Melissa Giaimo
Assistant News Editor
In response to alcohol consumption at fraternity formals, Student Affairs has tightened restrictions on drinking at all Pepperdine formals and dances. Under the policy, introduced last week, the university will prohibit overnight formals and dances; the venue must be within 75 miles of campus; a list of all attendees must be submitted and checked before departure; an adviser must be present at the event; and, beginning next semester, travel to and from the event must be by chartered transportation.
“The main reason for the change is that over the past 11 years, the overwhelming majority of judicial problems for fraternities have surrounded overnight formals,” wrote Student Organizations Coordinator Jake Gross in an e-mail to Greek officers in late July.
Fraternity and sorority presidents officially learned about the new policy at a Greek leaders’ roundtable, which Dean of Student Affairs Mark Davis hosted at his house the evening of Sept. 23.
Greek presidents said they were not surprised by the new policy, because they knew Student Affairs had been working on drafting it for some time. Gross also alerted them during the summer that overnight events would not be allowed. However, some said that the new policy was stricter than they had expected.
“A few, but serious, problems that have occurred at fraternity formals over the past few years” precipitated the change in policy, according to Davis.
“All of these incidents have involved illegal and excessive drinking following the ‘official’ end of the formal,” Davis wrote in an e-mail to the Graphic.
Davis expressed his concern about drinking at fraternity formals at the Greek presidents’ retreat last January.
“There was also consensus that it’s not possible for the student leaders to manage the risks that occur when you combine overnight stays at hotels with binge drinking,” Davis said.
Mike Viola, president of Sigma Chi fraternity, said the new formal policy is the latest in a trend of increasing restrictions on Greek life at Pepperdine.
“I feel like rules are being enforced more and more, and the Greek community at large is being watched more closely,” Viola said. “With events in the past and seeing how chapters have gotten in trouble, I’m not surprised that Pepperdine [made the change].”
Fraternity presidents speculate about the effectiveness of the new policy in prohibiting drinking.
“I think, no matter how many rules, … kids are going to do what they want,” Viola said. “If they want to drink with their date before or after, there’s not much that Pepperdine or even someone in a role like myself [can do.]”
Blake Knight, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, also said he heard speculations that using chartered transportation might encourage more people to drink, because they do not have to worry about drinking and driving.
They expressed their disappointment that they will no longer be able to host formals in faraway venues, such as Las Vegas.
“I am kind of upset about it, because we did have lots of fun venues that are farther than 75 miles [from campus],” Knight said.
However, Davis said by holding overnight formals, fraternities had exploited a loophole in the formal policy.
“Pepperdine has never allowed any group to host an overnight formal, but some fraternities have found ways around the event policy by ‘officially’ ending the event at the conclusion of the formal in the ballroom while ‘unofficially’ continuing the event overnight in the hotel,” Davis said.
Although the university may never have explicitly allowed overnight formals, Student Activities coordinators in the past have approved overnight formals. According to the current Student Organizations handbook, Student Activities must approve all written proposals of the events, including the location.
“Why would the school approve a formal in Vegas if there are no overnight formals?” Viola said.
Davis said Student Activities stopped approving Las Vegas as an event location last year because “it was unrealistic to expect that the formal would end after the dance, even though technically this was the ‘official’ end of the event.”
The new policy does not affect sororities as much as fraternities, because national sorority chapter rules already prohibit overnight formals. With the exception of Delta Delta Delta and Gamma Phi Beta, national chapter rules also require Pepperdine’s other five sororities to take chartered transportation to formals.
“I can see where it can pose a problem for some of the fraternities, but for the sororities, it’s not that different than what we’ve already been asked of,” said Gloria Sheller, president of Kappa Alpha Theta.
However, for fraternities — which allocate less of their budget to formals, because they have fewer members paying dues than sororities — the cost of chartering transportation is a worrisome expense, which could consume as much as half of their formal budget.
Viola said he will need to raise Sigma Chi dues next semester by approximately $20 to absorb the cost of chartered transportation, which he said is at least $400 each way per bus.
However, for Delta Delta Delta, the chartered transportation requirement is a positive change, which will foster greater unity among the sorority, according to the sorority’s president and vice president of finance.
“Even if Pepperdine hadn’t suggested it, I would have wanted to try to do it,” said Megan Carolin, president of Delta Delta Delta.
Viola and Knight also said they were frustrated not to have been more included in the drafting of the new policy. Beyond hearing about Davis’ concern at the Greek presidents’ retreat, students were not involved in the writing of the new policy changes, according to Viola.
Although Davis said Gross and Student Activities Director Doug Hurley held follow-up discussions with the Inter-Fraternity Council during the spring semester, fraternity presidents said they wished Student Affairs had invited them to play a greater role.
“Sometimes I wish they would talk to students more about it before they make big decisions,” Knight said. “A lot of time, I don’t think the administration realizes how much the Greek community contributes to Pepperdine.”
Some sorority members see the new policy as a way to bring equality to the rules governing fraternities and sororities on campus, which some perceive as sexist.
“I’ve always been bothered by the fact that [the boys] had such different rules than us,” Carolin said. “I think it’s good because it’s fair to make it even across the board.”
However, for some fraternity members, the new policy unfairly applies the same rules to fraternities and sororities, which historically have operated under separate rules, as evidenced by differences in recruitment protocol.
“I understand why the sororities have those rules, but I guess I don’t think they’re completely necessary for fraternity events,” Viola said. “I don’t disagree with the rules because they’re bad rules … [But,] I think they’re fundamental differences between fraternities and sororities.”
Davis said the new formal and dances policy is still pending approval from the Office of Insurance and Risk Management.
10-02-2008