Moderator: This isn’t a hazing story from my neck of woods, but (One) the ZBT bust (not a group historically in trouble at Ball State) may indicate a new trend toward campus administrators beginning a “one strike and your out” policy, as I am predicting will occur nationwide in wake of Rider administrator/adviser arrests. Two, it sends a clear message to wannabe pledges. The same sweep just happened at Purdue (scroll down). Keep your eyes out for similar sweeps to come at many more fraternity houses throwing similar parties to impress potential pledges. Hank Nuwer
Police cite 74 in Ball State drinking sweep ; ZBT suspended. (Scroll down page for Purdue bust).
Indianapolis Star
August 21, 2007
Police cite 74 in Ball State drinking sweep
By RICK YENCER
MUNCIE — A back-to-school party at a Ball State University fraternity
house Saturday night saw nearly two dozen people charged for underage
drinking and furnishing alcohol to minors.
It was part of a larger effort by Indiana State Excise Police to crack down
on underage drinking by citing 74 people on 88 charges in the university
area over the weekend. Excise officers also posed as clerks at a nearby
Muncie Liquors Store to nab underage drinkers and patrolled neighborhoods
looking for parties and underage drinkers.
Ball State police responded to a complaint about noise and underage
drinking at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house, 904 W. Riverside Ave.,
according to BSU Police Chief Gene Burton, and sought assistance from
excise police who were conducting saturation patrols around campus.
Twenty-one minors were cited by police for consuming alcohol and an adult
was arrested for furnishing alcohol to minors at the frat house.
“To my knowledge, we have never been to this fraternity house,” Burton
said. “Except for this incident, it was a pretty normal weekend for the
start of school.”
Excise police Sgt. Greg Wiese said only three people out of the 74 cited
actually were incarcerated, a juvenile for possessing alcohol, and two
adults, Chasity N. Hahn, 24, 2516 W. 11th St., preliminarily charged with
public intoxication and false informing, and Sarah E. McHie, 20, 1101 W.
Neely Ave., charged with public intoxication and minor possessing alcohol,
according to jail records.
The rest were issued citations for charges ranging from possession of
alcohol, minor in a package store, public intoxication, possession of
marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of false
identification.
Some enforcement action came with cooperation of Muncie Liquors Stores,
which allowed excise officers to pose as clerks and customers and assist
employees with checking identification. Three minors were cited for
attempting to purchase alcohol at the Muncie Liquors store at Riverside and
Wheeling avenues.
The excise effort was part of a statewide effort to stop underage drinking
and alcohol sales.
Ball State took steps Monday to suspend the fraternity from any activity,
pending an investigation, according to Lynda Wiley, assistant vice
president of student affairs. That means fraternity members can meet, but
not participate in any university or fraternity-sanctioned events.
Wiley only knew of a handful of citations through the university and did
not know whether any fraternity members were cited.
‘We have not received any specific information,” she said.
It was the first time in recent years that a BSU fraternity has been the
subject of an underage drinking raid, Wiley said.
Nathan Elsworth, president of Zeta Beta Tau, said he was unaware of any
fraternity member being cited in the raid. Elsworth was at the party and
said he had an idea that some partygoers were underage.
“We were just having a little party, and some way or another excise showed
up and handed out tickets,” he said. “I was willing to cooperate with them.”
As many as 50 people attended the party at any one time, Elsworth said, and
police arrived about 2 a.m. Sunday when the party ended, citing more than
20 people.
Fraternity members met on Sunday and decided to end any drinking at their
frat house, said Elsworth, who noted the group faced not participating in
rush or other activities.
