It’s OK not to drink (especially tonight)

Yes, it really is OK. I am also a non-drinker, but unlike the author of the article I came to the decision to quit through hard-won experience. Either way, or just to take a break, it is OK. If you choose to drink responsibly that is fine too. I'm just saying make your own choices.
(Little known fact - no one really cares what is in your glass. They are too busy with their own.)

Sigma Phi Epsilon | The Jamestown Comet.:

I have never hidden the fact that I am a non-drinker; really, nothing, ever. An alumnus of one of the oldest national college fraternities – Sigma Phi Epsilon – I’ve never had an alcoholic beverage of any kind. I didn’t steer clear of the bubbly because of a religious choice or some deep, philosophical reason. It just wasn’t part of my experience growing up and, fortunately, I never developed the interest. That said, drinking is a big part of adult social and business functions and thus, hard to avoid. But it’s OK NOT to drink. Really, it is.

Vanessa Freeman and Gery L. Deer 

talk “staying sober” on WDTN-

TV2′s LIVING DAYTON. 

Click to watch the full interview.

First, you have to be OK with yourself and your decision not to indulge. If you’re uncomfortable with yourself about not drinking then you’ll probably make others feel that way too. Ambivalence will probably result in your drinking anyway and it will be your own decision and not because of peer pressure. Remember that if anyone takes issue with you’re not drinking, or pressures you in some way, the problem is theirs not yours.Some people might think peer pressure is limited to the adolescent years, but even as an adult, I know how much pressure there is on people to drink alcohol at social and business events. Despite opinions to the contrary, it really is OK not to drink and here are some ideas for anyone trying to abstain but who still wants to feel included in the fun of the party.

If offered, politely decline, but don’t make excuses. After all, the offer was not made to offend you. It’s not a good idea to launch into some long-winded explanation, however, or rattle off a list of excuses about why you’re abstaining. Just say something like, “No thanks. I’d really like a cup of tea (coffee, soda, whatever), though, if you have it?” It’s polite and expresses your appreciation for the offer.

Carry a decoy, but don’t pretend it is alcohol, in other words, avoid the mock-tail. There is no need to call attention to the drink in your hand, but you might carry a drink around with you. Some people will advise you to accept an alcoholic drink and just hold it all night, but that’s not only pointless and dishonest. It could actually make you feel more self-conscious. People will expect you to sip from your drink now and again during long conversations, so just have something else in your glass.

Participating and socializing will also help to keep attention away from the lack of a drink in your hand. Keeping busy will keep your mind off the fact you’re not drinking with the other guests and help you be more involved in the event. If, however, there is still a particularly high level of pressure on you to drink or be left out or ridiculed, you should extricate yourself from the situation and rethink attending activities with the same group of people again.

Whatever you do don’t try to change the behavior of others. A social or business function is not the proper setting for a personal mission or intervention. You, alone, have made the conscious decision to attend an event where alcohol is being served and to be included you must live and let live. Needless to say, if you see someone about to drink and drive, act accordingly as your circumstances permit.

There’s no “down side” to abstaining from alcohol. When you don’t drink, you’re probably less likely to do things that have negative consequences. So, provided you don’t have some kind of a deviant propensity toward misbehavior anyway, you should make it through the event unscathed. Your social position may suffer, however, especially if you typically surround yourself with partiers. I say, it’s their loss.

Negative people have a negative effect on us. What kind of a “friend” abandons you because you don’t want to use alcohol? If you were always a non-drinker, it’s probably easier for others to accept because they know from the start. But going on the wagon, for whatever reason, can be challenging. Once again, just remember that it’s OK not to drink. Just be yourself. It’s you that should matter to your friends and colleagues, not what’s in your glass.

Gery L. Deer is an independent contributor to WDTN-TV2’s Living Dayton program. More at www.gerydeer.com

'via Blog this'

Fraternity rush sobers up at University of Maryland and elsewhere

See the full article:
Fraternity rush sobers up at University of Maryland and elsewhere - The Washington Post:

"Fraternity rush is sobering up at a number of universities, including Maryland, where administrators ordered the student organizations to overhaul their recruiting — or risk having the university do it for them.

