The Boston University administration is investigating the BU chapter of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority for allegedly co-hosting a party that allowed underage drinking with BU’s Lambda Chi Alpha last November, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said Wednesday.
LCA is also under investigation in regard to the party, The Daily Free Press reported on Feb. 4.
The university originally placed Gamma Phi on probation Monday, then lifted the sanction and commenced investigation in light of new evidence, Elmore explained.
“I got some information this morning, and I changed my mind,” Elmore said. “It is private and sensitive information that I cannot give out. I am reconsidering about the sanction, but as of right now, [Gamma Phi and LCA] are not on probation.”
Both organizations are required to cease all activities, including hosting parties or formals, during the investigation, and university officials hope to conclude both investigations by the end of week, Elmore said.
The university has addressed a few Greek life incidents in the past couple years. Lambda Phi Epsilon was suspended a year ago for hosting underage drinking party, Pi Kappa Alpha lost university recognition Dec. 9 and Sigma Chi was asked to cease operations for hazing complaints, Elmore said.
“We have an anonymous tip line for hazing which you can find on the Dean of Students site,” Elmore said. “Usually, we will receive a complaint and we will take a close look at it. We will try to bring people in to verify or refute the allegation as quickly as possible, then we make decision about what steps we take in response to the incidents.”
Gamma Phi Delta Chapter Administrative Vice President Emily Evans, a junior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, declined to comment.
Emma Everett, a member of Gamma Phi, said her experience in the sorority “has only been good things,” though she was not aware of the university’s investigation.
“I really love being in a sorority,” said Everett, a sophomore in the College of Communication who joined Gamma Phi her freshman year. “We attend other Greek life organizations’ philanthropy events, we will host fundraising events at George Sherman Union Link, we do hot yoga, we do field trips like the apple picking last semester.”
The Gamma Phi Beta International Headquarters declined to comment.
Panhellenic President Sophie Collender wrote in an email that “the women of Gamma Phi Beta are excellent members of our BU community,” though she declined to comment on the investigation on behalf of the BU Panhellenic Council.
“[Gamma Phi has] and will continue to make great contributions to our student and academic life as a whole,” Collender said.
LCA declined to comment on the university’s investigation, Alpha Chapter President Carlos Gomez wrote in an email.
Several students who are not involved with Gamma Phi said they were not surprised when they heard about the investigation, because underage drinking at fraternity parties is a social norm.
Mateo Zambrano, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he went to one fraternity party for two minutes. He thought was “too sweaty and dirty,” and never went back.
“I am not surprised they will be investigated, because Greek life generally allows underage drinking, although it is not specifically advertised,” Zambrano said. “I don’t think there is much BU can do to change what [fraternities] do off campus other than restrict events they can hold.”
Melissa Orenstein, a senior in CAS, said she was not familiar with Greek life but wished she knew more about the incident.
“I don’t think they should be investigated for underage drinking,” Orenstein said. “I wonder if someone got hurt, then the university should definitely investigate.”
Sabrina McLeod, a freshman in COM, said she went to a couple of fraternity parties, so she was not surprised to hear about the investigation.
“This is college,” McLeod said. “A lot of us are underage right now, at least the newcomers. I came from Florida and I have seen some of my friends’ Snapchat stories, so I am not surprised.”
McLeod said it is unfair for the sorority to cease all activities during the investigation because it undermines new members’ experience.
“They should at least be able to continue their normal thing until the investigation is conclusive,” McLeod said. “People who just joined probably do not have anything to do with what [the university] is investigating. Plus, there is a possibility they are innocent. [But] if they got caught, I guess they deserve it, right?”
A previous version of this story presented Emma Everett as saying “We attend other fraternities’ events,” instead of “We attend other Greek life organizations’ philanthropy events.” This correction is reflected in the story above.
THE GAMMA IS GOING THE WRONG WAY!
Club sports teams host parties with underage drinking. Normal SAO clubs host parties with underage drinking. Normal students with houses off campus host parties with underage drinking. People in college drink underage. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Daily Free Press had a gathering with its members where underage drinking was involved.
Giving any of these organizations severe punishments for underage drinking is not solving any problem, because they are not the root cause. If they do then BU would be taking an approach similar to “abstinence only” sex education. People are still going to do it, so let’s educate people how to do it properly and make sure that everyone gets home safe.
Is this all you peasantry people have to report about these days?!
Questionable sources… This article reads like a bad Wikipedia page
So let me get this straight… Dean Elmore doesn’t know what’s going on… And the sorority doesn’t know what’s going on… And the Daily Free Press sure as hell doesn’t know what’s going on… WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS!
All I have learned from this is that frat parties are “too sweaty and dirty” #aintthatthetruth
^^^This
Might be worth taking a few extra days to write the article next time.
For an article that is apparently worthy enough to take up so much space on the front page, it sure contains a lot of grammatical and factual errors.
Considering no comments or facts about the investigation are even presented through this article, I don’t see why this is necessary. Maybe collect more information on underage drinking at fraternity parties (parties that your writers probably attend themselves) before spotlighting 2 of the organizations taking part. Go home and pour yourselves an underage alcoholic beverage to drink away the sadness of this failure of an article!
Wow! This article is quite possibly one of the most abominable things I’ve ever read (and mind you, I’m not involved with “Greek Life” or GPhiB). However, I was just so utterly moved by the anti-greek smugness, nonsensical interviews, and poor writing that I felt it was my civic duty to provide a response. Congratulations, FreeP- This is a whole new level of self-indulgent horse manure.