Associate Dean Travis Apgar is Cornell's ambassador to the Greek system
Associate Dean Travis Apgar is Cornell's ambassador to the Greek system
Drinking has always been part of university culture, but when New York State raised the legal age to twenty-one in 1985, it made Cornell's relationship to alcohol that much more complicated. Before, most undergrads were legal; now, most aren't. That has meant major changes for fraternities, who must follow strict guidelines about when and how alcohol can be served—or risk sanctions from both Cornell and their national governing bodies.
This fall, the University moved to tighten those restrictions even further, proposing an amendment to its recognition agreement with the Interfraternity Council that would ban alcohol from rush, new member education, and initiation. (The administration has also proposed two other amendments, one a zero-tolerance policy on hazing, the other a move to limit the rush period to minimize its impact on academics.)
At public forums and in the pages of the Daily Sun, Travis Apgar has been the administration's main representative— both an ambassador aiming to breach the divide and a lightning rod for student anger. A 1996 graduate of the University at Albany (where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon), the thirty-eight-year-old Apgar is in his fifth year as associate dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs.
Cornell Alumni Magazine: How big a problem is drinking in Cornell's Greek houses?
Travis Apgar: I think there's a lot of underage drinking in our student body, period—it's not unique to fraternities. Many campuses without fraternities or sororities still struggle with underage drinking, alcohol abuse, and alcohol-related injuries and deaths; most student affairs professionals would say it's their biggest challenge. But in the fraternity community, we've inadvertently turned a blind eye to it to a large extent. And by doing that, we've unintentionally sent our students a message that they have interpreted as, "New York State law doesn't apply to you."
CAM: Why does the University specifically want to ban alcohol during rush?
TA: We're trying to align our policy with state law and with existing policies at the national level. Of Cornell's sixty-five fraternities and sororities, sixty-three are nationally affiliated, and virtually all of those have some policy that says alcohol cannot be used in the recruitment, education, intake, or initiation of new members. We know that the vast majority of students who seek medical treatment as a result of drinking alcohol tend to be freshmen, and many of them receive that alcohol at fraternity houses. Also, we're trying to protect our students who are members, especially officers, as many of them fail to realize that their organization's general liability insurance likely will not cover an accident or fatality if alcohol is involved, because it violates their national policy.
CAM: So a Greek officer could be held personally liable if someone is hurt or killed?
TA: We've seen cases around the country where students have had lawsuits or even criminal charges filed against them. So part of this is an attempt to help them recognize that they need to protect themselves, in addition to their organization.
CAM: Did the proposal come in reaction to the January incident at Pi Kappa Alpha, in which three freshmen were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning?
TA: No, the rules were already in progress. A few years ago we looked at data comparing behaviors between Cornell students who belong to the Greek system and those who don't, and what we found was pretty striking. Greeks tend to drink twice as much, twice as often. They tend to use other drugs two to three times as much, two to three times as often. The men, especially, tend to have lower grades, and women tend to have lower grades in the semester that they join. Sorority women report a higher rate of unwanted sexual contact, mostly related to social events with alcohol. So we've been working with the Greek system's three self-governing councils, and they've made terrific progress in many areas. But if the University doesn't take a clear stance on these issues, it's very difficult for student leaders to do so. We decided that we needed to help them get to the root of the problem instead of continually addressing the symptoms. This gets us much closer.
CAM: Regarding the statistics on alcohol consumption, do you think fraternities encourage people to drink more—or are students who like to drink simply more attracted to fraternities?
TA: My guess is that it's the latter. Based on the way our fraternities currently recruit, which is largely through social events with alcohol, they're probably attracting people who are interested in that part of the experience.
CAM: One of the criticisms of the new rules is that eliminating drinking during rush would give potential members an unrealistic picture of house social life. Is that a concern?
TA: When students say that, I ask them to think about everything that happens in a fraternity or sorority. If the social aspect of it, especially with alcohol, really is the most prominent piece, then I question the value of that organization. If the only reason it exists is for somebody to have a place to live and to party, then they're missing the point of what "fraternity" is. These organizations are values-based, and if they're failing to provide that part of the experience, their members are missing out on the most substantial benefits.
CAM: What about the concern that the more you limit drinking at fraternity parties, the more you drive it underground to Collegetown apartments where it's totally unregulated?
TA: I do think there is the potential for an off-campus party to be a great deal more dangerous than a fraternity party. While problems can result from fraternity parties, in large part the members do a good job of risk management. They're concerned about things like, "Are the exits clear, are the sprinklers working?" and they have a pretty good handle on how to distribute alcohol. Off-campus, people may just hand out drinks to whoever comes in the door. That's why we want to work closely with students, both in the Greek community and the Student Assembly, to provide alternatives so it's not just a culture of drinking that will migrate someplace else. Contrary to what some believe based on the limited information reported in the Sun, we're not revoking the Greeks' self-governance—in fact, we need self-governance to work more than ever.
CAM: Overall, how would you gauge the relationship between Cornell and its Greek system?
TA: I would say it's one of the best in the country. Some campuses pretend their Greek systems don't exist. Some do all they can to get rid of them. Not many choose to embrace the system and try to work with it, as Cornell does. We value the system—we understand what it provides, both in terms of the student experience and the 1,500 beds it offers.
CAM: Housing aside, why is the Greek system still relevant in 2010?
TA: Fraternities and sororities have this societal stereotype of Animal House, but when you actually know what they do beyond that surface view—and understand that they are a way for students to gain leadership experience, perform service, develop interpersonal skills, and network—you realize how valuable they are. Members develop an affinity with each other, a lifelong connection.
CAM: This fall, the Sun quoted an IFC member dismissing the trustees as "old men" whose fraternity days are so far behind them that they think the current system is out of control. At thirty-eight, you're hardly geriatric—but is it hard for you to connect with Greeks who are nearly two decades your junior?
TA: I think the students consider me old enough to know some things, but young enough to understand where they're coming from. I don't think the few outspoken students quoted in the Sun were qualified to speak on behalf of the Greek community. Yes, the sentiment over the past couple of months has been that anybody over twenty-five doesn't know anything—but the students don't realize that in a couple of years, that will include them.
— Beth Saulnier