HOW WE SEE IT: ‘Strong Message’ A Short Burst

Posted: November 25, 2009 at 3:46 a.m.

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The University of Arkansas’ “strong message” about student conduct looks strong until one remembers that the fall semester is almost over.

The university’s Office of Greek Life banned

fraternities from all social activities until the spring

semester. The spring semester begins in January -

after the students go home for the holidays.

This decision comes after a freshman went to the

hospital with a blood alcohol content of 0.68 percent

on “Big Brother, Little Brother” night. That is a blood

alcohol level that raises our eyebrows, and we read

police reports daily.

Sometimes, freshmen go where experienced drinkers fear to tread. We understand this, but still wonder why no one looked at this young man - three years below the legal minimum drinking age - and said “You’ve had enough.” These eventsare supposed to be supervised. That did not happen.

Worse, there appears to have been no brotherly concern a young man was literally putting his life at risk.

Friends do not let friends get alcohol poisoning that requires hospital treatment.

“Big Brother, Little Brother” night is not known as one of the most intense segments of fraternity life, either.

We note with approval that Bob Biggs, executive vice president of the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, said the national organization will consider individual and group consequences, up to and including this fraternity chapter’s closing. We do not expect that to happen, but like to at least hear someone mention the possibility. It grants a slender assurance that there are limits somewhere.

Then there was the earlier fraternity party that resulted in a rape allegation and the appointment of a special prosecutor.

We appreciate that the university canceled individual events before, and that this is a “strong” message in the sense that the university has never canceled all fraternity activities at once. We just wonder if this is too little too late.

If the university insists that its campus life is a good reason to enroll, then it bears responsibility in the risks this “campus life” entails.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 11/25/2009

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