The College Fix

Put the glass down.

Plastic party cups will be dropping like flies by 2012, when the University aims to have nearly completed a three year program to eliminate freshman drinking on campus. After several years of deliberation on how best to minimize dangerous underage boozing, the administration this August put forward an amendment to the University Recognition Policy for Greek Institutions, requiring the IFC to come up with a plan to reorganize chapters’ recruitment methods.

The ‘Prohibition Policy’ aims to amend these methods, according to Associate Dean of Students for Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Travis Apgar, by “three simple ways: no alcohol or drugs in initiation, rushing, or intake process of new member education, no hazing, and the reorganization of fraternity time. It is not an initiation to revoke self governance.”

In response to the administration’s initiative, the Interfraternity Council, lead by President Allen Miller, designed a Policy Implementation Plan which includes calls for the ban of freshmen from open parties by Fall 2012, and the elimination of social events with sororities during the eight weeks in Spring of new-member education process.

Greek leaders and many students have responded with vehement opposition, expressing fears that 2012 as the new 1920 will spawn a culture of social drinking where Collegetown apartments and dorm rooms will become 21st century speakeasy clubs.

“These restrictions will have an overall negative effect on our community,” said sophomore Jonathan Karasik, a brother at Zeta Beta Tau. “As a fraternity member [I can say that] the lack of a real rush week means less of a freshman presence and less prospective brothers. Additionally, this will push more and more freshmen to participate in dorm room drinking.”

Cornellians are also worried that the administration has not done enough to include student input. This concern was enumerated in a letter from the Student Assembly to Dean Hubbel on September 8th in which the SA said they “are troubled by the administration’s lack of consultation with student governance and relevant stakeholders.” Hubbel responded by assuring the SA student voice will be taken into account.

“This lack of dialogue is absolutely unacceptable,” SA President Vince Andrews later told The Review in an email. “If the Administration ever hopes to effectively implement meaningful and effective changes to the Greek system, which actually address the unsafe practices within the system (think binge drinking and hazing), they must include suggestions from students and the relevant organizations that are affected by the changes.”

In a forum between IFC members and administration Untouchables Susan Murphy, Vice President for Student and Academic Services, Dean of Students Kent Hubbel, and Travis Apgar, Greek members fired questions that cast doubt on the safety of students outside of fraternities.

The administrators acknowledged the ambiguity of the current timeline, however, reassuring students that there are many facets and specifics that have not yet come to completion.

“That [original] plan is currently under review, and we are now working towards putting a new plan in place,” IFC President Miller told The Review via email.

The Prohibition Policy in its final form is scheduled to be presented to the Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees for review on October 29.

Oliver Renick, Matthew Truesdail and Noah Kantro reported on this for for the Cornell Review. They are members of the Student Free Press Association.

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