Frat Houses Try New Party Rules; Complaints Drop

The party seems to be over for many fraternity members at California State University, Northridge. Greek organizations this fall have curtailed the heavy drinking and noise that in recent years have triggered complaints from residents near campus.

In response to pressure from university officials and Los Angeles police, fraternities observed strict rules during just-completed rush week, when Greek houses, all of which are off campus, throw open their doors to prospective members.

Complaints Down Sharply

As a result, complaints from residents near campus were down sharply from last September, said spokesmen for Los Angeles and campus police.

In recent weeks, Jack D. Alanen has complained several times to both police and campus officials about noise from fraternity parties near his Halstead Street home, a block east of campus. Nonetheless, he said, the situation has improved from last year.

“But that’s not to say the street is a pleasant place to live or that the fraternities are good neighbors--only that it was worse last year,” said Alanen, a computer scientist.

Broken Bottles

He said Halstead Street was littered several mornings last week with “up to 20 beer bottles, many of them broken.”

Fraternity leaders this year “seem to have sensed that their reputations and maybe their very existence might be in jeopardy,” said Lt. Mark Hissong of the University Police, who reported a significant decline in complaints.

Among the rules imposed during rush week were a ban on liquor at midweek parties and a midnight curfew on Friday and Saturday parties, said Richard K. Williams, assistant dean for student activities.

Williams said the ban on liquor might be extended next year to all of rush week.

“I’ve had many fraternity leaders tell me that the dry parties were among their best,” he said. “They were genuinely surprised to learn they could have a good time without getting stupid drunk.”

Williams said that, in past years, complaints against Greeks have been heaviest during rush week. Protests typically level off for the rest of the school year, then cease almost completely during final exam weeks, he said.

Council’s Regulations

The new regulations were promulgated by the Interfraternity Council, composed of representatives of the 12 nationally chartered fraternities on the 28,000-student campus.

William Friedman, the council’s first vice president and president of Phi Delta Theta, the target of many protests in recent years, said that, besides feeling pressure from school officials, Greeks “figured that cutting out alcohol would save us money and would give us a better chance to determine if those attending rush parties were really interested in joining or were there for free liquor.”

Friedman said that, with rush week completed, fraternities will continue the ban on midweek parties, first imposed last spring, and continue to observe the midnight curfew on weekend parties.

Along with the party restrictions, a permit system instituted by the school and the Interfraternity Council has helped ease the friction between the Greeks and their neighbors.

Each party permit must contain the name of the member responsible for keeping noise down and for barring non-members from crashing the party. It must also list the name of the member responsible for cleaning up the neighborhood the morning after.

“It seems to make a big difference when someone signs on the line and takes responsibility,” Hissong said.