A Campus Shouldn’t Be a Carnival : USC’s Sample lays down a new law for fraternities and sororities

All fraternity members are not alike. Some contribute to campus life and some detract from it. But all fraternities are part of the campus--one, but only one, element in the life of a university--and thus must submit to the authority that governs everything else.

Fraternities and sororities are not above the law, and no university president can tolerate a double standard of conduct that allows them to become obnoxious, and potentially dangerous, exceptions to the rules.

That’s obviously the philosophy of Steven B. Sample, the new president of the University of Southern California, and it’s an approach that deserves support. The president deserves support, too, for having the courage of his convictions--and for articulating his vision of how a sophisticated, adult university ought to behave--by announcing a crackdown on USC’s sometimes intemperate fraternities.

Last week Sample--relatively newly arrived from New York, where he was an effective chancellor of the state university system--laid down the new USC law for Greek Row. His rules appear aimed at emphasizing studying over partying and building a bit of a fire wall between heavy drinking and heavy dating.

They forbid frat parties on weeknights, ban the use of alcohol in private rooms when members of the opposite sex are present and require slightly higher grade-point averages for frat members. The new rules stipulate circumstances under which fraternities or sororities can be banned or severely disciplined, and they indicate that Greek houses are now subject to spot inspections at any time and without notice.

The spirit of these rules is warranted. In recent years USC has been hit with serious accusations. Two years ago a woman alleged she was raped at a fraternity house; frat members have been accused of severely beating students. In no case has any allegation been proven, but a recurring and deeply worrisome criticism is that the USC administration has often been lax or at best lethargic in its policing of Greek Row.

It would appear that Sample is determined to dispel any notion of benign neglect. That the new regulations are tough was evidenced by the angry reactions of some fraternity and sorority members. The test for Sample, of course, will be one of will: The rules look good on paper but will they be put firmly, but fairly, into practice?