Following incidents at the University of South Carolina and Yale and Cornell universities over the past two years, debate has arisen about the role of fraternities in higher education and whether they should continue to exist. Much of what fraternities offer — a small community at a large school, a network of alumni, community service and leadership opportunities — is now offered by universities themselves.

To survive, fraternities have to change, said Peter Smithhisler, president of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, which represents 75 fraternities with chapters on more than 800 campuses.

“Those chapters that can articulate what it means to be a fraternity man — beyond a drinking culture — are the ones making it,” he said. “Those who rely on the crutch of alcohol won’t make it.”"

'via Blog this'

UNC Continues Dry Greek Recruitment

UNC Greek organizations continue policy of alcohol-free rush

By Katia Martinez

The threat of moving Greek recruitment exclusively to the spring might have passed, but fraternities and sororities will continue to abide by last year’s policy of an alcohol-free rush.

For all Greek organizations, there will be a higher emphasis on a dry rush, and all fraternities’ rush events, which began Saturday and will last two weeks, will be monitored by a group of Interfraternity Council executives, said Aaron Bachenheimer, interim coordinator of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

“Not only are the events alcohol-free, but they require that everybody maintain sobriety throughout the recruitment process,” he said.

The group, which includes IFC President Brent Macon and Vice President of Recruitment Jack Partain, will patrol rush events - both on and off campus - a task that could take up to three hours each night, Macon said.
“It’s time consuming, but we know how important following these rules are and we are committed to safety,” he said.

In November, the Board of Trustees mandated that Greek organizations offer a spring alternative to traditional fall rush in an effort to aid freshmen interested in joining the system. But the change will hardly alter the system’s first admissions process.

For fraternities, the fall and spring rush processes will look identical, Macon said.

But one marked difference for sororities, which start recruiting Sept. 2, will be the addition of an upperclassmen quota.

“Not to say that we’d pick a freshman over a sophomore simply based on (age), but freshmen are more attractive to sororities because with sophomores and upperclassmen we lose a year of dues and they’ll be going in with a younger pledge class,” said Panhellenic Council President Lindsey Stephens.

In addition, sororities’ spring recruitment will be markedly different. The high level of activity characteristic of fall rush simply isn’t attainable twice a year, Stephens said.

“It’s an incredibly expensive and time-consuming production,” she said. “For the girls rushing it’s an invasive process and for the women running the events it’s incredibly difficult.”

Stephens said she hopes the reform gives interested students enough time to explore other opportunities on campus. “It’s a big commitment for these freshmen girls. But this compromise will
hopefully make everyone feel less pressured,” she said.


© 2011 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.

Purdue Greeks Host Perfect Party

Greek presidents attend proactive ‘perfect party’

BY LAUREN WESTBERG Assistant Campus Editor Purdue Exponent

On Wednesday night, fraternity and sorority presidents attended the ‘perfect party.'

As a proactive movement toward changing the social climate of parties, Interfraternity Council and Pan-Hellenic Council hosted a party that was run in exact accordance with the rules for fraternity parties.

"It was a chance for the chapter presidents to be at a function that was properly run to the teeth," Michael Horstmeyer, publicity director for Interfraternity Council executive board, said. "It was also a chance for chapter presidents to ask caliber and risk managers any questions they had."

Running the party "to the teeth" included having a security team to check IDs and a "sober patrol" to make sure people were being safe, Horstmeyer said.

Those who checked as under age 21 were able to have non-alcoholic beverages and those over age 21 could check in their own alcohol at the door. Students over 21 were allowed to bring one six-pack of beer or four wine coolers and could retrieve their alcohol at the bar with a ticket.

No hard alcohol is allowed at fraternity functions.

"Also there should be a sober driver to give out rides to those who need them," Horstmeyer said.

