, .I

/ Wednesday, February 15, 1995

Risk management maybe dirty words on coHege campuses but students nationwide ;are realizing such a policy is

Page 3

By Jason Bohle/Daily file photo

A Necessary Evil By Joshua D, Nathan

Doily Slaff Writer - • • • ' .... � I

It was a Friday night and CAS sophomore Michael An­drews h;ul 11\anncd lo party with some friends. They tn-kked north. But when they reached the steps of Chi Phi fraternity, they were turned away. Instead of drinking and dancing, Andrews said, U1ey had lo spend the evening hang­ing out in someone's room. They were not on the guest list

When U1e lnterfraternity Council and the PanheUenic As­sociation Risk Management Policy first look effect in Octo­ber 1994, some Greek social chairs said the new regulations were just another way the administration was cracking down on Northwcslern's social life.

Students complained then, and many continue to feel, that guest lists are exclusionary and elitis� and greatly limit a powerful social outlet for non-Greeks. Its alcohol regula­tions are "cutting down" on a college experience, students said, and those responsible for its creation are unre;tlistic in believing it can be followed.

But as the policy has begun to permeate student life, some students are coming to understand why it is neces­sary and the real purposes it serves. After a few months of working with the policy, students can now answer for them­selves some common questions: Are the guest lists elitist? Is U1e policy effective? Why is it necessary? .

In a l(}minute meeting Sunday, fraternity social chrurs learned how to throw parties in compliance with the policy. A.s mandated in Section V of the policy, a course in "Risk Management 101" is given every quarter to social chairs. Mike Murphy, IFC risk management chair, spoke to a group this quarter in the Technological Institute. Those not in at­tendance at the roundtable will be suspended until they meet with the risk management chairs.

This part of tl1e policy focuses on education - explain· ing the regulations as well as their purposes. It is essential, some Greeks say, in continuing to implement a policy Uiat still faces resistance from boUt Greeks and non-Greeks.

THE POLICY

"Parties arc a big part of college life, .. said Liza Berger, a CAS sophomore who is not in a sorority. "Sometimes you just want to go and dance."

Now one needs to know someone in a Greek house in or­der to go to a parly, Berger s.,'licl. And even then, the maxi­mum guest list of '150 people forces chapter members to pick and choose who they invite.

In a four-way exchange between two sororities and two fraternities, each chapter member could be limited to plac­ing as few as two names on the guest list

"It's a numbers game." said Allison Harned, Kappa Alpha TI1eta sorority social chair. "Everyone has more than one friend. IL is elitist, but it is necessary."

Harned, a CAS junior, called it a "cover-your-butt" policy. She and other Greeks said the policy has not eliminated some of the problems it sought to attack, such as underage d jnking. . : :· .... ;· .,. 1.:. ,

"Everyone is still drinking." said Miya Murata, a pledge at Delta Delta Delta sorority who said she has no problem

ternity Council at Washington Univer,iity in St.Louis also .; 11as�d. a.pe>'!J!°isk·ll\3fl8l!'.t:n1e11t policy. It, too, eliminated

open parlles . .. National fraternities are at the end of I heir ropes with re­

gard to litigations and chapters not holding up lo national standards," said Lee Clark, a coordinator for Greek affairs at Washington University. "111ere are a lot of mixed emotions here. People see the necessity, but the difficulty in accepting it is more on the practical side of the policy - Ute ramifica­tions on the social life."

:'. • oi,en parties th�t se;ve a1c�hot 11�d j;r; · 1: ,specific invitations are pro,hibited.

•' • Host chapters must provide a ·university�supplied birthdate list todistributors of alcohol so ihat tney can prev�tunderage drinking: " -"· · -· · :,,. -. · . . •All parties providing alcohol must beregistered three days prior to the event.• A typewritten guest list must be submitted 24

• hours in advance and include. no more than 450 people other than chapter members:· ·; •:Fjve guests can be added I? .thelist durin�. tne party. _ · · - .• ,," " , · :· ·_ · . •JFC and Panhel will patrol each event at least

•; two times. . . ' . By Ann Layne/Daily Graphic,

gelling beer at parties even though she is underage. "I don't think Ute policy is very effective." . But Harned said the policy is more effective than people

think because it reduces the risk fraternities and sororities take during a party. If an accident were to occur at a party, sponsoring organizations would receive less blame if they followed risk-management regulations.

•1t can't stop accidents, but it can minimize risk," said Corey Perman, president of Kappa Sigma fraternity. "If some drunk person says, •Get out oi my way. l'm coming in to your party,' you now can sa.y, 'No! ..

The policy forces houses to take more responsibility for who is in the house, said Perman, a Speech senior. That alone, he said, minimizes the risk.

Even though the policy was enacted in October, Perman said greater compliance wiU come with time.

"As far as everyone's concerned, this thing's only been around since January; he said.

OTHER CAMPUSES

Northwestern is not alone. College campuses all over the countr,, are developing increasingly stronger, more viable risk-management policies.

"I think most schools are moving toward what we've µnple,;nented." said Steve Dealph, NU assistant director for fraternity affairs.

In the same month NU's policy was passed, U1e Interfra-

Even large state schools known for their raucous parties, such as the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Uni­versity of Wisconsin at Madison, have adopted stricter risk­management policies. Open parties are prohibited and guest lists are stricUY enforced and are limited lo 100 people for a party involving two houses.

"(Houses) have to know who is coming to Ute party," said Tom Lorz, associate Greek liaison at the University of Colorado.

Lorz said all infractions are dealt with by a Greek Judicial Board.

"Each year, they are becoming more and more stri�" he said.

The real emphasis is not on underage drinking but on re­ducing risk, Lorz said .

"Underage drinking is untouched as a subject," he said. Kathy Giswold, a member of the Panhellenic Associa­

tion's risk-management team at the University of Wisconsin, said it also adopted a new risk-management policy in March 1994. It is now being considered there by ll'C.

"It focuses not on past incidents, but on what could oc­cur," said Giswold, a junior. "Fraternity· and sorority.wise, we are working to foUow better rules."

STUDENT REACTION

Many students said they are against Nlfs risk manage­ment policy. Some have argued that the policy is ineffective and eclipses NU's social scene. But Greeks say the policy is here to stay.

"The guys (in Kappa Sigma) may_ nol be crazy about it, but U1ey understand it.· Pem1an said.

Because it limits social outlets for non-Greeks, Berger said other outlets should be opened.

"Speaking for non-Greeks, I think Nortl1western could do a much better job improving the social life on campus," she said.

The university should sponsor more dorm parties, she suggested. Perman also recommended that fraternity houses have nonalcoholic parties. He said his house had one with the same setup as an alcoholic event and it was very successful. · .

"For those who wen( we had a b)as4" he said. Harned said it is a shame that rules need lo be so strict at

alcoholic events. She said her chapter members have ac­cepted the rules, even if they don't always follow them lo tl1e letter.

"The best thing about it is that people are thinking more," Harned said.