Social ban lifted on The Row

The Row, which has not held social activities since Aug. 31, will once again be allowed to host parties starting today.

Party on · Greek members on The Row can now participate in social activities, after the ban was lifted today. A majority of the houses on The Row were sanctioned after unauthorized parties on Aug. 30, when eight students were taken to the hospital. - Chloe Stepney | Daily Trojan

Sixteen Interfraternity Council chapters were cited for unauthorized parties on Aug. 30, when eight students were taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. All IFC fraternities were placed on social probation until further actions were taken.

IFC held a meeting at Phi Kappa Psi fraternity Tuesday to discuss The Row’s indefinite ban. All 23 fraternity presidents, the risk managers from every fraternity, Department of Public Safety Chief Carey Drayton and Panhellenic President Laura Redfern attended the meeting, among others.

At the end of the meeting, Assistant Director for the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Ray Carlos announced that the ban would end today.

According to IFC President Eric Ronan, the ban would not officially end until all 16 houses met with the Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards committee. The last fraternity met with SJACS on Thursday.

At the meeting, Drayton answered questions and gave advice on how to avoid the issues that led to the ban.

“The meeting [on Tuesday] went extremely well,” Ronan said. “Chief Drayton offered us some advice for moving forward and how to have safer parties in the future that meet the expectations of DPS.”

Drayton also took the meeting as an opportunity to explain the importance of a working relationship between the fraternities and DPS, according to Parker Adams, IFC’s vice president for public relations.

“DPS is not our enemy. They want us to have fun,” Adams said. “[DPS is] overwhelmed on a nightly basis just trying to keep us safe from the hood and from ourselves. They ask that we help them help us.”

All of the fraternities have agreed to keep all red cups and alcoholic beverages inside the house, not have large groups of people congregate outside the house and not let loud music disturb the surrounding neighborhood.

All of those rules were violated Aug. 30, Ronan said.

“It was obvious the 16 houses were having parties that were out of control,” he said.

Adams said he thinks Greek members have learned their lesson and are ready to host parties in a more responsible way.

“I feel that Monday was more of an enigma,” Adams said. “I just see us going back to how we usually party: smartly.”

The fraternities are not the only organizations trying to ensure the safety of USC students. Panhellenic is also taking steps to avoid nights similar to the one that many have dubbed “Black Monday,” Redfern said.

Redfern brought to the meeting a letter signed by all of the sorority presidents that detailed effective risk management procedures, which sororities should enact to dissuade irresponsible drinking.

“It is every member’s responsibility to not put pressure on the new members to drink to have a good time,” Redfern said. “[PHC is] encouraging frats that it’s okay to turn away a girl who is too drunk.”

Redfern said Friday will not be a repeat of Aug. 30.

“On that Monday there was a huge number of brand new Greek members on The Row who were not accustomed to the culture here,” Redfern said. “The difference between that Monday and this Friday is that there has been discussion about responsibility on the Greek Row.”

Redfern, Adams and Ronan all agreed The Row is ready to open and that USC students will act responsibly.

“New members feel that there really is a spotlight on them now to show that they are responsible members of the Greek community, and I think they are starting to get that [The Row is] not a place to black out,” Redfern said.