Tricia Schutz, president of the Pan-Hellenic Council said, "Overall it was based on what a function is supposed to be. ... A lot of our members don't know what a proper function looks like."

At the party, each president could bring five people from their respective fraternity or sorority to the party and could relay the information to their chapter, Schutz said.

"We had a tour where chapters came in and looked around and could see what a proper function looks like," Schutz said.

The perfect party has been held before - the last time was in the spring 2009, and for similar reasons.

"It was run exactly how it was supposed to be run," Horstmeyer said.

"We've had a really great transformation from fall to spring," Schutz said. "It can be done and it can be fun."

Purdue Dries Up for Greeks

Purdue Greeks go dry after drinking incidents
By Jennie Runevitch

West Lafayette - Fraternities and sororities at Purdue have taken unprecedented action against dangerous drinking. The students decided to ban alcohol.

As the weekend started at Sigma Chi, something stopped in the frat house.
All Purdue fraternities, sororities and cooperative houses now have a ban on drinking indefinitely. That means no alcohol in chapter houses or at Greek-sponsored events.
Student leaders gathered for an emergency meeting Wednesday night. After two hours, they voted and declared the drinking moratorium.

The students say it sends a strong message about a growing problem.
"It wasn't popular by any means, but my members understood that someone's life was lost and we're all playing with disaster when hard alcohol is present," said Sigma Chi president Brandon Cortez.
"Really we've just seen high, over-consumption of hard alcohol, specifically by underage drinkers," added Purdue's Interfraternity Council president Nick Kitchell.
This past Sunday, a sophomore student died after she reportedly attended an off-campus party.
Student leaders say the ban is not in response to her death, but rather to an increase in dangerous drinking all across campus.

Purdue reports 23 medical calls related to alcohol this semester.
"High levels of intoxication with their members and other students at Purdue, increased levels of blood alcohol content once they get to the hospital," said Kyle Pendleton, Assistant Dean of Students and director of fraternity and sorority life.

Students say this is not prohibition. Fraternity and sorority members can still grab a drink at a bar. They just cannot drink alcohol at chapter-sponsored events. That includes tailgating at this weekend's football game.

"I've already spoken to some alumni who have called and they heard about the moratorium and I had to break the news that you can't come over and drink and we're sorry, but those are the rules for now," Cortez said.
The rules could change when Greek leaders meet next Wednesday.
They plan to lift the ban once they come up with a long-term solution to curb dangerous drinking.
Until then, they say students will be sober and safe.

http://www.wthr.com/story/13215563/purdue-greeks-go-dry

Half Miami Fraternities Go Dry

More Than Half Of Miami Frats Decide To Dump Beer
Banning Booze Would Allow Sophs To Stay Off-Campus

OXFORD, Ohio -- There will be a little less partying next year in Oxford, where more than a dozen Miami University fraternities have decided to ban alcohol inside their houses.

“There's going to be no alcohol in common areas, no parties or anything like that,” said Nick Nolting, president of Phi Kappa Psi.

Sixteen of the university’s 26 fraternities have pledged to go dry or damp, which would permit alcohol only inside private bedrooms.

By doing so, the chapters would be exempt from a new rule that requires second-year students to live on campus.

“We need sophomores to live in the house,” Nolting said. “That's where a lot of our revenue comes from.”

Those who’ll live next year in the house said the ban would take some fun out of college life and could diminish the appeal of fraternities.

“It'll change Greek life a lot,” said sophomore Clayton Costello, of Phi Kappa Psi. “I think it'll be harder to get kids to come to fraternities now at Miami.”

The Pikes decided to keep alcohol in their house, but sophomores like Costello and Coin Pulte would have to live on campus instead of the fraternity house.

“People want to go and be able to party at the house, because the house is the central part of a Greek organization,” Pulte said.

At least one fraternity has already dumped beer, and its members said they don’t regret their decision.

“People love coming to our house, having a good time,” said Hunter Felknor, of Phi Delta Theta. “We keep it neat. It's classy in here.”

