Social options seemed limited at the beginning of Fall term, with five Greek organizations on probation and prohibited from hosting parties or serving alcohol. Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity became the sixth member of the abnormally long list of those fraternities and sororities serving probation this term on Tuesday. Additionally, Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity is currently under investigation and Psi Upsilon fraternity was recently investigated for College policy violations during the beginning of the term.
Nearly all of the organizations' infractions occurred during the spring-summer interim, Summer term and the summer-fall interim but since the Office of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs does not enforce probation over the summer, punishments weren't served until recently.
Chi Heorot fraternity was saddled with a three-week probation sentence after being found with an unauthorized keg on June 15 and a five-week sentence after co-hosting an unregistered social event with Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority on July 24. The fraternity is set to serve a combined five-week sentence.
Although Heorot will be on probation through Homecoming -- its probation ends Oct. 17 "barring more problems," according to Heorot President Eric Yeager '07 -- the fraternity's officers feel that the five week sentence was fair given the circumstances of the fraternity's violations.
"In my opinion the administration did us a favor since the first three weeks overlap with the five weeks," Yeager said. "They could have added them on."
Yeager added that he thought the fraternity's infringements do not reflect on the organization as a whole.
"Our keg violation was just an instance of a poor decision by one brother, not Heorot," he said. "It was interim. It was stupid. It's a case of a bad decision by one brother and [then] a bad decision by the '08 class. I don't think [the Committee on Standards] was being unfair."
Sig Ep will also be on probation during Homecoming weekend; the organization is serving four weeks, ending Oct. 31, due to the discovery of two unauthorized kegs.
Sig Ep President Dave Coen '07 expressed frustration as he also said that the infractions are not indicative of the fraternity's behavior as a whole.
"It's not representative of the house," he said. "But I guess as long as the College continues that stance [of holding the entire house responsible], we'll continue to be accountable."
Coen added that the first keg violation was committed by a visiting Sig Ep alumnus and said that the second, which occurred during freshman orientation, was the result of consideration for the freshman class.
"When you have a keg, only the brothers can distribute the beer," he said. "Some drunk freshman can't just take a can and get hurt -- then you get into third party liability. It was a case of fear of having lots of open cans versus the fear of being caught with a keg."
"I completely disapprove of the keg policy," he added. "Kegs are safer and cleaner. I can't see why the College would want to jeopardize its students' safety."
Director of Undergraduate Judicial Affairs April Thompson, on the other hand, voiced concern over kegs' time limit.
"With kegs, there is an emphasis that you finish the alcohol before it goes flat," she said. "Which is fine for a registered party of 100 people, but otherwise cans are a better option."
Coen, though, dismissed the idea that kegs pressure people to drink more quickly.
"I've never been in a situation where there's a keg in the house and someone's like, 'We gotta finish it!'" he said. "I don't think any of the frats would agree with that statement."
Phi Delta Alpha fraternity's two-week probation, also the result of Campus Safety and Security finding an unregistered keg, will end Oct. 6. The keg was reportedly purchased by a rugby player for a rugby party at the house. Phi Delt president Mike Fritz '07 refused to comment.
Both Alpha Delta fraternity and Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority started the term in the middle of two-week probations following the discovery of an unregistered keg in each house at the end of Spring Term. AD and KDE declined to elaborate on their respective situations.
Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, meanwhile, faces a four-week probation that will end October 22, for co-hosting its semi-formal with Heorot on July 24. Current Kappa leaders declined to comment and the Summer term president could not be reached.
Alpha Chi's investigation could lead to probation, but Alpha Chi President Quig Bruning '07 would not comment on the case. Psi U members said they were also prohibited from discussing the case.
Additionally, Bones Gate fraternity was issued a judicial warning and given educational requirements to fill after the discovery of drug paraphernalia on July 21. Alpha Theta coed fraternity was also given a warning and educational stipulations following the discovery that the organization served alcohol to underage members on July 16.
Although Thompson maintains that the high number of organizations on probation at the beginning of the term is not unusual since probation is not enforced over Summer term, some feel that the percentage of houses on probation for keg violations suggests a disregard for the College's keg policies.
Yeager also expressed concern that the policies in place give the impression of being more effective than they actually are.
"The majority of students do violate the keg policies consistently," he said. "[The College has] to take tangible measures to appear that they are combating alcoholism, but it's definitely an uphill battle, if not impossible, especially at this school."
