<p>I think it's even simpler than that- their continued existance promotes their existence. I had no interest in joining a fraternity. I happened to like the people in the fraternity I joined- I therefore wanted to join their organization.</p>
<p>Summer</a> freshmen banned from frats - The Daily Collegian Online</p>
<p>Interesting article about recruitemnet efforts at Penn State. Only 412 freshman joined frats last year and the frat council feels that low # is due to the perception that all frats do is party. They are trying to change this. It will be interesting to watch how this develops. Presently they are losing members and are fearful that they may start to lose their presence on campus.</p>
<p>good article sax. Point about insurance liability was interesting.</p>
<p>So is that saying let's keep them out during the summer because there is drinking going on and we don't want to expose them to that because it gives a bad image of frat life and is an insurance problem?</p>
<p>At my old university several frat houses have gone belly up due to insurance problems, university crack downs on drinking, and lack of new members. Greek life was never very strong there though so that may not represent the national picture.</p>
<p>The frats apparently have a new policy ready for this coming fall where there will be non drinking events held for new recruits. Since it appears that a number of summer freshmen have already gotten underages this summer (1 week in) the frats had to do something quick to stem the tide. Frats at PSU do some terrific fundraising/philanthropic events (THON is very impressive)and need to get the focus on this aspect of their organization. </p>
<p>I'm not sure which law it is but underage drinking charges come with a loss of liscense for 3 months for students which usually starts so that it impacts their winter break. A second underage and they lose their liscense for a year. Mind you these kids are no where near a car when they get these charges. PSU is doing it's best to curb "the party".</p>
<p>The Greeks are already a step ahead on the inhouse drinking bans.</p>
<p>"For some fraternities their national rules will require that alcohol-free socials be in place next academic year. We pledge our support to aid these chapters during this year to make the transition. The Commission through the umbrella organizations will do all in our power to procure university and alumni assistance for this change.</p>
<p>Some fraternities and sororities already are moving inaugurations and other events away from chapter houses to food-and-drink establishments in the city. This trend surely will increase, and the Commission must work with the umbrella organizations and the private establishments to develop guidelines for a responsible system of out-of-chapter house events. It is very important that hotels, restaurants, taverns and other businesses in the community that contract services to chapter houses where alcohol is served be prepared to assure the safety and security of gatherings and comply with the underage no-drinking law. "</p>
<p>Thanks, barrons. If this was info already posted in previous posts I apologize.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is very important that hotels, restaurants, taverns and other businesses in the community that contract services to chapter houses where alcohol is served be prepared to assure the safety and security of gatherings and comply with the underage no-drinking law.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Something tells me that it's harder for an 18-year old to drink at a bar that checks for ID than at a fraternity / dorm room.</p>
<p>Honestly, you'd be surprised...</p>
<p>Very few restaurants/hotels want to miss out on a party that could mean thousands in revenues. MANY will look the other way and patrols rarely go into them. The uninteneded negative is now you have people driving rather than walking to parties.</p>
<p>Re: #271</p>
<p>I am surprised. I don’t go outside of Georgia Tech much. Last year, I went off-campus a grand total of two times – the first at the Vortex, a popular local bar and grill, and the second at a house party. The restaurant only serves adults, so in order to get in, I had to show them my driver’s license. We were there for my friend’s birthday, so I sat next to one of his friends who was 21 at the time. When he ordered a beer, the waiter asked to see his ID. Of course, that has been my lone experience in a bar, and maybe it is not representative of other bars. All I can say is that I am surprised.</p>
<p>Re: #272</p>
<p>Can’t a bar get its liquor license revoked if it gets caught selling alcohol to minors? Maybe it’s a moot point since you said patrols rarely go in? Wouldn’t a concerned citizen like interesteddad (no sarcasm) give the “feds” a tip to bust the watering hole?</p>
<p>"I don't think it is part of any particular school's culture to have students vomit and urinate in a staircase. It is part of the american culture for youths to experiment with alcohol when they go to college. ... Students bring the predisposition with them, the school rarely imposes it on them."</p>
<p>I agree that students bring the predisposition with them...and there are schools that attract unusually high, and unusually low, numbers of students with that predisposition. That means that different schools have very different cultures, even though the "school" isn't imposing it on anyone. Culture just means the preferences, habits, and beliefs of the student body.</p>
<p>Just looking at my own experience, Bryn Mawr is an extreme example of a college that isn't BYU, and that doesn't monitor students' activities very closely, but where there is nonetheless not much drinking and very little public intoxication compared to the vast majority of American colleges. The only time in my two years there when I heard that a drunken student (a male student from Princeton visiting for a debate tournament) puked in a dorm hallway, it was a huge campus-wide scandal, everyone in Merion Hall was furious, Princeton was banned from future participation, etc. That was NOT acceptable at Bryn Mawr, period.</p>
<p>There was a pretty stark difference even between Bryn Mawr and Harvard, which is not a party school by any stretch of the imagination. At Harvard, freshman dorm pukers with poor aim may face anger from their hallmates and proctors, but it does happen in the big freshman dorms at least once a year. Contrast Harvard with a school I won't name, but where I've spent a lot of time, where vomiting in hallways was such a frequent occurrence that there were actually Vo-Ban sawdust dispensers on the wall in every hall! That's a huge difference, and it can have a big impact on quality of life.</p>
<p>Junk data from US News on drinking</p>
<p>157</a> College-Age Alcohol Deaths from '99-'05 - The Paper Trail (usnews.com)</p>
<p>Local</a> News | Tragic falls a concern at UW | Seattle Times Newspaper</p>
<p>fabrizio-</p>
<p>Every been to peachtree tavern? Or any of the bars in buckhead? Cakewalk...just go in with a fake and its money. Same with getting liquor for parties...just hit up Northside or Mac's. Cops don't care...there's SO many underage drinkers at every bar...there's simply not enough law enforcement around to catch everyone. The only time kids get scared is if there's a security guard/cop at the door...and even then many will try to snake through.</p>
<p>Mr. Bonjangles,</p>
<p>No, I've never been to any of those places. I see I was quite wrong...</p>
<p>It is not typical for a frat to use a bar for a party. You rent a hall at a hotel or a private facility that holds wedding receptions and the like. These are rarely checked by the cops. They are happy to provide the liquor or you can sometime bring your own. Or both.</p>