What lead up to Rutgers
University ultimately banning fraternity and sorority house parties? Excessive
binge drinking is the main cause. About “1,825
college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from
alcohol-related unintentional injuries” and students at Rutgers are no
exception (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). With the
increase in excessive underage drinking at fraternity and sorority house
parties, Rutgers has banned all 86 chapters of its Greek Life organizations due
to alcohol related issues, and one alcohol related death. However, Rutgers
should not have banned all 86 chapters, but rather ban the fraternities and
sororities that were responsible for causing the issues, force all
organizations to host an educational meeting about alcohol use, and implement
an age list at parties with security in order to get in.
Fraternity and sorority parties are apart of the college
lifestyle. However, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the
parties got way out of hand with excessive underage drinking. One unfortunate
example of how out of control Greek Life drinking at Rutgers was the death of a
Rutgers sophomore, 19 year old, Caitlyn Kovacs. New York Times reporter,
Anthony Attrino states, “Friends took Kovacs, a Monmouth Junction
resident, to a hospital about 3 a.m. Sept. 21 after she appeared to be in
distress during a party at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on College
Avenue” (Attrino). Later, Kovacs was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson
Hospital and her death was ruled an accident by alcohol toxicity (Attrino).
Kovacs’ death became a major concern and forced the University to investigate
sorority and fraternity drinking. Later in the year, another alcohol related
incident forced another Rutgers student to go to the hospital for reported
alcohol poisoning (Rutgers Bans Fraternity and
Sorority House Parties After Student’s Death). Ultimately, both of these issues
allowed the college to take a call for action by banning all 86 chapters of
Greek Life organizations that were associated with the university (Many Students Not Happy About
Fraternity, Sorority Party Ban At Rutgers).
On the other hand, many students
who attend Rutgers were upset at the university’s decision to ban the 86
chapters of fraternities and sororities. Rutgers senior Anthony Nicastro says, “I think it’s just a little unfair, to be honest, to
the people that actually do the right thing” (Many Students Not Happy
About Fraternity, Sorority Party Ban At Rutgers). Rutgers should not have banned all 86 chapters, but rather ban the
fraternities and sororities that were responsible for causing the issues. In
detail, fraternities that are to blame for the entire ban include Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta
Kappa Epsilon. These two fraternities should have been banned from the campus
and not allowed to reconvene until proper investigations were taking place.
Instead, by banning all fraternities and sororities, the school is making
alcohol and parties more of a “forbidden fruit.” This will ultimately drive
students to party at outside locations and with more severity in the use of
alcohol without the schools knowledge. One Rutgers student states, “It’s a
dangerous step for Rutgers, because that doesn’t mean parties are going to stop
happening. It means they’re going to stop happening in their lettered houses… But
every fraternity has a satellite house somewhere in New Brunswick in a less
safe place, and they’re just going to have their parties there instead” (Many Students Not Happy
About Fraternity, Sorority Party Ban At Rutgers).
In response to the
recent ban of sorority and fraternity parties at Rutgers, the school should
host a mandatory educational meeting regarding alcohol use and abuse to show
the effects of binge and underage drinking at college parties. This educational
program should be delivered throughout every fraternity and sorority as a
warning of what the college will do in response to any alcohol related issues
and what will happen to the existence of the sorority or fraternity should they
not follow the rules and regulations prior to hosting an event or party. For
example, Fairleigh Dickinson University requires all students to take an
extensive online course in alcohol education before attending the school. The
course discusses alcohol content of mixed drinks and other spirits, as well as
what to do for someone who is severely intoxicated, and when to figure out you
have had enough to drink. It also discusses the consequences of underage
drinking and alcohol abuse. Something like this program could benefit not just
Rutgers, but every college in the country to bring awareness of excessive
underage college drinking.
One other suggestion
for sororities and fraternities who are planning to host an event or party is
to ensure that underage drinkers are not allowed in. They can ask for the
assistance of campus public safety in ensuring that underage students are not
permitted near or on the premises of the organization’s adult event. The campus
public safety would be able to ID anyone willing to attend the event or party
in the case of eliminating or limiting alcohol related accidents and deaths
from occurring in underage drinkers.
Overall, underage
college drinking is a growing problem. However, Rutgers has taken the wrong
course of action by banning all fraternity and sorority parties. Not every
fraternity and sorority were to blame for these unfortunate alcohol related
incidents including the hospitalization of one student for alcohol poisoning
and the death of Rutgers student Caitlyn Kovacs. Rutgers
should not have banned all 86 chapters, but rather ban the fraternities and
sororities that were responsible for causing the issues, force all
organizations to host an educational meeting about alcohol use, and implement
an age list at parties with security in order to get in.
