IFC calls parties policy a success

Now that rush is officially over, Interfraternity Council members said this semester's first-ever policy against rush parties was a success and put chapter presidents one step closer to eliminating alcohol entirely from the member recruitment process.

The policy instituted this semester required chapter presidents to warn other presidents if they heard another fraternity would be hosting a rush party with alcohol. Additionally, it recommended members tell an IFC executive board member. At least five presidents gave warning calls to another fraternity's leadership suggesting they shut down a recruitment party between Sept. 8 and 21, according to IFC executive board president Marc George.

Because these presidents complied, no chapters were placed on social moratorium, the consequence for fraternity members throwing a party and having the incident reported to the IFC, a council representing 22 university chapters, George said. This would have prohibited a fraternity from holding social events during rush week.

"Overall, I'd say it was a success, and we're working to improve the overall situation for next semester," said George, a senior behavioral sciences and community health major.

The warning calls fostered communication between chapter presidents, which George said allowed the chapters to quash parties themselves without involving the police.

"It sounds like Greek students support this and are buying into the idea that if they can be their own brothers' and sisters' keeper, they can help," said Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Warren Kelley, who co-chairs the UM Alcohol Coalition.

Several members of the Greek community said there were less recruitment parties with alcohol this semester than in previous years.

"Since the policy was put in place, fraternities were really good about not throwing the parties," said junior biology major Kaitlyn Stiefvater, a member of Alpha Phi.

However, George said there's still room for improvement when crafting next semester's policy, as fraternities may have thrown parties without the IFC knowing.

"[Fraternities] have parties, and they're fun, but that's not where rush takes place," said junior economics major Brian, a fraternity member whose last name has been withheld because he discussed underage drinking. "Some are rush parties, I can't deny that, but some aren't. Freshmen just show up, so maybe it's rush for them, but it's not for us."

However, he said the policy gave presidents a simple method to ensure their chapter was not held liable for others' parties, which fraternity members worry could result in a loss of privileges for the Greek community.

"If we hear a party's happening one night, it would really suck if the next day I found out we lost our house or all fraternities were kicked out for an incident not related to us," Brian said. "The policy, I feel like everybody is fine with it."

The executive board is currently collecting feedback from chapter presidents on the policy's effectiveness to shape how it changes in the spring.

"I believe it's certainly a step in the right direction, even though it took a lot of criticism from the public," said Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life Director Matt Supple. "Even if there were possibly some violations to that policy, I think it's promoting the right type of behavior, and it should continue to be in place."

In order for all chapters to comply with the IFC's dry rush party rule, a cultural shift will need to occur campus-wide, as many new students seemingly expect fraternities to supply them with alcohol, George said. The change may require help from university officials and the Department of Resident Life, he said.

"One of the biggest challenges is no matter what policy we create, it's very difficult to stop the hundreds of freshmen … who walk down College Avenue the first week of college and come to each house," George said.

Because University Police do not label off-campus houses as fraternity satellite homes, police spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky said the department did not know if any rush parties had been broken up.

University Police Chief David Mitchell created a new initiative this semester that allowed students to notify a police officer if they planned to host a legal party; if underage people tried to slip through the doors, the hosts could contact police to help, Limansky said.

However, Limansky said no one took the department up on this offer, partly because most students throwing parties in the city plan to serve underage people.

"It's a new thing and people might be skeptical about it," he said. "If a bunch of graduate students want to have a nice gathering and they get overtaken by roaming bands of incoming freshmen … we can show up," he said.

lurye@umdbk.com