Police raid sorority function at Axis

Indiana State Excise Police raided Axis Nightclub Wednesday night, netting 25 people on charges of minors loitering, which refers to being in a bar while underage. They also charged 18 of those 25 people with minor consumption. The Excise Police arrived at Axis at 11:45 p.m., after hearing complaints of underage drinking going on Wednesday nights, according to Excise Police reports. \nThe report estimated there were 35 to 40 patrons at the bar when police arrived. The bar had recently been renting out its premises Wednesday nights to sororities and fraternities, according to Excise reports. On the night of the incident, the bar was being used for an event involving the sorority Sigma Delta Tau.\nA member of the Excise Police said a copy of the police report was sent to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in Indianapolis as well as IU officials. \nIU Dean of Students Richard McKaig, who had yet to hear about the incident at press time, said the usual judicial process will always be followed in such circumstances. \n"We'll usually look at the information provided, and decide both individual and organizational culpability," McKaig said. "Once we decide if it was just individuals, or something the organization sponsored, we will figure out what kind of judicial action to take."\nMcKaig, who is also a member of the Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board, said bars cited for allowing underage drinking by Excise Police face fines, as well as other possible sanctions. \nOfficers first write the bar a citation, then both parties negotiate the imposed fine, McKaig said. At the next alcohol license renewal, a notation is made on the application which can affect the bar's renewal process. \nThe event occurred in a year when the Panhellenic Association has been pushing sororities away from fraternity parties, and encouraging them to hold events involving alcohol at third-party vendors. If a sorority function at a fraternity involves alcohol, it violates national Panhellenic laws and national sorority chapter laws. While the ruling actually occurred in 1999, recently there has been an emphasis on complying with the rule, said Executive Vice President of Administration of the Panhellenic Association Colleen Corley.\n"A big part of it is that the (sorority) chapter presidents have decided they want to play by the rules and this has helped facilitate the change," said Sarah King, president of the Panhellenic Association. "These are not new rules. Fraternity parties should be dry. It is just a new effort to comply with the rules." \nKing added that the new push is for events involving alcohol, not dry fraternity events.\nThe reason for the push was mainly concerns over sorority liability, Corley said. \n"If (a sorority) has a function at a fraternity involving alcohol, it goes against national Panhellenic rules," she said. "Once a sorority violates one of these rules, it isn't covered by insurance, and members can be named in lawsuits. Functions being held at third-party vendors transfer the liability to the vendor instead of the sorority."\nBeyond the efforts by sorority chapter presidents, legislation has also been enacted by the Panhellenic Association. A new system is in place where sororities file grievances against other sororities that may be in violation of the national rule, Corley said. \nLast spring a change in the Social Responsibility Policy enabled a new, shared responsibility between offending fraternities and sororities if a function violates alcohol policies. This includes equal fines and responsibility for the function.\nA function is defined differently by each sorority chapter nationally, but generally includes whether the sorority used its funds for the party, and if the party was promoted within the sorority, Corley said.\nCorley also emphasized that the incident that occurred at Axis has nothing to do with the Panhellenic Association. It is between the police, Axis and the people who received violations, she said.\nAxis Nightclub and Sigma Delta Tau President Aliza Sinkinson could not be reached for comment by press time.\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Wilson at mhwilson@indiana.edu.