UI Fraternity Ordered To Hold Seven Dry Parties Sanctions Part Of Punishment For Serving Alcohol To Pledges

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Idaho has been ordered to hold seven dry parties this semester as part of its punishment for serving alcohol to pledges at a summer rush party in McCall, Idaho.

Police cited seven potential Pi Kappa Alpha pledges for underage drinking July 7 during a rush event at the Shore Lodge.

Besides the dry parties, the UI Interfraternity Council ordered the fraternity last week to pay $1,500 to bring a national alcohol-awareness speaker to Moscow and to write apologies to the parents of all the minors who were served alcohol at the party.

Serving alcohol at any scheduled rush activity is a violation of the Interfraternity Council’s rush rules.

“We wanted to be fair to them; we didn’t want to undermine their ability to further their house for the next couple years, and we didn’t want them to get off with a slap on the wrist,” Interfraternity Council President Justin Stiefel said Tuesday. “There are a lot of things we can’t do, so we try to keep a balance.”

Pi Kappa Alpha rush chairman Tim Eichelberger said the fraternity already has sent out letters of apology and paid the fine.

Because the event occurred off-campus, university officials said the school can do little in the way of punishment.

The Pi Kappa Alpha national fraternity office in Memphis, Tenn., was notified of the violations, and Stiefel said a representative is planning a trip to Moscow to review the incident.