The Phi Delts rejected the notion that fraternities would hold less appeal if they banned beer, because their dry chapter has gained 89 members in two years and rank among the top in grade point average.

“As a whole, we represent the Greek life pretty well, and I think that's an attribute to our dry house,” said Nick Meeker, of Phi Delta Theta.

IU Sig Eps Return to Alcohol Free House

In Sigma Phi Epsilon’s 1st year back on campus, house declares itself alcohol-free
Haley Adams

Fraternity.
To some, the word symbolizes brotherhood, scholarship and philanthropy; to others, it connotes partying, hazing and getting free alcohol.

But this year, Sigma Phi Epsilon wants to break the second stereotype.

For its first year as an on-campus fraternity, the house has declared itself alcohol-free, even though anyone familiar with IU’s dry-campus policy might find this redundant since all fraternities are supposed to be dry.

U does not allow possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages in undergraduate supervised housing, said Dean of Students Dick McKaig .

Dan Eardley, Interfraternity Council vice president of communications, said all greek houses should follow this policy.“Technically, all of them are dry houses,” Eardley said. “Anyone declaring themselves dry are just reinforcing the policy.”

Junior Tyler Coward, the Sigma Phi Epsilon public relations chairman, said the house still wanted to implement the policy to educate its members.“We are trying to work with the University to become a residential living-learning center,” Coward said.

“We are living in the house for education. You can choose to party elsewhere.”

Coward said the house has a zero-tolerance policy, based on the honor system whether a brother has alcohol or not.“We have a policy that if a person has alcohol, he has 15 days to leave the house, and he will be expelled from the fraternity,” Coward said.

Sigma Phi Epsilon has strict rules about drinking in the house, but not all fraternities do.

McKaig said having a rule does not necessarily mean it is followed.“I sit in the Dean’s office and say ‘You can’t possess or consume alcoholic beverages in a residence hall,’ and any student could say ‘I’ve seen it happen,’” McKaig said.

“It doesn’t mean that the policy isn’t the policy, and it doesn’t mean the practice isn’t the practice.”McKaig said even with the dry-campus policy, there could be upwards of 1,000 students during one year written up by residence assistants for alcohol.

But, just like any rule that is broken, there is a punishment.“When students are caught not abiding by policy, there are consequences, and when fraternities are caught not abiding by policy, there are consequences,” McKaig said.

McKaig also said the University cannot control fraternities in the same way it can monitor residence halls.“We have no RAs in the fraternity system, we don’t own the fraternity houses and we don’t own the property the fraternity houses are sitting on,” McKaig said.

“I think a lot of the control rests with the house corporation board, which owns the property and is legally liable for what happens on that property.”But while the University uses its dry-campus policy to enforce an alcohol-free campus, there are some exceptions to the rule.

“The same code that says IU doesn’t allow possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages in undergraduate supervised housing goes on to say unless approval is granted through the Dean,” McKaig said.

One example is a “Bring Your Own Beer” event Phi Kappa Psi held in October 2006. Spencer Smith, a junior and current Phi Kappa Psi president, said McKaig and the fraternity’s national board approved the party as long as the house followed requirements, including checking IDs at the door, putting wristbands on guests older than 21 and limiting the amount of alcohol per person.

Phi Kappa Psi has not had a BYOB party since the one in 2006, but Smith said the party was an effort to promote responsible drinking on campus.“I think it’s a step toward accountability,” Smith said. “This is how you need to follow the rules to make sure people are drinking safely.”

McKaig said the exceptions to the dry-campus policy also apply to certain on-campus housing, such as apartments, graduate housing and upperclassmen housing in Willkie Residential Center, where residents older than 21 can drink in their rooms.

Even with guidelines about where students older than 21 can and cannot drink, McKaig said the University could do better with enforcing the dry policy in fraternities.

“Given the context of the housing, given the context of staffing, I think we do a reasonable job,” McKaig said. “We could certainly do more if we had more resources.”

