With doubts now clouding the gang-rape allegation at the core of the Nov. 19 article, many fraternity and sorority advocates are asking why the university must continue a seven-week suspension of social activities at the Greek-letter organizations, which U-Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan announced on Nov. 22.
The leadership of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity, which has a chapter at U-Va. that dates to 1860, is saying the university is considering proposals to give police “unfettered access” to private fraternity houses and to require that chapters make alcohol-detecting breath-test devices available during parties.
In a letter to U-Va., the Sigma Chi leaders asserted their opposition to any police-access proposal that would violate members’ constitutional protections.
In addition, requiring undergraduates “to assume the role of policing their friends with breathalyzers is an unnecessary elevation from the responsibilities they presently have when they consciously decide to invite other students into their homes for social gatherings,” wrote Michael A. Greenberg, grand consul/international president of Sigma Chi, and Michael J. Church, executive director.
A spokesman declined to say whether Sullivan has floated such ideas as U-Va. considers revisions to what are known as fraternal organization agreements, or FOAs. “President Sullivan looks forward to receiving a formal proposal on the FOA proposed revisions from the Greek community,” U-Va. spokesman McGregor McCance said.
According to this article, students at fraternity and sorority houses only had to put their social activities on pause. They could still have chapter meetings and do philanthropic work. I suppose I don’t understand what Sigma Chi is whining about. They should be monitoring the liquor. I would also suggest that the police should have access to any place that involves UVA students.
Students, for the most part, don’t drink like you and I drink. They bolt down drinks or shots like there is no tomorrow, in an attempt to get drunk. Apparently these young people don’t understand the short term or long term dangers of this behavior. One’s own person safety depends on being in control. People that binge drink are never in control. Students attempt to drive, walk about in front of cars, aspirate their own vomit, get in fights, fall off balconies, and yes, get lost and picked up by strangers who wish them harm.
Long term effects of binge drinking also lead to recovering from doing stupid things, alcoholism, flunking out of school, and just generally being known as a horse’s ass drunk. Nearly every young person I know has at least one friend who has died of alcohol poisoning. My son lost a very good friend. I lost a cousin, although she wasn’t still a student. She was a grown woman with 4 kids.
Good for Sullivan for maintaining the pause button she describes in the article. She is saving lives. Hopefully all the young folks will survive without a party until Jan. 9. It’s just a little while longer.
Meanwhile, some sort of statement needs to be issued that exonerates Phi Psi. It certainly seems like they didn’t do that which they were accused of doing. How do you prove a negative? Apparently Phi Psi men will join the ranks of the Duke Lacrosse players as falsely accused victims.
“Good for Sullivan for maintaining the pause button she describes in the article. She is saving lives.”
In that case, why is it merely a pause? ALL social activity of these adults should be shut down.
Why? They have been directed to come up with plans to ensure the safety of everyone in the fraternity or sorority. They are also part of a task force to find solutions for existing problems such as underage and binge drinking. All social activity is curtailed until Jan. 9.
Adults? Perhaps legally they are adults but many are not old enough to drink. That is a huge problem on this campus and on many others nationwide.
You are far more generous than I am about who you really think of as an adult.
Another perspective:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/12/11/to-this-day-people-call-me-a-liar-a-campus-rape-victims-story-10-years-on/?tid=trending_strip_1
As I have said previously, I am no big fan of the “Greek Life”. Like gambling, I guess I’ve never understood the appeal. That said, I support the rights of people to freely organize and associate, within the bounds of the law.
I do have some experience being part of a group of young adults…Marines. For the young, single Marine, there were the E-Clubs and the “beer gardens” on base. Occasionally, a married peer might have a cook-out or party at their home, or a bunch of us might “hit the beach”. Yes, there was alcohol consumed, and sometimes an individual over-indulged. We’d police our own, and take care of those who had lost the capacity to think and act straight. We were imbued with the ideal that in any group of Marines, someone is always in-charge, accountable for the actions of the group, whether on-duty or off, and we were all accountable to someone, and for someone. If out in public, and one of ours started to act up, we squared him away. Better to be a killjoy, than to have someone locked up by the civilian authorities, or have to answer to the command. If there was an “incident” either on or off base, one of the first questions always asked was “who was the Senior Marine present”. You could have 5 slick-sleeve privates in a group…one of them is “senior marine present”.
So, how does this relate to college and greek life? Maybe a bit if clear structure, expectations, responsibility and accountability isn’t such a bad thing. When there’s alcohol involved, this is especially true, and “designated thinkers” are always a wise thing to consider, before the booze starts flowing. I wonder…if a Freshman is found passed out in the student lounge, obviously drunk, are there any actions taken by the school? If there’s a rowdy party going on at a Greek house, on or off campus, why don’t the police (especially the campus police) have the authority to enter and check for criminal activity (drugs and underage drinking), just as your local PD can respond to a house-party where they suspect the same is occurring? A student ID isn’t a license to be an idiot, or contribute to the idiocy of others, nor does membership in a greek house.
I can’t argue with one thing that you have said. My marine experience is a little different but then again, it would be. Different times. My main marine experience was during the Vietnam War. A lot of young men were being sent where they probably didn’t want to go. There was lots of drinking and yes, barfing in the bushes. Over all though, the behavior was more mature. In fairness though, the marines at Quantico were older and in OCS.
Then I almost married an ex marine. Vietnam vet. Mercifully, for both of us, I changed my mind.
It is against the law to serve alcohol to minors. Greeks are not exempt from the law.
So many people forget that the majority of undergraduates at UVA and other Virginia schools are NOT OF LEGAL AGE TO DRINK. Not even Beer. Period. I didn’t turn 21 until halfway through my 3rd year. Now, let me be upfront about a few things: I was a fraternity member. I drank alcoholic beverages both before and after I was of legal age. Didn’t make it right. I never abused pledges with hazing or abused women in any way, though. I guess my parents did a reasonably good job of raising me to be responsible.
Here are a few ways to improve the situation at UVA: first, focus on alcohol first. I suspect getting that “culture” under control will have the simultaneous benefit of reducing the sexual assault problem.
Second, do not allow First-years to rush Greek houses. As an immature freshman, I was like a lot of others my age – wanting to “belong” somewhere. By the time I was a Second Year, I had established a great group of friends at the campus radio station. I might not have pledged a house had I waited. But even if I had, I would have done it for the right reasons.
Third, the ABC stores need to get serious about preventing purchases that are quite obviously being made by seniors on behalf of under age brothers and sisters.
Fourth, when looking at Fraternity behavior, Sorority behavior needs to be studied as well. Sadly, some modern sorority sisters seem bent on matching their brothers for bad behavior.
Finally, fraternities and sororities should either enact no-alcohol-in-the-house policies, or be prohibited by the University from having Open House style parties open to non-members. And the National bodies of the Greeks need to understand that their rights are what the University says they are. The University is under no legal obligation to recognize Greek organizations on Grounds.
Excellent post, Don. Thank you for your insight. I hope you will share your ideas with President Sullivan.
This article was sent to me by my brother who is a UVA graduate. The article dates back to 2011.
This is an on-going problem, apparently. Jackie is just a blip on the radar.
Wall Street Journal
http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704658704576275152354071470?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748704658704576275152354071470.html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5#MARK