New IFC leaders push change

Twenty-one years old and it's time to party.\nA six pack of beer and a couple of wine coolers, is that a reasonable amount for one person? How about one fraternity member? Despite what popular films might suggest, the new officers of the Interfraternity Council think so.\nThe various chapter presidents saw their mid-November votes in action Tuesday night at the University Club as new executive officers were inducted to the Interfraternity Council. \nThe seven students will have one year to make their desired mark on the greek community. These students represent the interests of all the fraternity chapters at IU.\nSenior Ryan Goldschmidt, who stepped down as acting president of IFC, was pleased with the past year, he said.\n"We definitely overhauled a lot of the more vague risk management policy standards and implemented a new structure," Goldschmidt said. \nThough Goldschmidt said he believes progress has been made in the past year, he said there is still plenty of work to be done.\n"We've only just begun down the road of risk management structure," he said. "(The new board) needs to carry the torch to solve the discrepancies in risk management."\nRisk management refers to alcohol management such as substance abuse, hazing reduction and holding individual chapter members accountable for their actions, Goldschmidt said.\nPresident junior Jason Growe said one specific goal he hopes to accomplish along these lines is to implement a "bring your own beer" policy for social functions.\n"A lot of organizations' insurance allows certain types of social functions," Growe said. "We will work with IU to be safe and legal within our own houses."\nThe BYOB procedure will allow 21-year-olds to check "reasonable amounts" of alcohol at a central location when a social function is held at a fraternity house. They are then given tickets, which can be redeemed one at a time.\n"This allows people to have a good time drinking if they are 21, but not let them get overly drunk," he said.\nPartygoers, who are of age, could bring a six-pack of beer or a few wine coolers, but not large quantities intended for more than one person, Growe said.\nHowever, Growe knows this and other changes the council hopes to make may prove to be difficult.\n"Anytime you want to drastically change something, you run into people who are against it," he said\nSenior Omear Khalid, newly inducted IFC vice president said along with focusing on legal liability, the council will also be concerned with the greek image.\n"We need to help the greek community get stronger, help it get back to the way it was during the '90s from a numbers perspective," he said. \nKhalid said he believes negative media coverage in the past few years has created an unfair reputation.\n"People only hear about deaths," Khalid said. "There are negatives, but there are a lot more positives."\nOne way Khalid said this goal will be accomplished is through the Greek Hoosier Times, which focuses on greek life.\n"The Greek Hoosier Times provides more space to educate people about and focus on the positive things."\nKhalid also hopes to help the greek community become more involved with outside organizations.\n"We need to get away from this theory that there is a divide between greeks and non-greeks and create a better campus environment," he said.\nAlong with the induction of the new IFC officers members of the Panhellenic Association Executive Counsel were sworn in Tuesday evening at the University Club. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Haley Beck at habeck@indiana.edu.