
week that they would soon have
to go dry.
“A lot of people care because it’s
a right they had, and it’s been taken
away,” he said.
Blake Clare, a member of Theta
Chi, one of the five University fra
ternities that is already dry, said al
cohol-free housing for all fraterni
ties would make recruitment more
fair. A significant number of the
men who rushed his fraternity last
year have since disaffiliated be
cause they decided they didn’t
want to live in a dry house, he said.
Still, he thinks that the policy
would eventually have a negative
affect on the greek system because
now fewer men, especially those
who are 21 and older, will want to
live in a fraternity house.
“I think the UO is really hurting
the greek system,” he said.
Keyon Maljai, president of Delta
Sigma Phi, another fraternity that
currently has alcohol-free housing,
had the opposite reaction. While re
cruiting men who share their val
ues may take a little longer, he said
alcohol-free housing would benefit
the greek system.
“Fraternities will be able to recruit
more guys who are interested in the
core values fraternities were found
Adam Jones Emerald
Jamie Keller and Jeremy Lansing, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity who will be
affected by the University’s proposed ‘dry-house’ policy, talk of their concerns outside
Lansing’s house. Lansing had no official opinion about the new policy; however, there still
seems to be negative feelings within the greek community.
ed on, instead of just people who
like to drink all the time,” he said.
For members of Beta Theta Pi, if
it comes down to going dry or giv
ing up University recognition,
they’ll choose to drop University
affiliation, Lewis said. Their na
tional fraternity office has already
indicated that it won’t force them to
comply with the University policy
to remain part of the fraternity, he
said, and they aren’t willing to give
up their lifestyle, he said.
“It’s not like you can change peo
ple,” he said. “People will not stay
in the house if we go dry.”
E-mail student activities editor Kara Cogswell
at karacogswell@dailyemerald.com
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