Uhhh, DU Just Went “Substance-Free” At All Chapters — Tobacco Included

Doctor Franzia7 years ago

In the collective risk management establishment’s War on Fun, fraternity nationals have been electing to bring out the big guns in recent years. This has ranged from SAE eliminating their pledging process to Phi Psi putting hard liquor bans on all chapters to so many other stories of concession. The efforts by each national office to one-up every other fraternity with more restrictive policies is starting to look like a freaking arms race.

Case in point: DU’s decision yesterday to go completely substance-free at all chapter houses. And yes — that even includes tobacco.

From Delta Upsilon Fraternity:

Today, the International Fraternity’s Board of Directors announces the adoption of new policies aimed to further enhance our mission of Building Better Men. After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has passed a substance-free housing policy that will take effect Aug. 1, 2020. This means that within two years, no alcohol, tobacco or other drugs will be stored or used in a DU chapter facility, regardless of a member’s age. To help chapters ease into this transition, beginning Aug. 1, 2018, all hard alcohol will be removed from chapter housing, and there will be stipulations on where beer and wine may be stored, consumed and distributed within a chapter house.

…

Delta Upsilon chapter facilities must be safe, productive places to live and learn at all times. While we understand these policies will not eliminate all risk, we firmly believe improving our environment will create long-term culture change that will benefit our chapters, members and campus communities in many ways.

…

Removing alcohol from our facilities sends a clear message about our purpose, values and commitment to make campuses safe for all students.

Am I the only one in the world who believes that the best option with regard to dealing with alcohol abuse and unsafe behavior is to foster a culture of understanding and moderation rather than just banning everything? Dear lord. Remember how all those kids whose parents said they couldn’t drink back in high school were always the ones who blacked out and got covered with vomit every weekend? Since when does taking something away from people not just compel them to do way more of it in a much more unsafe manner?

Phi Delta Theta at my school was a dry house way before that was the norm due to some story about them pushing the governor’s kid down the stairs on a pool floaty back in the 90s. There was probably a lot of coke involved too; never looked up the details. Anyway, as a result, Phi Delts had the best-developed, sketchiest network of live-outs and townhomes of any fraternity on campus. I saw things happen in those live-outs that still haunt and/or inspire me to this very day.

How can DU not realize that this kind of a decision is just going to lead to an underground, unregulated party network far more dangerous than if all these shenanigans were contained within the austere walls of a fraternity house?

Here’s a thought: why don’t we put some more resources towards encouraging moderation and safe procedures that actually EMBRACE the elements of our culture that makes Greek life so unique rather than just banning everything and pretending it won’t continue to happen?

I guess that would mean most national offices would have to get out of their sweaty office chairs and actually do something though, huh?.

[via Delta Upsilon Fraternity]