Fraternity deaths draw attention to alcohol consumption
Christie Albrecht
Issue date: 11/4/04 Section: Alcohol InDepth
Six college students from around the country have died this semester with two factors in common: fraternities and alcohol.
Since Sept. 5, a rash of deaths has surfaced nationwide, shedding light on the Greek system and its use of alcohol. The deaths, three of which were from alcohol poisoning, included two each of fraternity pledges, active members and women drinking at fraternity parties, according to various news sources.
Dave Lusk, assistant dean of student affairs for student activities and leadership development and adviser to the Interfraternity Council, said these deaths have implications for Truman's Greek community.
"I think we need to take those deaths very seriously, and we need to make sure that that's not someone here at Truman, that we don't lose a student," Lusk said.
Lusk said he thinks Truman students are getting smarter about drinking and starting to understand the importance of risk management.
"People are starting to realize that these principles are really in place to help their organization be successful ..." Lusk said. "This is really about ... making sure people are safe."
Lusk said the IFC Constitution and Conduct Code for Greek Living both offer guidelines for risk management similar to those set forth by the national fraternities, including providing ample food and nonalcoholic beverages at parties, requesting to see an ID before serving alcohol and having a guest list, Lusk said. If members of a fraternity don't follow these guidelines, the fraternity's insurance company can void its policy if an incident occurs.
Sal Costa, director of Greek affairs and assistant professor of psychology, said insurance policies for fraternities are costly because the insurance companies see fraternities as risky.
"Fraternities are probably about the second- or third-most hazardous thing to insure," Costa said. "They're right up there with, like, hazardous waste and places where they build explosives. That's where [the insurance companies] consider them."
Costa said he thinks the recent deaths received so much attention because they were Greek-related.
"Would there be as much concern about those cases if they weren't Greek?" Costa said. "... I think there probably would be less."
Costa said he thinks the attention is unwarranted.
"I think, first of all, they're a very identifiable group on campus," he said. "... They're just a little bit easier to target."
Despite the insurance risk of violating guidelines, fraternities generally do not turn each other in to the Greek Judicial Board on alcohol violations.
Candy Young, judicial board advisesr and professor of political science, said that although most cases brought to the judicial board involves alcohol, those bringing the case tend to leave alcohol violations out of the charge.
"I think that because there is a fair amount of bending of the rules ... regarding alcohol, that there is sort of a gentleman's agreement that 'I won't mess with you, and you won't mess with me,'" Young said.
Young said one shortcoming of the Conduct Code for Greek Living is that alcohol policies are difficult to implement and don't necessarily create a culture of responsible drinking. The Greek community, because of its size, however, has the potential to positively influence the campus' views of alcohol, she said.
"My vision for the Greek system is that they really become a more progressive force on the campus relative to leadership, and that part of that leadership is a culture of responsible drinking, as opposed to binge drinking," Young said.
Senior Andy Crossett, member of Beta Theta Pi social fraternity and secretary of Bacchus and Gamma, a group made up of both Greek and non-Greek students that promotes alcohol awareness and responsible consumption, said he thinks people generally don't drink responsibly.
"As long as people play drinking games at parties, that epitomizes irresponsible drinking because of what you're trying to do through those drinking games, which is just get intoxicated as quickly as you can while still having a good time," Crossett said. "But, I mean, in no way does that represent the majority of the campus."
Crossett said he thinks something like one of the alcohol-related deaths could happen at Truman.
"If you look at the stories of how those deaths happened, those are some areas that definitely could happen," Crossett said. "But it's hard to relate that to people because they don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear how easy it would be for bad things to happen."
Truman is not immune to such a death. In 1979, sophomore David Andres, a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda social fraternity, died of acute intoxication after drinking at a mixer, according to the appeal court opinion from Andres' parents' suit against the national and local chapters of AKL.
Senior Nathan Underhill, president of IFC and member of Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity, said that although Greeks nationwide have problems with alcohol abuse, it is not nearly as prevalent at Truman.
"Our Greek community is a little bit different from what you hear about at other schools," Underhill said. "I think that the students here are a little bit more intelligent than those at other schools, as well. So when we do drink, we do tend to do so, I believe, a little bit more responsibly than what the stereotype would allow certain people to think."
Underhill said responsible drinking is different for everyone but generally involves knowing one's limits, not doing anything drunk one would not do sober, and not letting alcohol determine one's identity. He said a big issue on campus is encouraging all students - not just Greeks - to drink responsibly.
"I don't ever say, 'Don't party,'" Underhill said. "Just do so responsibly. Just be aware that people are watching ... and that forms stereotypes of the Greek community or the campus community as a whole."
Underhill said he thinks the Greek community is moving forward in its effort to drink responsibly by enforcing dry rush for men and making alcohol a less inherent part of college.
