Korona's death focuses efforts to overcome 'prevailing culture'

When Wendi Korona dropped off her son at IU last year, she said her goodbyes and left him with a little advice, as mothers often do.\nShe told him to have fun and be responsible.\nOne year after freshman Seth Korona's death, IU officials hope the same advice will prevail over a culture of alcohol abuse on campus.\nPart of the solution is to send a message that the University doesn't tolerate harmful behavior, said Dee Owens, director of IU's Alcohol and Drug Information Center.\n"We can't tolerate people coming to school to get drunk and die," she said. "…We need to say, 'we all want to have fun, but we need to be safe.'"\nKorona, who was 19, died last Feb. 4 of a skull fracture he sustained after doing a "keg stand" at Theta Chi fraternity. Korona was hospitalized two days later and remained in a coma until his death. \nSince his death, a flurry of alcohol-related incidents on campus have kept the IU Police Department and dean's office busy.\nLast year, three fraternities -- including Theta Chi -- were kicked off campus by the University, their nationals or both. Already this year, two fraternities have been caught with significant amounts of alcohol.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said he has seen more alcohol-related arrests and more citations for alcohol in the last year, a trend he attributes in part to heightened awareness after Korona's death.\n"(The Korona incident) has kept alcohol-related problems at the forefront of the University," Minger said. "This community is not turning its back on this."\nThe greek system is not turning its back either, said Colin Godecke, president of Interfraternity Council.\n"Obviously, incidents in the first weeks of the semester didn't help our image," Godecke, a senior, said. "…In reality, I think a majority of our chapters here are making an effort to change the drinking culture."\nHe said IFC now requires all members to pass the Training and Intervention Program, which shows fraternity members how to recognize and care for someone who is intoxicated. IFC formed the Greek Alcohol Task Force to study possible reforms and is participating in the Campus Community Commission on Alcohol Abuse, which was formed in 1997 to find ways to curb dangerous drinking on campus.\nOwens said the commission broke into implementation groups in late January.\nWhile Owens said she's frustrated the process has taken so long, she believes it's being done right.\n"The University has a way of conferring," Owens said. "It discusses, but ends up with a product that's multidisciplinary."\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said having an effect on the alcohol problem takes time -- since factors include inexperience on the part of freshmen and overconfidence on the part of upperclassmen.\n"There are those in the greek system who are aware of the dangers," McKaig said. "But there is a prevailing student culture that 'it won't happen to me' or 'I won't get caught.'"\nA proposal put forward by the CCCAA in 2000 seeks to address both.\nThe commission's proposal would: Require a comprehensive alcohol education program at summer orientation; require freshmen to live in residence halls during their first year; restrict tailgating at athletic events; work with bar owners to limit the promotion of high-risk drinking games and contests; increase the number of core classes offered on Friday; defer membership recruitment for fraternities; and increase involvement of law enforcement officials and campus organizations that deal with alcohol abuse.\nOwens said she hopes the commission's plan will be ready to present to Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm by semester's end.\nBrehm said she applauds the commission's recommendations and will take a serious look at each suggestion when the document is finalized.\n"Every college and university in the country wrestles with (alcohol)," Brehm said. "There are no magic solutions"