Details emerge about decision to scrap Greek party

A knowledgeable source blamed the mix-up on a Trammell Crow official. The party was in the works for months. It would have been one of the biggest social events of the semester, in one of the trendiest locations on campus. But last Wednesday, miscommunication about the event's nature led Penn's Division of Public Safety to cancel, at the last minute, the all-Greek mixer scheduled for last Thursday night. Yesterday, officials at the company that manages retail and other properties for the University -- who were working closely with Greeks in planning the party and had refused repeated requests for comment over the last week -- offered their explanation of what happened. Scott Hyatt, a senior property manager for Trammell Crow Co., stressed that officials effectively communicated with Greeks what the event would be. "We committed to a block party from [4 p.m. to 7 p.m.] that would provide a forum for the Greeks to have an information session," Hyatt said. "All parties knew about that." But a knowledgeable source close to Penn's Greek system said Kate McAllister -- who works for Portfolio Marketing Group, which represents the Trammell Crow Co. --Edid not explain to the Greeks that the company intended the event to be an afternoon information session without alcohol. McAllister refused to comment for this article, referring questions to Hyatt, who denied the allegations. The Greek Week Committee clearly had a very different vision of the event -- it advertised a mixer, open to the entire campus, to be held from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in Moravian Court, the space behind the 3401 Walnut Street complex. It would have had a disc jockey, as well as food and alcohol from the surrounding restaurants. Penn's Division of Public Safety canceled the mixer last Wednesday when it discovered that the event would be a late-night party with alcohol present. Officials felt that they did not have sufficient security to accommodate the mixer. Liz Bernard, the co-chairperson of the Greek Week Committee, said that she thought both the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. time frame and the nature of the event were understood by McAllister and Trammell Crow, especially since "they were the ones hiring a band, that turned into a DJ, and contact[ed] Mad 4 Mex and New Deck [Tavern]" for alcohol. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said an afternoon event would have been impractical for several reasons, including the fact that many students are in class and that the Greek Week events already included a "Meet the Greeks" information session on Locust Walk scheduled for the same time. Hyatt said he did not know anything about the fact that "Meet the Greeks" was identical to the informational event they wanted to hold. "I honestly don't know how they plan their events," he said Bernard, a College senior and Sigma Delta Tau sister, said she had been planning the mixer with McAllister since last semester. Bernard added that the Greek Week Committee did not have any contact with University Police, as those arrangements were left to Trammell Crow. Initially, the marketing company had fliers printed with the incorrect time, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., but Bernard pointed out this discrepancy quickly. McAllister said the time change would not be a problem and had 5,000 new fliers printed with the right time, according to Bernard. Bernard stressed that she had made it clear exactly what kind of event the Greeks wanted from the start and said that she thought McAllister understood her intentions. Still, she conceded that "we must have interpreted the meaning of block party differently than them."

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