The party is back at Franklin & Marshall College.
The Intrafraternity Council and college administrators recently reached a temporary agreement to lift a moratorium on fraternity parties.
Kent Trachte, F&M dean of students, said college officials and the IFC have agreed on two new rules on a trail basis as part of existing party guidelines.
The terms under which the moratorium ended about two weeks ago are that alcohol at fraternity parties must be served by a licensed bartender, who much check ID, and that IFC members will make up a college "party patrol."
Sam Ruchlewicz, a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity at F&M and an IFC adviser said he had't heard of any problems at parties since the moratorium was lifted Halloween weekend.
"It's gone very well," said Ruchlewicz, a sophomore. "I haven't been to a party,but all the rumors have been positive."
In fact, Ruchlewicz said having a licensed bartender serve alcoholic beverages at a fraternity party is a smart move.
"I think it's good to have a third party who isn't friends with anyone to do his job," Ruchlewicz said. "If there's a cost to making that happen ... so be it."
Trachte said he college will pay for the cost of hiring bartenders until the agreement is reviewed in January.
As for the second new rule, the party patrol is to be made up of four IFC members. The patrol makes unannounced visits to fraternity parties to confirm the rules are being followed. Written reports must be submitted to the director of sorority and fraternity life.
School officials enacted the moratorium on Greek parties in September after Trachte learned that rules governing parties were not being followed.
Trachte said that the moratorium was not prompted by the perception of widespread alcohol abuse or underage drinking on campus.
"We were learning that protocols were not being followed properly," Trachte said. "We needed to do something to remediate or cure the liability risk.
"We are trying to create an environment and encourage the notion of responsible use and choice," Trachte said.
However, there have been instances of alcohol abuse at Franklin & Marshall as well as other local colleges.
In September, school public safety officers arrested 47 underage drinkers at Thomas Hall.
Also, recent F&M graduate Phil Rehders, of Rumson, N.J., died last month while visiting friends on campus.
Although toxicology reports are not yet complete, Lancaster city police said Rehders consumed alcohol before his death.
The college also has reactivated a drug-and-alcohol task force that was initially launched in 2002.
Ruchlewicz said he believes the moratorium had a positive effect on fraternities.
"It is a step to improve our system and make it as perfect as possible," Ruchlewicz said. "But we're still in the developmental stage."
Some of the existing party guidelines include having door monitors in place to ensure that the number of people attending a party doesn't exceed occupancy limits. Fraternities also are required to have sobriety monitors who either ask people who have had too much to drink to leave or stop them from continuing to drink.
Ruchlewicz said that he hasn't been to many parties that have gotten out of hand.
"The ones I have been at have been fairly in control but they weren't altogether properly run," he said.
Ruchlewicz said that better practices at fraternity parties are only a part of revamping the Greek system.
"We are out on campus telling people we (fraternities) are not just a socializing group," he said. "This is a significant step forward, but more must be taken."
Trachte said college officials and the IFC will evaluate the new guidelines in January and make a decision on whether to keep rules in place.
E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com