Fraternity members got their first chance yesterday to weigh in
on proposed changes to the Greek system’s social policy that
will greatly alter their parties.

The Interfraternity Council meeting came a week after a joint
meeting between IFC and the Pan-Hellenic Association that set forth
proposals seeking to allow only a limited number of invited guests
to the parties. Also, those attending the parties would have to
bring their own alcohol.

These changes are aimed at reducing liability for fraternities
in the event that they are sued for someone getting overly
intoxicated or injured at one of their parties.

In the next few weeks, members will be proposing and voting on
amendments, with a final vote by IFC and Panhel on the social
policy on Dec 1.

“This is the first time many have seen the policy,”
said IFC spokesman Alan Lovi. “The new social policy changes
we’ve proposed are from scratch.”

A proposed amendment would establish three sizes of parties to
help make them safer and reduce liability for fraternities.

The first tier would allow 100 people to attend, plus members of
the fraternities. Three monitors from the Social Responsibility
Committee, a board which monitors adherence to party regulations,
would be required.

Second-tier parties would allow twice as many people and six SRC
monitors.

The third-tier parties would be the largest permitted by the
Greek system, allowing fraternity members and 400 extra people. A
monitor would be required for every 20 people at a party exceeding
200 guests.

Registering parties, which is a part of current party regulation
in the Greek system, attempts to force fraternities to adhere to
the requisite number of monitors at parties.

“The parties get registered so the Interfraternity Council
is aware who’s throwing the parties and then SRC goes around
to check the parties. Under the new policies, there will be an SRC
member at each party,” Lovi said.

All alcohol brought into parties could be checked at a depot
inside the fraternity, where it would be held for the partygoer.
Since the fraternity member is storing, not serving alcohol, they
are not liable for an overly intoxicated person, said the members
of the executive boards of IFC and Panhel.

Currently, the insurance company for all fraternities says that
houses must have partygoers bring their own alcohol, but this
provision has not been followed. The proposed policy aims to align
party actions with the insurance company’s rules.

The amount of alcohol allowed in the houses would be primarily
based on how much a person can consume, effectively setting a limit
of a 12-pack of beer or a single pint of 80-proof alcohol per
person.

For safety reasons, only plastic bottles would be allowed.
Drinks would be checked at the door and marked with a sticker,
which would verify that alcohol is brought in from outside.

Another amendment would require a member of the SRC, IFC or
Panhel to monitor the house entrance for the duration of the
party.