But whether fraternities on campus are dry, damp or wet, McKaig said he is happy with Sigma Phi Epsilon’s approach to the issue.“I admire them for taking the stance,” McKaig said. “It is where I think all of our fraternities need to be.”

San Diego Goes Dry for Five Weeks

SDSU Greeks told to dry out for 5 weeks
Policy prohibits alcohol at sorority, frat parties
By Sherry Saavedra
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Members of fraternities and sororities returning to San Diego State University for classes will have to liven up their back-to-school bashes in a booze-free manner – at least temporarily.

On the heels of Operation Sudden Fall, SDSU's largest drug bust in university history, fraternities and sororities will be banned from hosting parties with alcohol for five weeks starting tomorrow, about a week before the first day of classes Sept. 2. The ban coincides with a new, five-week period of university-sponsored, alcohol-free weekend night programming, including dances, movies and concerts for all students.

“The highest number of alcohol incidents typically occur within the first few weeks of the semester,” said Doug Case, an SDSU administrator in charge of Greek life. “Many students have freedoms they didn't have in the past. They do a lot of experimentation. We have a lot of issues with new students going to fraternity parties with underage drinking and even more serious situations such as alcohol poisoning.”

Sororities will be less affected by the prohibition because alcohol already is banned in their houses by their national organizations, Case said.

Another new policy bars students from joining a Greek organization if they are on disciplinary probation for offenses ranging from drinking alcohol in the residence halls to drug violations.

To be eligible to join, students also will have to complete the new Pre-Recruitment Educational Program, which involves passing a quiz after viewing a PowerPoint presentation on policies covering alcohol, drugs, hazing and sexual conduct. It also explains the consequences for high-risk behavior such as mixing alcohol with drugs.

“Hopefully we'll get people who understand the true value of fraternities and sororities and are not just looking to party,” Case said.

SDSU officials say they had been looking at ways to strengthen alcohol and drug policies on campus for the past year, and that the drug sting which culminated in May only added urgency to their mission.

As a result of the undercover drug operation, two fraternities, Theta Chi and Phi Kappa Psi, remain on interim suspension. Three fraternities – Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Sigma Phi and Sigma Pi – were expelled in May for alcohol violations, hazing or both, because of incidents unrelated to Operation Sudden Fall.

About 10 percent of SDSU's 27,771 undergraduate students belonged to Greek organizations last spring. The number of general fraternities has dwindled from 16 to 11 active groups. There are nine culture-based fraternities, though most don't have houses.

Russell Hunter, student president of the Interfraternity Council, said the PowerPoint presentation is a good idea, but the jury is still out on the temporary alcohol ban.

“I'm kind of waiting to see the reaction of everybody else when they get back to school,” Hunter said. “I'm sure some people won't be happy with it.”

Kevin Longeuay, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said alcohol already is prohibited at fraternity gatherings during rush, which runs from Sept. 14 through Sept. 18 for general fraternities and Sept. 19 through Sept. 26 for culturally-based ones. But he thinks the five-week ban is a good idea.

“That's when all the freshmen are out trying to get into different parties,” Longeuay said. “This is a great way to stop that image from being portrayed.”

Longeuay said he is behind the PowerPoint presentation and quiz, even though the extra step to joining a fraternity or sorority may deter some.

“If they get deterred, we might not want them in the Greek system,” he said.

Penn State Greek Director Outlines New Recruitment Process

Baker outlines recruiting plans
The Daily Collegian (Penn State)By Sarah Williams

Roy Baker thought he was satisfied with the number of students involved in greek life when he came to Penn State last year. "I thought our numbers were pretty good," said Baker, the director of greek life and advancement. "Until I saw them."

Now, Baker hopes to implement a strategy aimed at changing the way fraternities recruit new members this fall, all in attempt to boost recruiting numbers. He hopes to increase the number of Penn State students involved in greek life from its current number of 12 percent to 30 percent. Still, 25 percent would make him happy, Baker said.