"As we progress, more and more organizations are getting rid of those members that aren't taking [drinking responsibly] seriously," Underhill said. "I don't think alcohol will be the death of the Greek system, and I don't think it will be the death of a student here at Truman."
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Since Sept. 5, a rash of deaths has surfaced nationwide, shedding light on the Greek system and its use of alcohol. The deaths, three of which were from alcohol poisoning, included two each of fraternity pledges, active members and women drinking at fraternity parties, according to various news sources.
Dave Lusk, assistant dean of student affairs for student activities and leadership development and adviser to the Interfraternity Council, said these deaths have implications for Truman's Greek community.
"I think we need to take those deaths very seriously, and we need to make sure that that's not someone here at Truman, that we don't lose a student," Lusk said.
Lusk said he thinks Truman students are getting smarter about drinking and starting to understand the importance of risk management.
"People are starting to realize that these principles are really in place to help their organization be successful ..." Lusk said. "This is really about ... making sure people are safe."
Lusk said the IFC Constitution and Conduct Code for Greek Living both offer guidelines for risk management similar to those set forth by the national fraternities, including providing ample food and nonalcoholic beverages at parties, requesting to see an ID before serving alcohol and having a guest list, Lusk said. If members of a fraternity don't follow these guidelines, the fraternity's insurance company can void its policy if an incident occurs.
Sal Costa, director of Greek affairs and assistant professor of psychology, said insurance policies for fraternities are costly because the insurance companies see fraternities as risky.
"Fraternities are probably about the second- or third-most hazardous thing to insure," Costa said. "They're right up there with, like, hazardous waste and places where they build explosives. That's where [the insurance companies] consider them."
Costa said he thinks the recent deaths received so much attention because they were Greek-related.
"Would there be as much concern about those cases if they weren't Greek?" Costa said. "... I think there probably would be less."
Costa said he thinks the attention is unwarranted.
"I think, first of all, they're a very identifiable group on campus," he said. "... They're just a little bit easier to target."
Despite the insurance risk of violating guidelines, fraternities generally do not turn each other in to the Greek Judicial Board on alcohol violations.
Candy Young, judicial board advisesr and professor of political science, said that although most cases brought to the judicial board involves alcohol, those bringing the case tend to leave alcohol violations out of the charge.
"I think that because there is a fair amount of bending of the rules ... regarding alcohol, that there is sort of a gentleman's agreement that 'I won't mess with you, and you won't mess with me,'" Young said.
Young said one shortcoming of the Conduct Code for Greek Living is that alcohol policies are difficult to implement and don't necessarily create a culture of responsible drinking. The Greek community, because of its size, however, has the potential to positively influence the campus' views of alcohol, she said.
"My vision for the Greek system is that they really become a more progressive force on the campus relative to leadership, and that part of that leadership is a culture of responsible drinking, as opposed to binge drinking," Young said.
Senior Andy Crossett, member of Beta Theta Pi social fraternity and secretary of Bacchus and Gamma, a group made up of both Greek and non-Greek students that promotes alcohol awareness and responsible consumption, said he thinks people generally don't drink responsibly.
"As long as people play drinking games at parties, that epitomizes irresponsible drinking because of what you're trying to do through those drinking games, which is just get intoxicated as quickly as you can while still having a good time," Crossett said. "But, I mean, in no way does that represent the majority of the campus."
Crossett said he thinks something like one of the alcohol-related deaths could happen at Truman.
"If you look at the stories of how those deaths happened, those are some areas that definitely could happen," Crossett said. "But it's hard to relate that to people because they don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear how easy it would be for bad things to happen."
Truman is not immune to such a death. In 1979, sophomore David Andres, a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda social fraternity, died of acute intoxication after drinking at a mixer, according to the appeal court opinion from Andres' parents' suit against the national and local chapters of AKL.
Senior Nathan Underhill, president of IFC and member of Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity, said that although Greeks nationwide have problems with alcohol abuse, it is not nearly as prevalent at Truman.
"Our Greek community is a little bit different from what you hear about at other schools," Underhill said. "I think that the students here are a little bit more intelligent than those at other schools, as well. So when we do drink, we do tend to do so, I believe, a little bit more responsibly than what the stereotype would allow certain people to think."
Underhill said responsible drinking is different for everyone but generally involves knowing one's limits, not doing anything drunk one would not do sober, and not letting alcohol determine one's identity. He said a big issue on campus is encouraging all students - not just Greeks - to drink responsibly.
"I don't ever say, 'Don't party,'" Underhill said. "Just do so responsibly. Just be aware that people are watching ... and that forms stereotypes of the Greek community or the campus community as a whole."
Underhill said he thinks the Greek community is moving forward in its effort to drink responsibly by enforcing dry rush for men and making alcohol a less inherent part of college.
"As we progress, more and more organizations are getting rid of those members that aren't taking [drinking responsibly] seriously," Underhill said. "I don't think alcohol will be the death of the Greek system, and I don't think it will be the death of a student here at Truman."