The year 2000 may be the year of change for many fraternities around the nation. It may be the year most fraternities decide to make all chapter facilities alcohol-free.

Alcohol-free means absolutely no alcohol will be allowed on chapter grounds. Fraternities will still be able to hold parties where alcohol is allowed if they are off chapter grounds.

According to Teri Houston, assistant dean of students at Iowa State, four fraternities are currently alcohol-free, or “dry,” at ISU. The dry fraternities are Sigma Nu, Farmhouse, Alpha Sigma Phi and Theta Xi.

“Many national and international fraternities are making the decision to go dry,” Houston said. “We work indirectly with the nationals who actually are the ones to make the official decision to go alcohol-free.”

Marc Mores, director of risk management for Phi Delta Theta headquarters and an ISU graduate, said by July 1, 2000, all Phi Delta Theta chapter facilities will be alcohol-free.

Phi Delta Theta adopted the alcohol-free policy in February 1997.

“The whole point of going alcohol-free was to return the focus to the values that the fraternity is based on,” Mores said. “Academic performance is not near to where it should be.”

Additionally, Mores said chapter properties were deteriorating from both age and the abuse they suffer during alcohol parties — abuse such as people punching holes in walls.

Liability insurance costs were also a contributing factor.

“We wanted to meet the needs of today’s student,” Mores said.

During the past 15 years, drinking has gone up considerably, he said. Freshmen who did not drink in high school start drinking when they enter college, he said.

“Eighty-six percent of men in the house are drinkers,” Mores said.

According to Mores, Phi Delta Theta has seen an increase in Rush numbers. Academic results and chapter morale are also up.

Mores said the majority of the nation’s large fraternities have already looked at an alcohol-free policy within their individual boards.

“I know that this movement has got every one of the headquarters looking at the policy,” Mores said.

Of the current 175 Phi Delta Theta chapters, 115 have chapter facilities. As of this fall, more than 50 of the 115 chapter facilities are dry.

Mores said consequences for a member who violates the policy are up to the individual chapters.

“This is something that headquarters is not going to take lightly. If the chapters fail to enforce the policy, then the headquarters will have to step in,” Mores said.

Neil Westfall, Sigma Nu Rush chair and a junior in finance and marketing at ISU, has been a member since January 1996 — the same time the fraternity decided to go dry.

Westfall said the fact Sigma Nu was dry was not the main reason he decided to join. “The fact that it was dry was just an extra bonus,” Westfall said.

If a member is caught with alcohol in the house, he has two weeks to move out and is permanently kicked out of Sigma Nu, Westfall said.

Major changes Westfall has seen at Sigma Nu include better grades, more student involvement on campus, a change in the quality of people, increased morale and an overall better attitude.

“People aren’t so focused on going out and making drinking one of their priorities in life it seems like they care a little bit more,” Westfall said.

Westfall said he has not heard many complaints from members regarding the alcohol-free policy.

“They knew what they were getting into when they decided to join,” Westfall said.

Brad Uitermarkt, president and fourth-year member of Farmhouse and a senior in civil engineering, said he enjoys belonging to an alcohol-free fraternity.

Uitermarkt said Farmhouse has been alcohol-free since the ’70s.

Being alcohol-free is easier on the physical structure of the house because it’s easier to maintain, he said.

“I would say that being dry fits the ideals of a lot of the guys that live here,” Uitermarkt said. “It fits the attitude of the members who live here.”

There is no set policy regarding a member getting caught with alcohol on chapter grounds, Uitermarkt said.

“There’s not necessarily a set procedure. I wouldn’t foresee us kicking someone out over it,” he said.

Uitermarkt added, “We could get into trouble with our nationals if we are caught with alcohol.”

Farmhouse currently co-sponsors alcohol parties with other fraternities. Co-sponsoring entails having a party with another fraternity that is not dry on their grounds.

Both Westfall and Uitermarkt agree the decision to go alcohol-free is a choice each individual fraternity has to make.

“Today’s student wants to make friends, do well academically and have leadership and service opportunities,” Mores said.