"Based on what I saw this past year, they just had four weeks of parties," Baker said. "It was a fiasco."
Under the new strategy, the recruitment period would only be three weeks, with fraternities only hosting recruitment events on designated nights, Baker said.

Baker is in the process of creating a map locating the fraternity houses and zoning houses into three geographic regions.

Recruitment will begin the week of Sept. 8, with only houses in the first region hosting non-drinking recruitment events on Monday, followed by only houses in the second region on Wednesday and only houses in the third region on Friday, Baker said.

Fraternities can host other non-recruiting events throughout the week but could face violations if recruits are present, he said.

At the end of the first week, potential members will use the Interactive Collegiate Solutions web site, www.icsmg.com, to identify which fraternities they are interested in joining, and fraternities will identify which students they are interested in offering a membership bid.

"I tried this at Syracuse, and it was really cool," said Baker, who previously served as Director of Fraternity and Sorority affairs at Syracuse University for three years.

The second week will follow the same schedule, and Baker is looking at Saturday, Sept. 20 as the date to allow recruits to attend fraternity parties.

During the final week of recruitment, events will take place Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but Baker hasn't determined if there will be restrictions on which days fraternities can host events.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, fraternities will identify which recruits they will offer membership bids; the next day recruits will receive their bids.

Recruits will then use icsmg.com to accept a bid to the fraternity of their choice, while fraternities track the acceptances live on the Web site.

The strategy is an attempt to stop impressing freshmen with drinking and begin doing positive recruitment, Baker said.

"The goal is not to ruin recruitment," Baker said. "It's to level the playing field."
In the past, smaller fraternities struggled to attract new members, while larger fraternities dominated recruiting, Baker said.

The plan is contingent on cooperation by the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Baker said.

"If they can meet me halfway on this idea I would be happy," Baker said.

IFC President Kelsey Gingrich did not immediately return phone calls by press time yesterday.

"If it's what I think it is, we will have a ton of kids in," Baker said. "It comes down to whether the fraternities are going to trust one another and follow the rules."

Michigan IFC Bans Frat Alcohol - Supports BYOB

Policy will ban IFC frats from serving alcohol

Change encourages bring your own alcohol policy
By Jillian Berman

Partygoers looking to drink at certain fraternities may have to bring their own booze in the near future.

The Interfratenity Council, one of the largest Greek councils on campus, wants to enforce a policy in its bylaws forbidding fraternities from providing alcohol at its parties. The move would instead require guests to bring their own alcohol.

IFC officials hope the policy will decrease irresponsible drinking, said LSA junior Ryan Spotts, vice president of public relations for the IFC and a member of Pi Kappa Phi.

He said this year's executive board hopes to enforce the policy more effectively than past groups have. He said previous executive board members tried to implement the policy too late in their terms. In Feb. 2005, when the IFC last tried to enforce the plan, executive board members had about one month left in their terms.

Ross School of Business junior Jon Marks, president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, is on an IFC committee to plan the logistics of the new policy. He said he expects some of his fraternity brothers to question the policy.

"People are going to be skeptical because it's a change," he said. "They haven't been against it, they haven't been for it."

Marks said the committee is trying to figure out how to implement the policy without hindering houses' abilities to hold parties.

"Our two big focuses are liability and the safety aspects of the party," Marks said. "The other important issue that we're looking for is fun. We're throwing parties for a reason."

Spotts said the IFC has been trying to enforce the policy for some time but that fraternity houses have always found ways around it. Many fraternities provide alcohol at their parties, but when asked claim that other people brought it, he said.

He said the IFC will try out the new policy at all parties hosted during the last two weeks of this semester.

If the policy works this time around, party guests would have to check their alcohol much like a coat at a restaurant or club. Partygoers would give their alcohol to designated fraternity brothers, called sober monitors, who are asked not to drink throughout the night. The monitors would then give the guest a tag with a number on it. Any time the guest wants a drink, he or she would bring the tag back to the sober monitor, take some of the alcohol, and then return the bottle to the sober monitor, Spotts said.

