Dry Houses, Safe Students

Since 1839, one of America’s oldest college fraternities, Beta Theta Pi, has claimed to instill core values of responsible conduct, integrity, and trust in its members. But these members are now the ones turning their backs on these ideals by serving alcohol to underage students. This crime, often dismissed as “frat culture,” resulted in the death of a college sophomore last February. Unfortunately, such alcohol-related deaths are becoming increasingly characteristic of fraternities across the country.

According to Professor Hank Nuwer at Franklin College, the number of alcohol-related deaths in fraternities has been increasing since the early 1900s. And in the last decade alone, there have been 40 fraternity pledge deaths with alcohol as the leading cause. In response, Americans across the country are questioning the validity of fraternities and the moral values they supposedly represent.

College can be scary for incoming students who face new environments that are far away from their family and friends. But joining a fraternity can provide its members a sense of belonging in a tight-knit group, allowing them to thrive academically and socially. In fact, many fraternity members credit their organizations for the lifelong friendships and connections they have made. And, as student-run social organizations, they provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop social and leadership skills that will be useful in and out of college.

Each year, around 750,000 American students undertake initiation rituals to join college fraternities. But in order for college students to thrive in supportive environments and for fraternities to safely offer these environments, Greek life must implement increased supervision and stricter alcohol reforms.

As of now, fraternities are not completely safe. Sophomore Timothy Piazza from The Pennsylvania State University died as he pledged to be a member of Beta Theta Pi. Abiding by hazing tradition, he drank lethal amounts of alcohol before falling down a flight of stairs. The other fraternity members did not call for help until the next morning, when his injuries were nonrecoverable.

Upon hearing the news, Piazza’s parents, Jim and Evelyn Piazza, were enraged at the Beta Theta Pi’s members for treating their son “as road kill and a ragdoll” in a hazing ritual referred to as a “careless disregard for human life,” they said. Over two dozen members faced multiple charges, some of which included involuntary manslaughter and underage drinking. Months later, Piazza’s parents are still furious. And, with their last memory of their youngest son being surveillance footage of his slow death, they have every right to be.

Jim and Evelyn are turning their anger into motivation as they advocate for fraternity reforms. After hearing various accounts about severe hazing at Penn State, Jim offered guidance for parents of college students, advising them to speak up about anything they hear or are wary of. In a letter sent to the Board of Trustees (BOT) to put in place new reforms, Piazza’s parents wrote, “You, the BOT, have a significant obligation to do the right things...to make Greek life and all life safer at Penn State. Our son died on your watch because of ignorance and denial of Penn State.”

The school was aware of the correlation between student safety and underage drinking years before Piazza. Due to reports back in 2009, Beta Theta Pi began operating as a dry house, in which alcohol was banned. But Penn State refused to be held accountable when alcohol ban regulations were broken by the fraternity only a few years later. They had also broken their own ban by permitting Beta Theta Pi to serve alcohol at the party where Piazza died. Penn State could have prevented his death if they had taken their alcohol ban more seriously.

In response, the BOT increased monitoring by university staff, implemented stronger hazing penalties, and set a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol consumption. Additional charges were held against Beta Theta Pi, and Penn State banned its operation on campus soon after. These reforms were a step toward the right direction of keeping Beta Theta Pi alcohol-free and safe.

It is necessary for colleges to take more responsibility for fraternities and regulate them with a stronger hand so that all students are safe within their own campuses. Many colleges across the nation have been accused of turning a blind eye to such fraternity issues. Such ignorance on behalf of universities is quite frightening for high school and new college students who once held fraternities in a high regard.

Fraternities should have a greater purpose on college campuses than what their stereotypical and media-driven image suggests. Their dangerous and irresponsible state tarnishes the value of the social and academic benefits they are supposed to provide.

The possibility of student death at initiation parties is terrifying and may persuade students to not join. When frat culture is used as an excuse for underage drinking and hazing abuse on campus, and the ineffective role of college supervision over it, the student body is in danger, and the fraternity does not serve its advertised purpose. Colleges do hold the power and authority to make fraternities safer environments for incoming members and should execute such power through refining fraternity behavior.

Fraternities, in their current alcohol-ridden and dangerous state, are unacceptable, but can be transformed into positive community-based service organizations. There is still time for colleges to change the current situation for fraternities. They can start by creating well-defined charters outlining exactly what constitutes acceptable pledge requirements. Many fraternities, including Beta Theta Pi, require their pledges, many of whom are underage, to consume a tremendous amount of alcohol. These leaders are breaking the law and are encouraging dangerous behavior on campus. Colleges have a responsibility to know how each fraternity accepts their members and if their rituals follow the charter to ensure that every pledge is safe.

In order to ensure that such charters are being followed, college administrative boards can hire supervisors to prevent alcohol consumption and investigate allegations of it. Supervisors should check all fraternity parties and acceptance rituals, since alcohol is most likely to be present at those events. Although it is not necessary for supervisors to check on fraternities every day, they should have the freedom to do so regarding those they are wary of. Colleges, like Penn State, had student supervisors who watched over frat parties, which proved to be ineffective. For fraternities to oblige by these reforms seriously, colleges must hire responsible supervisors that are willing to shut down dangerous parties or rituals that break the charter.

While fraternities should be able to maintain their student-led nature, colleges must reserve the right to prevent their meetings on campus if they do not follow the guidelines for student safety. Colleges, therefore, must be fully aware of every fraternity’s history record regarding alcohol. Along with a charter should be a strike system. One strike would result in increased supervision, but two strikes would result in a temporary shutdown of the fraternity, with college officials becoming further involved with their individual members. Colleges should not be hesitant, but encouraged, to involve themselves with these fraternities.

Fraternities have the potential to provide their members with a variety of benefits if they abide by alcohol-free reforms. They must also recognize that their purpose is to benefit their college communities. Therefore, fraternities should focus on philanthropy and channel their time into doing community service. Not only will they help make their communities better, but they can live true to the morals they advertise. Stuyvesant High School has many service organizations, such as the Red Cross and Environmental Club, where members work together to inspire positive change, whether it be participating in or holding fundraising events or working hands-on to clean our environment. Such organizations enforce a sense of purpose and benevolence within their members. This should also be applicable to college fraternities, which should take on a greater role within their campuses as leaders and as fellow students.

It may be difficult, but surely not impossible, for colleges to take greater responsibility in overseeing fraternities on campus. Through stricter reforms targeted at hazing, alcohol, and student behavior, and increased supervision by college officials, fraternities, such as Beta Theta Pi, can instill their core values of principle more effectively. Since Piazza’s death, more colleges have become involved with fraternities. Recently, alcohol has been banned in all fraternity parties at the University of California, Los Angeles. Even more recently, the parents of a Northern Illinois University student proceeded with a lawsuit against a local fraternity chapter that forced pledges to drink. The fight to abolish alcohol once and for all is moving in the right direction. In the years to come, hopefully fraternities can lose the negative connotation they currently have and become more positive organizations. The social networking and camaraderie that Greek life offers do not need to be dependent on alcohol consumption. Instead, as service organizations, fraternities can provide academic and social skills while maintaining a safe and secure environment free of alcohol.