After an hour-long Interfraternity Council meeting last night, 30 chapter presidents discussed and passed a proposed amendment to their bylaws, which gives Panhellenic sorority members more responsibility at social events held at fraternities.
The amendment requires that two liaisons from each sorority attending a social event held by a fraternity chapter be present alongside the sober monitors of the fraternity. The hope is that the change will promote a safer atmosphere at parties because women will feel more comfortable seeking help from members of their sororities than from sober monitors in fraternities.
According to the amendment passed last night, sober monitors and liaisons — who are also required to remain sober — would jointly oversee the social event, “checking all bathrooms, common areas, and upstairs hallways.”
The social task force, which consists of four fraternity and four sorority presidents as well as other members of the Greek system interested in voicing their concerns, constructed the amendment. The policy will go into effect next week.
LSA sophomore Adam Davis, Delta Chi president and Social Task Force member, said having the amendment pass is a “really good step” for the Greek community.
“It’s going to make both the host and the visiting chapter members more comfortable in dealing with situations that would arise during parties,” Davis said.
LSA sophomore Jordan Altman, Phi Psi president and Social Task Force member, echoed Davis’s sentiment and added that he thinks the addition to the existing bylaws was necessary.
“It’s definitely going to benefit the safety of our social events when there are men and women accountable,” Altman said. “I think it was a little lopsided before. It’s exciting to see that sororities and Panhel want to help out and raise their accountability.”
LSA junior Tarin Krzywosinksi, Panhel vice president of the social responsibility committee, said the passing of the policy is a “baby step in the right direction” to women being more accountable at these events.
She added that she thinks the policy will be successful despite any initial resistance, once everyone involved gets on the same page. Krzywosinski said fraternities may not engage with sororities that refuse to provide liaisons, compelling cooperation between the two groups.
According to a Dec. 2, 2009 article in The Michigan Daily, some national boards of sororities are hesitant to have sororities take on increased responsibilities — and liability — at parties.
“I feel like there might be some resistance at first, but this policy is kind of going to be reinforcing,” Krzywosinski said.
During the meeting, concerns were raised in regard to the potential absence of sororities at social events with mandatory liaison participation. Some of the chapter presidents at the meeting said they were unsure if the amendment would be beneficial to the IFC members.
Davis said he doesn’t think that sorority withdrawal represents a “realistic concern” and that he hopes sorority nationals will not hold charters against “a concept that is making their own members, their brothers and their sisters, safer.”
Krzywosinski said the concern of the women not wanting to cooperate will “never happen.”
“Sororities want to party with fraternities and fraternities want to party with sororities,” Krzywosinski said. “It’s going to be a mutual thing. Everyone is going to end up doing it in the long run. You’re not going to have a chapter that’s not going to participate.”
LSA junior Mike Miniaci, IFC vice president of the social responsibility committee, said there should not be any doubts of the amendment’s benefits to the IFC.
“This policy is just great for implementing safety,” Miniaci said. “Having two liaisons at events can’t hurt. We’ll use the rest of the semester as a trial run, and we’ll be in full force for Welcome Week in the fall.”