University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, April 1, 1987
9
Council wants dry parties for fraternity rush in the fall
By JOSEPH REBELLO
Staff writer
An Interfraternity Council proposal to ban alcohol from rush parties next fall may take the zing out of rush revelries, but it will reduce the risk of expensive liability suits, council members said yesterday.
The proposal, which was presented to members last week, would forbid fraternities to serve alcohol at any organized rushing event while rushes are on fraternity premises.
Violations of the rule would be punished by a fine of $500 or 10 percent of the fraternity's rush budget, whichever is greater. Fraternities also would face the possibility of being suspended from the council.
"I expected to have people really vell about it." he said.
In an informal vote at the meeting last week, council members voted unanimously to adopt it. Members will formally vote on the proposal at the council's next General Assembly meeting April 22.
Charles Wheeler, council president, said he was pleasantly surprised by the success of the program.
10m Sheehan, council vice-president for membership, said that the measure reflected a nationwide trend among fraternities not to serve alcohol at rush events.
The cost of liability insurance for
"All it would take would be for a russet to get hurt and sue the chapter."
Wheeler said that damages awarded in successful liability suits were so high that a single suit could cause a fraternity to close down.
alcohol-related accidents has become so high that most fraternities have initiated dry rush programs and stopped buying insurance, he said.
"We figured if we didn't do it ourselves, the University or the alcohol and beverages board would do it for us sooner or later. This way we get to make the rules the way we want it." he said.
Darren Black, rush chairman of Delta Chi fraternity, said that since the drinking age had been raised to 21, fraternities risked getting caught violating state law when they served alcohol to high school seniors attending rush events.
That makes dry rush not only healthy, but necessary for fraternities he said.
The measure also would help improve the image of the fraternities and their rush programs. Wheeler said.
"I think this will help show that we do other things besides drinking and partying." he said.
Sheehan said that dry rush would
help attract a better type of student
"We'd get the people that are really interested in your house and not the guys who are just coming for the beer," he said.
to rush events.
Danny Kaizer, assistant director of organizations and activities and coordinator for greek programs, said that dry rush programs would encourage prospective fraternity members to make informed decisions about houses.
It also would help fraternities make rational decisions about what students they offer membership to, he said.
"When people are sober, they are able to make clear, informed decisions about their membership," he said.
But, Sheehan said, some fraternity members probably would have a hard time getting used to the idea.
"There'll be a bit of a shock because it's like we're taking a 360-degree turn. Chapters will now have to incorporate ideas to motivate people." be said.
John Creighton, president of Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, said, "The rush parties won't be as much fun in some ways, but fraternity representatives realize that this is the only way to do it. It doesn't do any good to oppose it because it's just a fact of life now."
Election heats up at debate
Staff writer
By LISA A. MALONEY Staff writer
Polite campaign rhetoric gave way to heated arguments last night at a Student Senate election debate, as candidates from the First Class, Bottom Line and Synchronicity coalitions attacked each other's policies and platforms.
The debate, in the Jayhawk Room of the Kansas Union, was sponsored by the Associated Students of Kansas.
One of the criticized proposals was First Class plan to open more classes for students. Jeff Mullins, First Class presidential candidate, said the coalition would finance with Senate money some academic groups, such as KU Forensics, that now receive some financing from academic departments.
If Senate adequately finances these clubs, Mullins said, they would not have to seek additional financing from departments, whose money then could be used to open classes.
And in some departments, Mullins said, extra teaching assistants can be hired for as little as a $500 fee reduction.
Mullins said that he and Brian Kramer, First Class vice president candidate, also would turn over the Senate to the Senate to use to open classes.
But Stephanie Quincy, Bottom Line vice-presidential candidate, said that in addition to fee reductions, most TAs received a monthly stipend of about $500. The cost of opening an extra class also would include money for supplies, she said.
Phillip Duff, Synchronicity presidential candidate, said it would cost about $6,000 to open one 18-bus class in the school of Architecture and Urban Design.
"So we could spend the entire Senate unallocated account and help pile up our budgets."
Duff stressed the importance of lobbying state legislators to help improve education at KU.
"Faculty salaries here are just enough to make KU a hiring ground for other universities," he said. "A professor will take a sabbatical, get a better offer from another university, and never come back to KU."
Glenn Shirtliffe, Synchronicity vice presidential candidate, said other educational issues, such as waiving 100 percent of graduate students' fees and ensuring that money from tuition increases goes directly to KU, were also priorities.
The First Class coalition criticized several Bottom Line proposals, including a plan to extend Watson Library's hours.
It costs $9 million a year to operate the library, Mullins said, and it would cost an additional $1 million to extend library hours by 10 percent.
But Mullins and Kramer said students were most concerned with getting the classes they needed.
Quincy said she and Krakow would not seek a 24-hour library at first. Under their proposal, the library would have certain study areas sectioned off, including the first-floor lounge, so students could study there after regular hours.
"Student Senate doesn't have the money to do that," Mullins said. "It would become student library, not Student Senate."
In addition, the library updates its main-frame computer during its closed hours. he said.
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