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MIT bans frat parties before Boston can do it for them
By adamg on Thu, 09/04/2014 - 9:17am
The Tech reports the Institute announced the new ban yesterday, after determining that non-MIT student who fell out a window at a Bay State Road fraternity was "intoxicated" despite an MIT ban on liquor at rush-week events.
City officials last year basically banned parties at MIT's Boston frats after an MIT student fell through a skylight.
In April, MIT suspended Delta house for unspecified bad behavior.
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The Dark Power of Fraternities
The Atlantic had a great (long) article on all things Fraternities, from their history, relationships with universities, and the very common occurrence of people falling from balconies. It also had probably one of the best opening paragraphs ever written:
^^^^^ THIS
*smh*
seriously.. a bottle rocket up his ass? I'd love to know why they thought this was a good idea..
Like the article says.
Like the article says. Fraternities. AKA collective dudebro stupidity.
I know someone who fell out
I know someone who fell out of one of those frat houses 35 years ago. Drunk. Broke both feet. This is nothing new.
How is this legal?
If the frats are financially independent from MIT and don't use its name in any way, how is such a ban by the school even legal? Aren't there freedom of association issues here?
Fraternities typically have
Fraternities typically have contracts with the schools with which they are associated where they agree to be governed by restrictions such as this. The contract is typically between the national fraternity and the school. This is why schools can set rules around rushing, put fraternities on probation, and disband a fraternity.
If someone wanted to create an organization independent of this contract, they can feel free to.
Harvard's non-frat frats (aka
Harvard's non-frat frats (aka "final clubs") went independent about 30 years ago, and now the university can't do much about the problems they cause.
Up-voting that article in The Atlantic
If I remember correctly, the article referenced above by DHS had a lot of information on both the "Why are fraternities allowed to ...?" and "What authority does the university have to regulate ...?" questions. It's really worth reading.
It's complicated
While most Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs) at MIT own and operate their own houses, those in Boston are all licensed as Dormitories. Since Boston doesn't allow unaffiliated dormitories (a detail that came up in the Globe's expose of student slums back in the spring), to actually use their buildings, FSILGs must be recognized as Institute approved housing.
The licensing arrangements are different in Brookline and Cambridge. In Cambridge they are licensed as Lodging Houses, which aren't necessarily tied to a university. I'm not certain, but this may be how Harvard's unrecognized fraternities and final clubs operate. But at MIT, either out of fairness and/or solidarity, restrictions placed on houses in Boston are placed on those in Cambridge and Brookline, too.
Yes, there are freedom of association and fairness issues, but politically it would be impossible to win a dispute with the City on those grounds.
Correct names
I know it's fun to reference Animal House, but can we dispense with calling Delta Upsilon "Delta House"? It's not a name they go by or that anyone else calls them. That doesn't excuse whatever it was that got them shut down, but let's at least refer to people and organizations by their correct and preferred names.
Is that the sound of an ox
Is that the sound of an ox being gored?