LSA freshman Luke Donahue, a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity, said he agrees with the policy, but is concerned it might go too far.

"I'm really worried about them continuing these regulations. They were given this power to control and they just keep continuing to take it," he said. "I think everything they're doing right now is within what they've been given, but sometime within the near future they might start doing things that are borderline."

LSA sophomore Kyle Egerer said he has doubts about the policy's feasibility.

"That's never going to happen," he said. "People wouldn't go to frat parties unless there's free beer, and college students are poor."

Phi Delts Have Alcohol Free Housing

Fraternity life without keg parties safer, saner, say Phi Delta Theta guys
Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer

Sitting on couches stacked stadium-style in their Case Western Reserve University fraternity house, members of Phi Delta Theta wait for a school-sponsored alcohol education program to start. Attendance at the program is mandatory for all members, whose international fraternity has banned alcohol use on all its properties since 2000.

Joe Beres' mom and dad were dead set against him joining a fraternity at Case Western Reserve University. Although their son had been a nondrinker in high school, they thought joining a Greek organization would mean keggers every night.

"My parents were anti-fraternity. They only knew 'Animal House,' " said Beres, 23, a senior mechanical engineering major who has since transferred to the University of Akron.

But there are no keg parties at the fraternity he joined at Case -- or at any chapters of Phi Delta Theta. Since 2000, the fraternity has prohibited alcohol in all of its 157 chapters in the United States and Canada.

The Phi Delts' international headquarters in Oxford, Ohio, doles out big consequences for alcohol violations. "If they find out you have it, they'll shut you down," said Wes Schaub, director of Greek Life at Case for 20 years.

Since 1997, Phi Delta Theta has closed 35 chapters because of violations of its risk-management policy, including alcohol and hazing abuses. Despite its no-booze policy, Phi Delt recruitment has increased 2 percent to 3 percent per year since 2000 -- three years after the fraternity's national president went on NBC's "Today" to announce the ban, which began with a few chapters.

Alumni are happy with the impact of the policy -- those at the University of Akron have ponied up $1.2 million for a new chapter house that will open this fall. Parents are relieved, and the guys, who number 8,500 across North America, don't seem to mind.

"It's not like we're all teetotalers," said Beres, a former vice president of the Akron chapter. "We just don't bring it into the house."

Chris Center, president of Case's Phi Delta Theta chapter, guides a guest through the fraternity house, a converted dorm with about 40 10-by-10-foot single rooms. It has scuffed floors and worn furniture, but it's clean. "It's the kind of place you could bring your mother to and she wouldn't cry," said Center, a senior from Cincinnati.

No alcohol is a good thing, says Bryan Storch, a Case management and finance major and Phi Delt from Avon Lake. "We're not cleaning up constantly." Or breaking up fights "because someone's drunk."

Temptation is less, too, because of the no-booze policy, Center adds. "You don't say, instead of studying, I'm just going to sit in my room and have a few."

The statistics resulting from "having a few" are sobering. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that an average of 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year as a result of unintentional alcohol-related injuries. In addition, 500,000 are injured; more than 600,000 are assaulted; and more than 700,000 are victims of alcohol-related sexual abuse or date rape.

About 25 percent of college students report poor academic consequences resulting from drinking (missing class, receiving poor grades). About 11 percent report that they have damaged property while under the influence of alcohol.

Fraternity members are the biggest offenders, according to a 2001 Harvard School of Public Health college alcohol use study that surveyed 119 colleges and universities. Greeks are much more likely to engage in heavy drinking (consuming four or more drinks in one sitting) than nonfraternity members -- about 75.1 percent versus 48.6 percent, the study found.

Living in a fraternity or sorority house increases the chance that members will drink -- a lot.

