Frats join nationwide alcohol crackdown

By David Altschuler

While Yalies have lost many of their options for drinking during the past year, the national fraternities had been one of the bastions of underage booze that college students could still depend on. Until now. In recent weeks, fraternity giants Sigma Nu and Phi Delta Theta have taken an aggressive stand against alcohol. Both have announced their intention to ban alcohol in their chapter houses over the
next few years--the first national fraternities to do so.

Sigma Nu approved the Substance Free Housing Resolution at their grand chapter meeting last July. The resolution decries the "alarming trend in substance abuse--including alcohol." As a result, all new Sigma Nu chapters will be alcohol-free.

According to David Bercovich, ES '99, president of Sigma Nu's Yale chapter, however, Yale's chapter had nothing to do with the decision to phase out alcohol. According to one Sigma Nu brother, the decision was decided by about 16 of the fraternity's 200 chapters, and probably does not have national support.

In fact, Bercovich said that he doesn't expect Sigma Nu at Yale to go dry any time in the near future. He maintained that the national chapter's initiatives will not heavily influence their operation.

"I don't think we're going to change that much. I think they've probably gone a little too far--I assume it's not a consensus. We're more independent than most chapters. It's not that alcohol is a save all--but it's a part of what we do at our events," Bercovich said.

Still, a virtual blitzkrieg against underage drinking continues to advance, according to Connecticut liquor officials. The state's Liquor Control Commission (LCC) has teamed up with the New Haven Police Department against local liquor vendors in raids at Yale favorites like Broadway Liquor, Naples, and the now defunct Demery's and Gatsby's. The result, said LCC director Maria Delany, is a 258% increase in liquor investigations over the last eight months compared to the 30 month period before it.

LCC's merger with the state's Consumer Protection Agency in 1995 has provided them with 13 enforcement agents that travel about Connecticut responding to and investigating complaints.

Delany stressed that area colleges in particular have been extremely helpful. "Colleges have been very, very good about calling. They have been taking a proactive approach," she said.

While Yale Police have not participated in the recent raids, they do inform the LCC of any venues they find in violation of their liquor permit. Assistant police chief James Perrotti did not rule out Yale Police involvement in future raids. "We have participated in the inspections before, and that's always a possibility in the future," he said.

In addition, Perrotti said that Yale Police has had to break up many unauthorized and liquor-filled parties on campus of late. "Many students become involved in very serious activities when they're intoxicated that they wouldn't normally do."

How effective the crackdown will be remains to be seen. Bercovich maintained that Yale is still a wet campus. "Yale has been the most lax place about alcohol restrictions," he said. Bercovich added that Sigma Nu has worked
with police, and they have not encountered any problems at
their events.

Even Yale College Dean Richard Brodhead, BR '68, GRD '72, was skeptical about the prospect of college campuses going dry. "In the last month I've been to two other schools...I conclude that this question is being asked all over, but I don't think [there is any] concerted effort [to stop underage drinking]," he said.

Assessing the LCC's efforts to block underage drinking, Delaney stated, "I think no matter how many agents we do have, we're never going to stop underage drinking. Hopefully, we'll become a very strong deterrent." Back to News...