The
Effect of the Ban on Students
College is the time where students find themselves, it is
a new beginning. Of course college is also known for partying and having the
time of your life. Rutgers New Brunswick’s large campus is known for its many Greek
wild parties. Rutgers New Brunswick has eighty-six recognized fraternities and
sororities. Many incidents have caused the school to take action on keeping the
campus and the students safer. Wednesday, March 31, 2015 the university
officials declared that there has been a ban to all fraternity and sorority
parties on the New Brunswick campus and Greek houses. How do the students feel
about this ban that is affecting them drastically?
Earlier in November 2014, an incident involving a member
of Sigma Phi Epsilon occurred. The twenty year old girl was hospitalized after
heavily drinking in a fraternity house. This caused the fraternity to be shut
down. Six other fraternities and one sorority were also under investigation for
alcohol abuse. Another incident occurred September 2014 semester involving a nineteen
year old freshman female who was hospitalized and later died from alcohol
poisoning on College Avenue, where most fraternity and sorority houses are
located. The student, Caitlyn Kovacs, was at a party in the Delta Kappa Epsilon
house. The Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Omega Phi Beta were all
suspended for violating the university’s alcohol policy. In 2013, there were
766 reports of underage alcohol possession on and near New Brunswick campus.
When
the school was asked what it indented to do, the statement said, “Office of Fraternity
and Sorority Affairs is taking this step out of caution and concern and will
use this time to continue and reinforce its dialogue with the leadership of the
university’s 86 recognized fraternities and sororities about Greek life at
Rutgers and their responsibilities to the campus community.” The statement also
said “Rutgers takes seriously its commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe
campus environment.” Rutgers isn’t enforcing this ban as a punishment. Instead,
they are doing it because they are trying to make the campus safer.
Many
of the students who are participating in Greek life were on board with the
decision of the ban. Jacob Dominy, a student involved in a fraternity said, “We
haven’t run the parties nearly as well as we should, so I can understand.” Students
involved in fraternities and sororities are now beginning to realize their irresponsible
behaviors and are accepting the ban very responsibly.
However, not all students are on the same boat. Another
student, Anthony Nicastro says, “I think it’s just a little unfair, to be
honest, to the people that actually do the right thing.” Other students are
arguing how it is unfair to punish all fraternities and sororities because of
the irresponsible decisions a few students have made.
Another freshman, Bhargay Tarpara, said, “Fraternities
and sororities do enable people to have access to alcohol, but the root of the
problem is not alcohol, it’s the whole party culture.” Tarpara also explained,
“If you suppress something, it will come out even stronger.” This ban may not
result in the positive way that the university is hoping for. After the ban is
over, the students will want to throw a bigger, more outrageous party to
celebrate the end of the semester ban. This will result to other incidents
involving alcohol.
Even
though this ban made by the OFSA was made for good intentions, there might be
many bad outcomes with it. Students will just have their parties somewhere
else. This is because many of the students have the mentality that it isn’t
fair that they should all suffer because of a few irresponsible decisions some
people made.
Rutgers is known for their famous wild Greek parties. Pal
Hellum, a student at Rutgers says, “A lot of seniors who are graduating won’t
receive a farewell so it’s pretty upsetting. A large part of what makes
Rutgers’s social life is being put to a stop.” The graduating seniors are upset
this ban has been set because they wanted to have a good time their last
semester as a college student. Those students feel like they shouldn’t be
punished for the poor decisions other students were making with alcohol.
A
recent New York article states, “The University said it is taking this step out
of “caution and concern.” But some Greeks – including Jeremy Deane, a member of
the Gamma Sigma fraternity — think the ban will do more harm than good.” The
university might have good intentions with this ban; however, students will
just find somewhere else to have their parties where underage drinking will
occur. The students in the fraternities and sororities will still have alcohol
at the parties where there are under-age students drinking alcohol.
Students are making other suggestions on how to decrease
the amounts of alcohol abuse incidents in fraternities and sororities. Freshman Namit Satara suggested a ticket
system where student attending fraternity and sorority parties need to have a
ticket to receive a drink. The member of the fraternity or sorority would use
their judgement on whether or not they receive a drink. Hellum suggested that
the person behind the bar doesn’t give out too many drinks.
The ban on Greek life parties was made to prevent other
incidents involving alcohol abuse. The ban has affected the students in many
different ways. Each student has his/her own opinion and ways he/she can
eliminate the incidents involving alcohol abuse. This ban is not intended to
punish student but it is there to show them that something needs to be changed.
How do you feel about this ban?
Work Cited
Kelly Heyboer | NJ
Advance Media for NJ.com. "Rutgers Fraternity Shut down following
Hospitalization
of Drunk Student." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Many Students Not
Happy About Fraternity, Sorority Party Ban At Rutgers." CBS New York.
N.p.,
n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
"Rutgers Bans
Fraternity, Sorority Parties." NBC New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
"Rutgers Student
Died from Alcohol Poisoning after Frat Party: Authorities." NY Daily News.
N.p.,
n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Some Rutgers
Students Frustrated over Greek Life Party Ban." USA TODAY College. N.p.,
12
Apr.
2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
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