The Emerald reported on Friday that although enrollment in the University greek system has been in decline since 2001, recent numbers show that enrollment is stabilizing (“Greek system enrollment stabilizes,” ODE, Feb. 3). Interfraternity Council Vice President of Recruitment and Lambda Chi Alpha member David Cao said, “We’re breaking stereotypes by showing that greek life is not what the media shows it to be.”
The next day, The Register-Guard published a report entitled “UO frat accused of providing alcohol to minor.” According to the Eugene police, two underage women were given alcohol at a Dec. 1 party at the University’s Theta Chi fraternity. Both of the young women experienced a severe case of alcohol poisoning and one had to be hospitalized.
The entire fraternity was cited by police Thursday for furnishing alcohol to a minor and allowing minors to consume alcohol. The Register-Guard article points out that it is rare for the police to cite an entire group rather than an individual.
Apparently, some stereotypes about the greek system are true at least some of the time.
Although the University instituted an alcohol ban at all greek houses in 2002, it is clear that fraternities continually find ways around the stipulations of a dry greek system. Colloquial accounts of heavy drinking at fraternities and incidents such as this confirm that in the absence of strict supervision, alcohol easily makes its way into some “dry” greek houses.
It should also come as no surprise to anyone that when drinking is banished from on-campus houses it is merely relocated to live-outs. Like prohibition, creating a dry campus has only driven drinking underground, making it even more illicit and potentially dangerous.
The greek community at the University is largely a positive aspect of our campus. Greek houses raise thousands of dollars for charity, provide a valuable social structure for students and are a long-standing tradition here. Many houses and individual students should be commended for strictly adhering to the rules.
But it is an embarrassment to the entire school when greek houses blatantly violate their own rules, sometimes jeopardizing the lives of others in the process.
One possible solution to resolve the desire for legal socializing with alcohol and the need for safety would involve reconsidering the notion of a dry greek system. Instead, the Panhellenic board could create an appropriate set of rules as to when drinking is allowed in houses, where and by whom. Minors would of course be prohibited from consuming alcohol, just as the law clearly explains. A panel of greek leaders would conduct random inspections on weekends to confirm rules are being followed.
Such self-monitoring may be unfeasible for college-age students. But as a proud tradition, the greek system should have the opportunity and the responsibility to monitor itself.
No one can say for sure what will benefit the University greek system, but this subject should not be left underground. When alcohol and students mix, dangerous situations will undoubtedly arise. The University ought to evaluate its current rules on completely dry greek houses and decide whether the appearance of alcohol-free fraternities is worth the risk when unsupervised drinking inevitably occurs.