IFC to start monitoring parties for alcohol violations

The new social monitoring system of the Interfraternity Council's BYOB policy will go into effect this weekend as planned, IFC president Jim Rettew said last night. The new monitoring policy was passed in a closed IFC meeting last month. IFC officials have said they added the new monitoring system to refine the BYOB policy, instituted in the fall. Two monitors will visit each registered "large" party on campus to watch for possible BYOB violations. The monitors will have a pass to enter the parties and will identify themselves at the door, the Rettew said. "Everything is going basically as planned," Rettew said. Rettew said each monitor will be given a set of instructions of what to look for at the parties and then will report their findings to the IFC. Rettew would not specify what type of "instructions" each monitor would be given, saying this information was "confidential". Greek Peer Judicial Board prosecutor Chris McLaughlin said last month that two monitors from different fraternities would go to the parties with a checklist devised by the IFC. McLaughlin also said the monitors would visit each party once or twice a night. He added that monitors are not "policemen." If a BYOB violation was found, McLaughlin said, the monitor would take note of it and report the incident to the IFC. The Executive board of the IFC would then decide to send it to the GPJB Prosecutor or not, he said last month. Under the old system, a fraternity would only have its "large" parties monitored if it was brought before the GPJB on charges. Another change made last month was to redefine a "large" party. The definition was changed from any party where each brother gave out two invitations, to one where each brother gave at least two invitations. Reaction to the new policy has been mixed, with some students calling it a much-needed repair to a broken system and some calling it an unnecessary and constricting policy. But Rettew reassured students last month that they will not notice a difference at fraternity parties.

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