LIFESTYLE: Bring Your Own Party?

Faced with the Interfraternity Council's strict enforcement of the "Bring Your Own Beer" policy coupled with the recent crackdown by the Liquor Control Board, some students are finding the University's revamped social scene a little hard to swallow. Last month, the IFC passed a revised BYOB policy, making what was once a farce into a definite reality. Now, instead of free-flowing kegs complementing the smoky, music-filled hallways of these weekend hot spots, partygoers must tote their own thirst quenchers as they head out for the evening. College freshman Daniel Unger said that he believes the move toward under-21 sobriety is resulting in the downfall of the fraternity party, and is merely influencing minors to drink elsewhere. Now that drinks are no longer on the house, there exists little motivation for celebrating in the Greek tradition, Unger said. "If you have to buy beer on your own anyway, you might as well drink it with friends rather than go to a party," Unger said. "I think the parties suck since BYOB started," he added. "Turnout's been bad because people don't want to go [to fraternity parties] and not be able to get beer." Wharton freshman Daniel Mizukovski agreed. "People are going to stop coming," he said. "People would rather buy alcohol, go to their rooms and have parties in their rooms." Mizukovski said he believes a giant variable in the fraternity party equation is the availability of free alcohol with a relatively small cover charge -- taking that factor away essentially removes any notion of enjoyment. "When I first came to Penn, it was the traditional frat party -- unlimited beer, get wasted," Mizukovski said. "Now, you can't call it a frat party. I don't know what it is. "[At the] couple of frat parties I've been at, I couldn't get any alcohol," he added. "Altogether it was terrible, and everyone was scrounging around for tickets. So instead of having fun, you're concentrating on getting tickets." Joe Ryan, owner of the popular campus bar Smokey Joe's, reports no increase in incidences of minors attempting to gain entrance into his establishment, given the lack of beer at parties and the surprise of police officials at other bars. However, Ryan attributes this to his bar's reputation as "21 and over only." "I think our reputation is pretty hard core," Ryan said. Josh Gottheimer, Alpha Epsilon Pi president and IFC judicial manager, said he believes alcohol consumption should not be the sole purpose behind attending fraternity parties, adding that attractions other than beer should continue to lure students to their doors. "I'm hoping people don't go to fraternities only for the alcohol," said Gottheimer, a College sophomore. "Fraternities are beyond the alcohol. So you bring the beer with you -- it's no big deal. You come for the band, to see your friends. "If you come to have a good time, that's definitely still there," he said. Gottheimer said his impressions of the party scene at his own fraternity residence are substantially more positive than those of Unger and Mizukovski. Admitting that the house's first post-policy party was a bit shaky, Gottheimer added that he believes the University needs time to make it through the adjustment phase, and that, with time, BYOB will become a successful routine. "We had a party this weekend. Upwards of 65 percent [of the people who attended] brought beer, and we had a great crowd," he said. "It takes time for a campus to get used to something like this," he explained. "No one would disagree that it has an impact on Greek life right now. But I think that eventually, people will get used to it, and the campus will be fine." Tau Epsilon Phi Social Chair Mike Lembeck said he thinks the key to the transition lies in next year's incoming class, which arrives with few preconceived notions concerning alcohol on campus. Rather than adjusting, Lembeck said, new students will simply be accepting the policy as a given. "I think it's going to be a slow transition," he said. "When the new freshmen come in and the first thing they see is BYOB, this will make it work. "I don't think it's going to become a reality until next year," Lembeck added. "It's hard to change something you're accustomed to." However, he admitted that he harbors reservations about the policy, and foresees a definite decline in party attendance once BYOB becomes an unquestionable addition to University life. "The people that came [to the parties thus far] are still skeptical about [them] being BYOB," he said. "I think that's why it hasn't affected attendance yet. "But if it really solidifies itself -- if BYOB really becomes a fact and no longer an expectation, attendance will definitely decline," he added. But College freshman Kara Messner said she does not perceive any sort of attendance problem at fraternity parties, although she added that she has not seen the law being enforced. "[BYOB] doesn't seem to be in effect," Messner said. "I think the same amount [of people] are still going to frats. I've seen cops standing around, but they're not usually doing anything about it. "They realize that students are going to drink, and unless it gets out of control, I don't think they have a problem with it," she added. IFC President David Treat is placing his faith in the precedents set by other colleges and universities across the country. Citing the widespread move to BYOB, Treat said that campuses experimenting with the policy are finding it favorable. "This is not a local process, this is a nationwide process," said Treat, a College junior. "On the campuses where they've already gotten through the transition, [BYOB] works very well. "That's what we expect here -- just a transition period until we get to that," Treat added. "There's been a lot of progress and we're not there yet, but we hope to be soon." In the meantime, Engineering freshman Jason Pareti said he is "looking for things to do" as alternatives to fraternity party-hopping. Pareti, like Unger and Mizukovski, agrees that the fraternity parties have begun to lose their appeal. "Recently I haven't been to too many fraternity parties, in part due to the BYOB policy," Pareti said. "Definitely, the parties aren't as much fun as they used to be. It is a let-down." Pareti added that his social life has suffered a double blow due to the recent raid on Murph's, which he now no longer frequents. "[My friends and I] haven't been there for a while, since the problems," he said. Pareti does not necessarily represent the majority viewpoint, however. One College freshman, who asked that her name by withheld, said that her weekend plans have not been hurt by the recent lockouts on underage drinking. While she said the BYOB policy has been in effect, she added that procurement of alcohol has not been a problem. In fact, she admitted to regarding the policy as a positive because it eliminates the cover charge. "It hasn't really affected my social life," she said. "I still think that alcohol is accessible no matter what. "And I do find that the policy is in effect," she added. "People are more conscientious of having to provide their own drinks. "Everyone's been bringing six-packs, and you don't have to pay to get in," she said. College senior Kimberly May reflected on how the new restrictions would have impacted her social life as a minor. She said she probably would have headed downtown in search of a weekend night diversion. "I think it would have sent me downtown, which I would have thought was a good thing," May said. "There's a lot of stuff going on downtown that I would have investigated more carefully." May said, however, that the restrictions would not have stopped her from gaining access to alcohol. "I probably would have searched a lot harder for a fake ID," she said. "I would have spent more time investigating other sources of alcohol in places downtown. [And] I would have gone to off campus parties more."

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