Binge Drinking Death Forces Changes in MIT Alcohol, Housing Policy

Last fall, MIT made national headlines when a first-year died from binge drinking at a campus fraternity party.

His fraternity brothers allegedly left him in the basement to choke on his own vomit, and the family is threatening to sue.

This year, the elite science and technology school is taking drastic steps to prevent another tragedy.

In a letter this summer announcing the most drastic in a series of changes, MIT President Charles M. Vest said that in the fall of 2001 all first-year students would be housed on campus.

For the nearly 2,000 MIT undergraduates who participate in the school's Greek system, the death of Scott Krueger has meant a dramatic change in their residential lives.

Summer Has Ended

Before Krueger's death, says Iido Gilon--who presided over the Institute's Inter-fraternity Council last year--fraternity life was "very social and a lot of fun--very upbeat."

But Gilon says that is no longer the case. Pressure from the MIT administration--in the form of disciplinary action--has reshaped Greek life at MIT and students live in fear that they will suffer the consequences for the actions of a few.

"Students have become aware they have to become a lot more careful," Gilon says.

MIT now finds itself struggling to redefine how students will live and spend their time, with a residential system that has a cherished history but a reputation for disaster.

Fraternities don't know how they will revamp the pledging process, but they are guaranteed a significant drop in income and it is possible first-years, no longer driven to fraternities for lack of campus housing, might choose never to pledge.

Vest's new housing plan will go into effect as soon as MIT's new $25 million dormitory is completed. The building will hold up to 350 students.

Vest said the new housing system was part of the Institute's desire to "enhanc[e] our educational community and better integrat[e] student life and learning."

The MIT president chose his words carefully, recalling the vision outlined by his own Task Force on Student Life and Learning.

Now a cliche among Institute reformers, the "educational triad" of education, research and community is a battle cry for a more integrated academic and social life--ending the traditional divide between frat and classroom.

Shopping List of Reforms

The new dorm is the most expensive item on a shopping list of steps to crackdown on alcohol abuse.

Since the Krueger incident, Vest's administration has forced all fraternities, sororities and independent living groups to have graduate student resident advisers, and many will have faculty advisors. The appointments are expected to cost MIT about $180,000.

Alcohol is banned at all fraternities through September 12, when fraternities can apply for recertification, a process that will require numerous educational programs on the dangers of alcohol.

The president even plans to enlist the aid of a special assistant and "chancellor for alcohol education."

Other steps include educational programs and an additional $200,000 to be spent on student events throughout the year to divert students away from alcohol-driven parties.

But the biggest bite comes from new disciplinary guidelines.

MIT set up a system of heavy penalties on alcohol violations that increase with each infraction.

A small first offense means a conversation with a dean. An aggravated case can lead to expulsion and fines of up to $1,500.

And the disciplinary measures affect not only individuals but also the entire fraternity. Numerous fraternities were punished for violations during the past year.

Phi Gamma Delta, where Krueger fell into a coma, remains suspended. During the upcoming year, it will house only three members, who have been authorized to work as caretakers.

The administration is also trying to limit alcohol supply to minors and has given $1,500 to the "Cops in Shops" program in Cambridge, which plants undercover police officers in liquor stores.

The Response

Fraternity members say the administration's fear borders on paranoia.

According to senior Duane L. Dreger, president of the Interfraternity Council, Vest's move to house first-years has not been well-received by students.

Dreger insists fraternity activities are "infinitely" safer than they used to be.

"We're getting fraternities out of the business of being bars," Dreger says.

At the same time, both Dreger and Gilon deny that fraternity life was out-of-control before Krueger's death.

"Yes, there were some instances where you could make the generalization," Gilon says, "but only in a few places. That's not the case with 90 or 95 percent of the people here."

The plan to house first-year on-campus is by far the most contentious of Vest's moves.

Gilon's task force recommended the plan, but he says members never discussed it. Gilon says MIT higher-ups had it inserted into the report.

"The task force was requested to make a recommendation in a certain direction from a higher body," he says.

Vest's zeal to have his plan endorsed in the report of the task force may have to do with MIT's desire to use the report as campaign literature in its upcoming capital campaign.

Dreger says he supports Vest's goal of integrating social and academic life more fully, but he says the president's plan will not achieve it.

He says fraternities have succeeded because they are small enough to act as a community, providing a web of friendships and, literally, fraternity, that a dorm could not.

"Fraternity members look after each other," says Dreger. "Three quarters [of the members] have gone through the same trouble you have. Compare that to a dorm of 300 freshman."

Ultimately MIT's fraternities may prove a difficult prey for the administration to snare.

The Greek system is important to many alumni, and with a capital campaign on the way, the administration wants to avoid the perception of an assault on the historically revered fraternity system.

Gilon says administrators also believe fraternities are crucial to student morale. Vest himself calls them "important and valued elements in our campus life" and has pledged to integrate them into his new system.

But Dreger says fraternities will find it harder to succeed financially without the money from first-years who would live there.

One thing is clear to administrators and students alike, however: The old regime is gone. The campaign to control student life, particularly student drinking, will continue at MIT. The new rules are clear and the penalties are strict.