NIU pushes to enforce off-campus party rules

NIU+pushes+to+enforce+off-campus+party+rules

By Suresh Vakati

Students and Greek Life leaders have mixed feelings about the recent enforcement of rules for organization-sponsored off-campus parties.

Rules limit how many people can be at a party, how much attendees can drink and how long the party can last, among other things. Student Involvement and Leadership Development relies on student organization leaders to be proactive in following rules for social events — some long-established and others created last fall, said Dain Gotto, senior associate director for Student Involvement and Leadership Development.

This spring, the department started doing random compliance checks, Gotto said.

Greek leadership perspectives

Sigma Kappa President Regan Duffy said Student Development and Leadership Development is trying to create a healthy environment for students by enforcing the rules.

“Really, I don’t have any problem with” the regulations, Duffy said. “… It really is just for the safety of every sorority and fraternity member going out on the weekends.”

Omega Delta President Francisco Salmeron said he understands the need for the rules, but said they are more an attack on student organizations than an aid.

“I personally feel now they’re kind of like just being way too strict and they’re just trying to get any organization that they can,” Salmeron said. “As for us, it doesn’t really change anything for us. We’re still very cautious with everything.”

Student perspectives

“A lot of people in sororities are under 21, and I mean, we all know there’s underage drinking at sorority and frat parties,” said junior nursing major Nicole Horn, who is not a part of Greek life. “As long as it’s controlled, I think it’s OK, but I get where they’re trying to go with it: to help prevent bad things that happen like with the Pikes that happened not too long ago.”

Some Pi Kappa Alpha members face charges of hazing freshman pledge David Bogenberger, who was found dead with a blood-alcohol content of .351 percent Nov. 2, 2012, at the now-dissolved fraternity chapter’s house.

Cynthia Waller, senior political science major and Sigma Gamma Rho sorority member, said she is upset by the enforcement of the rules and thinks they are “counterproductive.”

“It’s really frustrating … just seeing how some organizations are like ‘OK, fine, that’s what we have to do,’” Waller said. “But, they have these big venues, they have the members that can accommodate these things. They have the money to accommodate these things.

“[Not] everyone has that, and it’s not fair to make a policy with one particular organization in mind ­— one group of organizations — and not consider all of them because all of us are being bound by the same rules that have been catered to this one group of people.”