Dear Fraternities and Sororities, 

We are under way in our Fall 2007 semester.  New members are well into their education programs, and active members are making great role models for them.  Remember to keep the bonds strong and to be successful in all endeavors.

Fall 2007 Fraternity Recruitment Statistics

*Not Reported

Fall 2007 Sorority Recruitment Statistics

Alpha Phi Has Strong Semester - Faculty Tea and Duck Dash

     Alpha Phi has started off strong with the pinning of 11 new members this semester.  Recently, their annual Faculty Tea was held on the fourth floor of the Crawford Science Tower.  This event allows for Alpha Phi to acknowledge the hard work of the faculty as well as to introduce the faculty to the chapter.  The chapter awards one member of the faculty with the "Faculty of the Year" award.  This semester the award was presented to Dr. Jim Brenner, a member of the chemical engineering department.  Dr. Jim Brenner teaches many courses in the CHE department, but is well known for his Materials Science and Engineering course. 

     Alpha Phi is currently preparing for their annual Duck Dash philanthropy event.  Every member of the chapter sells tickets for ducks, with one ticket representing one duck.  Come November 3rd the chapter will race all of these rubber ducks down Crane's Creek near Columbia Village. The first three ducks to cross the finish line win prizes of $300, $100, and $50 respectively.  The money raised from the event is donated to the Alpha Phi Foundation for their annual Cardiac Care Award.  Be on the look out for any member of Alpha Phi and ask them how you can purchase a duck!

Chi Phi Fraternity Helps the Special Olympics

     On September 15th, the Chi Phi fraternity helped the Brevard County Special Olympics.  The brothers assisted with the bowling event of the day.  The participants needed assistance in the coordination of each bowling lane, score keeping, and all around running of the event.  There were 26 brothers, as well as about 30 other various volunteers there to help over 100 participants.  The event went perfectly and all the participants had a great time.  The participants ranged in age from mid-teens to late 60's, almost all participating on their own.  This showed a lot of courage to the brothers.  The participants did not care how the games went; they were there to have a good time.  They were being supported by everyone, which was all they really needed.

      The brothers of Chi Phi will be helping out the Brevard County Special Olympics again in February.  More details will be made available next semester and they will be involving the entire campus.

Chi Phi Brother Demonstrates Academic Excellence

The Sparks Memorial Award from Chi Phi Fraternity was awarded to Ismael Cremer this year. The fraternity annually awards the Sparks Memorial medal to the member of each chapter achieving the highest grade-point average of the year.  The Chi Phi congress of 1924 authorized the awarding of this medal as a tribute to the memory and work of Dr. Edwin E. Sparks.

Order of Omega Initiates Nine New Members
 

Congratulations to the nine new members of Order of Omega: Michelle Congdon, Aubrey Heath, Amanda Mackintosh, Jessica McKeever, Elizabeth Nelson, Daniel Schlegel, Elizabeth Snape, Elizabeth Spinney and Joey Stine.  These seven sorority women and two fraternity men exemplify what it means to be a leader in the Florida Tech and Fraternity and Sorority community. 

Tips for Risk Management

     First, insurance plays a key role in risk management for each chapter.  In the 1970s, sororities and fraternities were able to secure very high coverage at reasonable rates.  Insurance companies were competing for their share of the fraternity/sorority market.  Then in the late 1980s, when many lawsuits were being filed, insurance coverage began to plummet and rates began to sky-rocket.  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners even ranked fraternities and sororities as the sixth highest risk, right behind waste disposal companies and asbestos contractors.  This caused many companies to just drop policies for fraternities and sororities and walk away.  In 1987, the Fraternity Insurance Purchasing Group (later the Fraternal Information and Programming Group) was created to help reduce exposure to risk and have leverage to obtain more coverage at reasonable rates.  This group helped ensure that fraternities and sororities could survive in the future.  These data show the importance of risk management within a chapter.  Every chapter should make sure a specific and thorough plan is created and, more importantly, implemented.

     Recommended Policy on Alcohol and Drugs:

• Under no circumstances should alcohol be provided to minors.  Also, no member should use any illegal or controlled substances at a chapter function or on chapter property.
• Chapter funds may never be used to purchase alcohol.
• Do not use bulk quantity alcohol, such as kegs, at any social function.
• Always have a guest list for every social function.
• A chapter should not co-sponsor an event with an establishment that sells or gives alcohol.  However, a chapter may rent such an establishment.
• A chapter should not co-sponsor a function where alcohol was purchased by another group.
• All recruitment events must be alcohol-free.
• Drinking games should not be allowed.
• Alcohol should not be part of any new member or related activity.

     Also, the following should be considered as part of a risk management plan:

• Sexual Abuse and Harassment of any form toward women and men (physical, mental or emotional) should not be tolerated or condoned.
• Fire, Health, and Safety
• All organizations should meet all local fire and health standards.
• Organizations should have emergency phone numbers for fire, police, and ambulance near every telephone on the property.
• Evacuation routes should be posted in common areas, sleeping rooms, and on the back of each door.
• All organizations should comply with engineering guidelines as reported by their insurance company.
• Possession or use of any firearm and/or explosive on chapter property should be forbidden.

***courtesy University of Texas at Austin

The Harsh Reality of Hazing

     An eighteen-year-old freshman from Rider University in New Jersey died from a hazing incident at the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity house.  The event was a part of a "big-little night" at the house.  He attempted to drink an entire bottle of vodka and died with a blood-alcohol content of 0.426.  The legal limit in New Jersey is 0.08.  The President of the Fraternity, the house master, and the head of the pledge program were brought up on charges, and Rider was even debating bringing the administrators up charges, too, since they did not adequately supervise the fraternity houses on campus.  The university dissolved the fraternity chapter.

     This should prove to be an example of how serious any type hazing could be.  The only limit to damage is death, hence every effort should be placed to prevent such actions.  No fraternity should allow any involuntary action.  Thank you to those chapters on Florida Tech who pride themselves on strict hazing policy, and remember to keep your chapters alive, as well its members.

     If any new member feels that she or he is being hazed, feel free to call the following hotline.  It has been established by twenty international fraternities and sororities in an effort to stop hazing on college campuses, especially in fraternities and sororities.  When you call, you may remain anonymous, but providing information will ease the process of responding directly.  When called, the hotline connects to a dedicated voicemail box of a Cincinnati Law firm.  The hotline phone number is 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293).

***courtesy Fraternal Law, a publication of Manley Burke, a Cincinnati Law firm

Fraternity and Sorority Housing Update

     On October 16, 2007, the Fraternity and Sorority Life Housing Committee presented to the President of the University.  Being presented was the committee work overview, what the committee has accomplished so far (includes research, visits to other schools, vision, and proposed layout), purpose, building and community space layout, cost, and current status with respect to the created timeline.

     Also, a new Housing website has been created.  Click here to visit the website.  Check often for updates, minutes, and the results of the presentation to the president.

Some Important Reminders!!!

    Please send in your new members' e-mails as soon as possible to fsl@fit.edu so we can keep in touch with them!

     Also, please submit any information for next month's newsletter as soon as possible.

     Please update the Civic Engagement Site with your hours, affiliation, and birth-date!  The site is http://fit.edu/civic/.  Log in at the bottom of the site and update your information.

     The next Council of Presidents meeting is October 25, 2007 in the FSL conference room.

     The next housing meeting is October 25, 2007 in room A121.

Fraternity & Sorority Life

E-Mail: fsl@fit.edu