Fraternity may protest alcohol prohibition

Earlier this year, Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity's executive council issued a mandate requiring all chapters of the international fraternity to be alcohol free by 2000 in order to go back to the fraternity's original ideals.

But, Kevin Dager, president of the University's chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, 234 E. Beaver Ave., reiterated at a conference Saturday that he does not believe an alcohol-free environment is a solution.

That issue and others were discussed Saturday at a leadership conference that members of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter at the University and other Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity chapters from the northeastern region of the country attended.

Robert Miller, executive vice president of Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity, said Dager and his fraternity are in denial. If fraternities want to return to their original ideals, Miller said the best step would be to provide fraternity members with an alcohol-free environment.

"I don't see any way that our undergraduate students can put forth a motion to negate the mandate," Miller said. "The undergraduate students have to start taking responsibility."

Dager (junior-architecture) said he has discussed this issue with other chapter presidents. At Phi Kappa Sigma's grand chapter meeting this summer, he said they are planning to motion that the alcohol-free mandate be made optional.

Members of the executive board of Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity are not prohibitionists, Miller said.

"We're not telling our students not to drink if they're 21," he said. "We're choosing our fraternity environments to be alcohol free."

In response to Miller's comments, Dager said as long as fraternity members are drinking legally and responsibly, Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity chapters should have a say whether their fraternity will become alcohol free.

State College Police Chief Tom King, who also attended the conference, discussed improving risk management and community relations.

King emphasized limiting the number of parties fraternities have each semester, limiting the number of guests each fraternity member is allowed to bring and controlling the hours of the party.

Although King said the Greek system's risk management policies have improved during the past few years, there are more improvements to be made.

"Alcohol abuse is not solely in the Greek system," King said. "However, you have an identity. You are known. You have expectations of being a quality institution."

The Interfraternity Council's solution to problems such as alcohol abuse and underage drinking is to develop a policy, Miller said.

"There's a lot of easy answers," Miller said. "It's the implementation that's the hard part."