U of M sets end of IFC suspension

After the 10 fraternities in the Interfraternity Council were suspended for illegal activities last week, University of Memphis officials said yesterday that the suspension would be lifted after some of the fraternity members take a risk management class on Nov. 23.

A portion of each fraternity must attend the seminar, which will explain national and campus policies about managing social events and keeping risks and liabilities down.

"It involves keeping people safe and making sure they don't get into situations that could be harmful to others or fraternity members," said William Porter, dean of students. "We expect that, going forward, the groups are going to do a better job of managing their events."

Keeping fraternity gatherings safe was the main concern that prompted the suspension, said Justin Lawhead, associate dean for leadership and involvement.

"We studied the types of activities they were having, and we weren't comfortable hosting these types of events until a risk management seminar was administered," he said. "The reaction has been mixed."

A plethora of police reports involving underage drinking, vandalism and a fire prompted the suspension, which also applies to fraternities not involved in the incidents, Porter said.

Police recently arrested three Kappa Alpha fraternity pledges, who were below the legal drinking age, for trying to steal a horse head statue while intoxicated. Earlier this semester, members of Zeta Beta Tau found three red swastikas painted on a house they were interested in buying.

"It got to a tipping point where it involved all, and not just individual, groups," Porter said. "We have to get people's attention, and that's why we've done this. In general, they were not really managing their social affairs very well."

Some fraternity members said the decision to suspend all fraternities, including those who haven't broken any laws, was unfair to Greeks who have stayed out of trouble.

"It's unfair that we're getting punished for something we weren't involved in," said ZBT member Shrief Nashaat, sophomore sports and leisure management major. "We can't do anything or expand our sorority relationships."

Some ZBT members, like president-elect Hunter Lang, sophomore piano performance and recording technology major, said the decision could have a positive impact on fraternities who broke the law.

"Hopefully, their own guilt and shame will motivate them to take care of their risk management in a faster motion to get us out of this as soon as possible because not all of us are at fault," he said. "It was police report after police report after police report. Other fraternities were getting out of hand, and a select few were continuously causing problems."

Members' wrongdoing could damage the reputations of all fraternities on campus, Lang said.

"A couple of bad apples were ruining the bunch," he said. "We don't want outsiders to stereotype us. That's not what we're about."

Phi Gamma Delta President Anthony La Rocca, junior business management major, said all fraternities on campus could benefit from the seminar.

"It's a very important topic," he said. "The things that happened to other fraternities could happen to anyone."

Shannon Leonard, senior graphic design major, said she is skeptical that the risk management course will have long-lasting effects.

"It might help for a whole, but at the same time, they're college students," she said. "They might be under the radar for a while, but they'll end up doing something later."

Justin Tate, sophomore chemistry major, said punishment should be more severe because some fraternity members jeopardized the safety of others and damaged The University's reputation.

"A lot can go wrong with underage drinking," he said. "They're representing (The U of M). If it's in the news, the first thing people will see is The U of M."