Party Restrictions a Needed Step for Greek Life at Penn State

The news went over like the proverbial lead balloon.  

In response to the investigation surrounding the death of fraternity pledge Timothy Piazza and as part of an ongoing review of the Greek system, the powers that be at Penn State last week announced sweeping changes to the ways that social fraternities and sororities can conduct business moving forward.  From limiting all new member activities for fall semester (often referred to as “rush”) to limiting the number of social events that provide alcohol, they seem to be sending a message that the system is going to change.

As I was reading the list of new rules and regulations, I paused with a gasp. Greek organizations will now be limited to 10 socials that provide alcohol each semester and the alcohol will only be permitted to be served by Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board RAMP-certified servers who will be checking identification.

A limit of 10 socials with alcohol per semester – down from the 45 that each organization was allowed under the old system.

Forty-five socials a semester. I thought I was reading it wrong.  A month and a half of socials each semester.  With 15 weeks in a semester, we are talking about the potential for socials on about 43 percent of the days of one semester. That doesn’t include smaller, informal get-togethers, nights at the bars, tailgate parties or parties at houses or apartments.

It begs the question: Someone at some time in some era thought approving 45 parties per academic semester was a good idea?

It’s all beginning to make sense. The fun of joining a Greek organization. The parties. The booze. The culture.

But then there is the bad judgment. The devastation in terms of drinking, vandalism, disruption to neighborhoods, alleged sexual assaults, convicted sexual assaults, missed classes, crumbling GPAs and the impact of alcohol on individuals for years beyond the date of commencement.

I’m reminded of the old adage of hindsight being 20/20. What in the hell were we thinking?

I’m suddenly filled with a newfound appreciation for the neighborhoods, the police and EMTs, emergency room personnel, and the other folks downtown who, unbeknownst to those of us who live in the hinterlands, have had to deal with the potential for chaos and wreaking havoc over 43 percent of each and every semester.

It’s not been just Saturday nights and football weekends.

I’m suddenly getting a better understanding of why some of the students who I’ve had in classes seem to be working below their ability.  

It’s becoming more clear. The smell of alcohol permeating a 9 a.m. class. The occasional vomiting in the classroom garbage can. The calls from concerned parents asking how much their child is “partying.” Students coming into office hours with concerns about anxiety, depression and their academic progress.

While not all of that can be attributed solely to the Greek system, an institutionalized system of tolerance seems to have set the stage for the Beta Theta Pi tragedy as well as for the other bad decisions and tragedies that never make the news.

Forty-five socials per semester? Just the cost of providing or buying that much alcohol must be staggering to organizations and perhaps personal budgets.

I live in Patton Township and if someone in my neighborhood had 45 parties over 15 weeks, some of which spilled outside of the doors of the house and were marketed as “daylongs,” I would either be moving or have the police on speed dial.

The comments on the news stories about the new regulations are pretty consistent. Why punish all for just a few? What about the good things that the Greek system does? It’s part of the culture at Penn State. If a student can party and earn the grades, why should we get involved? We all did it in the 1950s through the 1990s, why punish these kids? It’s just going to push the drinking underground. We are going to anger the alumni who look back on their memories at Penn State and want this generation (or perhaps their own kids) to have the same experience.

We are going to hear “They party hard but they give back to the community. Just look at THON.”

Ten socials per semester, with guidelines in place to make sure students aren’t breaking the law and or putting themselves and others at risk , seems like a reasonable compromise.

We don’t know what is going to happen with the Greek system but, as a Penn State alumna and an alumna of the Greek system in a time that didn’t okay 45 socials per semester, taking time to slow down and reflect seems like a good idea.

Just think of all of extra time the young men and women in this university community will have for studying, remembering the memories they are making and keeping each other safe – and they can still go to a party each week.