The study found that 75.4 percent of students living in fraternity and sorority houses are heavy drinkers, compared with only 45.3 percent of students living in non-Greek residence halls.
James Favor, president of James R. Favor & Co., a Denver insurance brokerage that sells insurance to more than 15 national fraternities, said that alcohol is a factor in 90 percent or more of all fraternity or sorority claims. He calls the Phi Delt anti-alcohol move "historic and bold. You can't convince me that the effect has not been positive."

Just compare the insurance figures, said Favor. In the 10 years before the alcohol-free decision in 2000, Phi Delta Theta averaged 12.3 liability claims a year, totaling an average $812,951 per year in insurance payouts. That made it a full-fledged member of the "Booze Brothers," as he calls imbibing fraternities.

However, from 2000 to Dec. 31, 2007, the last statistics available from his firm, the fraternity, now dry, averaged three claims a year with an average total cost of $15,388 annually.
"Numbers don't lie," said Favor.

That's good news for young Phi Delt chapter officers -- who can be named in liability suits -- and the rest of the members, who pay less to live in a dry house compared to houses that allow drinking. Phi Delta Theta international executive vice president Robert Biggs estimates that individual Phi Delts pays at least $65 less per year in insurance costs. At Case, each Phi Delt pays $130 a year for liability coverage. Members at one "wet" fraternity pay $232.50 a year.
Although other fraternities limit alcohol use, only Phi Delta Theta and Farmhouse, an international fraternity in Kansas City, Mo., that has 30 chapters, have no-alcohol/no-exception policies that are this stringent in all houses and surrounding areas, such as parking lots, yards and sidewalks.

Bob Deloian is the Denver dentist and former Phi Delta Theta international president who went on television in 1997 to tell the world his fraternity was going dry. He had no choice, he said. Phi Delta Theta -- as well as other Greek organizations -- was dealing with the ramifications of rampant alcohol use -- poor grades, bad image, low recruitment, run-down houses, and disgusted alumni and parents.

"I had seen parents cry because they are leaving their sons in such dumps -- beer, vomit, feet stuck to the floor," said Deloian, who eventually had to close down his own old fraternity house at Arizona State University in Tempe. The house, designed by Phi Delt Frank Lloyd Wright, had $400,000 in property damage, a problem Deloian blames on alcohol use.

Going dry was a gamble, said Deloian. "We thought we would lose 10 to 20 percent [of our members], but we agreed that if we lost 50 percent, we would not miss a beat."

But how can fraternities realistically enforce an alcohol ban? "We do what any parent does. We lay out the policy, then we educate like crazy," said Rudy Porchivina, the international president of Phi Delta Theta. (In addition to programs sponsored by the international fraternity, last month Case's Phi Delta Theta chapter required all of its members to attend an alcohol education presentation sponsored by the university.)

A report of alcohol possession gets a personal visit from several Phi Delt officials. "We talk to every single person in the house to find out if it was an isolated incident or a don't-care policy." The latter would mean the chapter is closed or reorganized, with the perpetrators bounced out.
And how can a fraternity exist whose central focus isn't alcohol, said Biggs. "We have proven that a fraternity can do very well. There are students who are attracted to a values-based experience." In fact, among more than 65 international fraternities, Phi Delta Theta is in the top 10 in number of student members.

At Case, a Phi Delt get-together involves lots to eat. "Our parties are based around food," said Center. "We have chicken parm and steak dinners, and during rush weeks, we grill hot dogs and hamburgers near the freshmen dorms." (Case does not allow alcohol at any Greek rush parties throughout its campus.)

There was a time when alcohol was an expected feature of college life for some students, but that's not the norm any longer, said Porchivina. "Fundamentally, we're getting a different kind of kid than we were getting in 1997."

Members such as Nick Schillig, 23, a University of Akron Phi Delt and student teacher from Louisville, Ohio, say they don't miss the booze other fraternities permit in-house. For one thing, Schillig said, a Phi Delt house is quieter. "In a wet house, people come back from the bars and keep on partying."

"It's like coming home to your parent's house -- in a good way," adds his Phi Delta Theta brother Beres. "You can go out and have a good time, but it's not going to follow you home."