LANSING, Mich. — You can drink beer, wine coolers, or even seltzer at frats at Michigan State University as long as you are over 21.
But its been about a year since frats on campus banned liquor from solo cups and bottles.
Which is something they aren't really mad about.
"I think its a good thing, and I think that a lot of people since that came out a year ago have really changed their perspectives. You don't really need hard alcohol," President of Phi Kappa Psi Crayton Shepherd said.
Last October, the Interfraternity Council at MSU voted unanimously to ban drinks at fraternities that are over 15 percent alcohol by volume. They opted to do this a year before the national council's ban.
"I think it was the necessary step we had to take it was pretty obvious to us, as presidents. It was bound to happen one day, so might as well do it now before anything bad happens and be proactive about it," Interfraternity Council President Benjamin Libon said.
People who bring the liquor into parties are asked to leave or dump it out by the assigned 'sober person' of the event. If someone within the fraternity has alcohol, the organization can fine the person, and if it keeps happening--kick them out of the frat.
"People want to get better. Before I got here, there was I believe three fraternities who were removed because they weren't following what was needed. The groups now don't want to continue that. They want to be on campus and be a positive force in the community," Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority life Guillermo Flores said.
It's still too early to tell how much of a difference it has made in terms of arrests and hospital visits. But frats say the proof is in the changed attitudes. There's a difference, they say between partying, and partying too hard.
"There is a microscope on Greek life. So, why not be more proactive now cut the hard alcohol out, cut our risk down, and keep our members and people that come to our house safe?" Shepherd added.
As of September 1st of this year, hard alcohol is banned at all of the North American Interfraternity's across the US, which is about 6,100 charters.
The ban does not affect sororities on campus because all types of alcohol are prohibited at their facilities.
Click here to learn more about fraternity and sorority life at MSU.
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