Rowdy Welcome Week on Frat Row Brings Threats of Another Booze Ban

After a hard-partying Welcome Week along Fraternity Row, UC Berkeley officials warned they may reinstate the moratorium on Greek events where alcohol is consumed.

Dean of Students Karen Kenney admonished Greek houses for their disruptiveness in a letter sent to Greek leaders two weeks ago after receiving a flood of complaints from neighborhood residents.

Fraternity members said they believed the letter was partly prompted by the hospitalization of six female UC Berkeley students for alcohol poisoning during Welcome Week. University officials said only one girl was involved.

The letter promised to "respond quickly and comprehensively to policy violations and, if necessary, to impose a moratorium on all fraternity and Panhellenic sorority events."

Neighbors complained about loud parties and public drunkenness-violations of university policy and the Greek Social Code, Barnett said.

"It's the stuff that we get all the time, but this time in a very concentrated manner," said Tina Barnett, UC Berkeley director of Greek Life.

The university first issued an alcohol moratorium on Greek houses in the spring of 2002 following serious alcohol-related injuries at a Greek party. The ban remained until about three weeks into the fall semester last year.

A renewed moratorium on alcohol would be one of the more extreme forms of punishment doled out by the Office of Greek Life, Barnett said, and there are many minor punishments that officials could turn to first.

But, she added, "if all hell breaks loose tonight, we could announce a moratorium tomorrow."

Interfraternity Council President Kevin Roy said the council is taking the threat of a second moratorium very seriously, although the council has yet to create any new policies.

"We just had a moratorium less than a year ago," Roy said. "Our governing body has definitely decided to step it up a little."

A moratorium would deal another blow to the Greek community's reputation on campus and across the country, Roy said. It could also prevent the community from receiving philanthropy funding from the ASUC.

"We're saying, 'This is it guys, we can't afford another moratorium,'" Roy said.

After the first moratorium, the council created a set of standards to gauge if the Greek houses were improving or detracting from student life on campus, Roy said.

Houses that violate the standards several times could be referred to the council's judicial committee. If violations are severe enough, the council could go as far as removing a house.

Despite the noisy debut during Welcome Week, Barnett said avoiding a moratorium should not be a problem.

"Our students are really good at putting together systems and coming up with policies and procedures to ensure they adhere to policies and codes," she said. "All they have to do is do what they've committed to."

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