Amid rush, did SAM parties cross the line?

Wild fraternity parties may be commonplace on most weekends, but, during rush, they can spell nasty consequences.

On Thursday, Sigma Alpha Mu threw a rush party during which attendants say alcohol was served, and, on Saturday, another SAM rush party was broken up due to noise complaints.

Still, although speculation abounds about alleged violations, punishment for the fraternity is unlikely, according to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski.

During the Thursday party, an OFSA official - who did not return requests for comment - notified Reikofski about leftover alcohol bottles that he spotted in the house, a student at the party said.

The student - who said he heard about that notification from SAM brothers - would only speak on the condition of anonymity because he is rushing SAM.

Serving alcohol during rush events is prohibited by OFSA regulation.

"I had heard that they might have had some alcohol there before or after" the event, Reikofski said.

Meanwhile, sources are saying different things about whether SAM actually served alcohol on both nights.

SAM brothers maintain that, due to OFSA regulations, they did not serve alcohol at either event.

SAM President and College junior Josh Rosenbaum said that while they served "nothing" on Thursday night, the frat provided ringpops, Red Bull and kool-aid at the party on Saturday night.

However, party attendees remember a different story.

Anderson pointed out that he saw many people drinking from bottles of beer during Thursday's party.

"They didn't discriminate about who got alcohol at the party," Anderson said.

Reikofski said he spoke to Rosenbaum about both incidents, adding that he saw no reason to meet with Rosenbaum again about the incidents.

And some say that a noise complaint is nothing to worry about, at least seriously.

"A lot of times these parties are happening, and, as it gets later, there's a noise complaint, and the police shut it down," Wharton junior and incoming president of the InterFraternity Council Austin Pena said.

In the meantime, it does not seem like the weekend's events will affect prospective SAM brothers or the other events that the frat has planned for the rest of rush.

College freshman Charlie Isaacs , who is going through the rush process and attended the SAM events, said he has enjoyed rushing SAM and still likes the fraternity as a whole.

"It's been a good experience so far," he said, adding that he attended a SAM barbeque on Sunday afternoon.

SAM will hold two more closed rush events before bid night on Jan. 22, when they will officially invite new members to join the frat.

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