Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2A I Thursday, December 7, 2006 | The Red & Black Finals Edition YEAR IN REVIEW Frats still waiting for final offer FILE | The Red & Black ▲ Sigma Chi is among the five fraternities the University is evicting from Lumpkin Street. Sigma Chi has not accepted a University offer to relocate on River Road. Student death leads to new alcohol policies By JOE MASON jmason@randb.com Six fraternities are play ing the waiting game as University officials craft a new offer to entice them to move to River Road. Rodney Bennett, vice president for Student Affairs, said he hopes early in the spring semester the University will present a new offer to move the fraternities to houses the University would build and lease on River Road. Bennett said he has not had any discussions with the fraternities since they responded to an Oct. 3 dead line to accept the last River Road offer. The University has told the fraternities they must leave their Lumpkin Street houses by June 2008. Bennett said the University may move that deadline to a later date because of the ongoing nego tiations about the River Road plan. He said all the groups likely would be given the same move-out date, even if they do not accept the final River Road offer. “We understand the University is reviewing the concerns that the fraterni ties addressed back in October and hopefully a new offer will be forthcoming shortly,” said John McGoogan, chairman of the alumni adviser board of Phi Delta Theta. “We continue to believe that this issue will be resolved to the mutual bene fit of everyone involved,” he said. On Aug. 3, the University offered a plan to construct and lease University-owned houses to five Lumpkin Street fraternities and two former River Road fraterni ties. Five fraternities declined the offer, citing concerns about building costs, operat ing costs and the time line for vacating existing houses. One fraternity, Kappa Alpha, rejected the offer because the group already was com mitted to building a new house off campus. A seventh fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, accepted the offer. But Bennett later said the fraternity had instead accepted its own counteroffer, which the University did not recognize. The University plans to use the Lumpkin Street land for new academic buildings. “At this point our primary focus will be with those groups on Lumpkin Street,” Bennett said. One of those Lumpkin Street groups will begin developing its own off-cam pus land at the end of spring semester. Kappa Alpha bought the Cobb Hill Apartments on Hancock Avenue, and the fraternity is now working with city and county plan ners to finalize its building permit, said Mark Cross, chapter adviser for KA. Cross said the fraternity will tear down one of the property’s four apartment buildings at the end of the spring semester to make room for the new fraternity house. Because the fraternity will not occupy the entire lot, the other three apart ment buildings will be leased to residents again next year, Cross said. Matt Hunt, a member of the board of trustees for Alpha Tau Omega, said his fraternity had accepted the University’s River Road offer but there are still issues that need to be negotiated. “(The University) ack nowledged our interest and desire to move back to River Road. There continue to be some points that need to be negotiated,” Hunt said. ATO now has a short term lease for a house on Milledge Avenue and is con sidering alternatives to the River Road plan. “We’re always pursuing other options,” Hunt said. “We’d like to have a deal sooner rather than later.” By JESSICA LEVINE jlevine@randb.com In the wake of the high- profile death of a freshman last January, the University revamped several alcohol policies and programs over the past year. Lewis Fish, 19, died Jan. 22 after taking a combination of alcohol, cocaine and heroin. Although University offi cials have been trying to change the University’s party culture for years, Fish’s death, and the media blitz that followed, helped bring the issue to the forefront. First, the University made its alcohol policies stricter. Now, students who violate the University’s alcohol and drug policies for the first time are put on probation for the remainder of the semester and the next two semesters and must take a mandatory alcohol awareness class. The students’ parents also are notified. If students commit a sec ond offense while on proba tion, they are suspended for the remainder of the semes ter and the following semes ter. Beginning next fall, stu dents who return from sus pension also must enroll in “Back on TRAC,” an alcohol awareness support program. After the tougher alcohol policies were enacted, a University committee began working on an amnesty policy that would protect students who seek medical treatment from University punishment. The amnesty policy still is being discussed by the com mittee and will continue to be explored next semester. A prevention program also was implemented. This semester, freshmen and transfer students younger than 23 were required to take an online alcohol education course and pass a test to register for classes. “We were able to reach a large number of students with helpful information,” said Erin English, alcohol and other drug educator for the University Health Center. Carole Middlebrooks, di rector of the State Network for Substance Abuse Pre vention In Higher Education, said the changes have been a successful step in changing the campus drinking culture. “They are making a clear statement that this is an important issue for the health and welfare of our students,” Middlebrooks said. “They will be able to build upon what they’ve been doing.” MEXICALI GRILLE MSI® Tjy: Athens Banner Herald readers choice award CLASSIC CITY COMICS & GAMES B Baxter St. o Eckerd Shopping Center ★Warhammer™ ★Collectible Card Games e Top Space I r&M Open Tues- & Fri-Sun 12-6pm fib bey West Apartments wishes vou Mi wm LwQs9 THE DETAILS! • 2 and 4 Bedroom Layouts with Private Bathrooms. • 12 month Individual Lease. • Roommate Matching Sendee. • Full Size Washer & Dryer Included. • Built-in Desks with Jacks for Phone & High Speed Internet. • Deadbolt Lock on Each Bedroom Door. • Audible Alarm System including Panic Buttons. • Spacious Storage Closets. 24 HOUR ACCESS! • Resort Style Pool with Fountain. • Sand Volleyball, Tennis, & Basketball Courts. • State-of-the-Art Fitness Center. • Game Room with Ping-Pong, Pool Table, Air Hockey, & Foosball. • Computer Lab & Study Rooms. • Car Wash facility. • Resident Portal. W Ps® PEM/fi*® MW 2S® Upps flMdlqp Pgo’femTjy □ §@®@(°) ■A Office Hours: M-F 9am-6pm Sat. 10am-5pm Sun. 1pm-5pm Willow Mist Secluded Community Close to campus 3BR/2BA Duplexes 3BR/2.5BA Townhomes 2BR/1 BA Duplexes Call for special prices & availability 549-6363 412 Seagraves Dr. (off Lexington Rd.) $300 off 1st month's rent with 12 month lease • Coupon required • Expires 12/31/06. Cottage Sales & Leasing Information: LANDMARK PROPERTIES Landmark Properties 125 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30605 P: 706.543.1910 F: 706.543.1909 info@thestationatmilledge.com www.thestationatmilledge.com GEORGIA POWER A SOUTHERN COMPANY PERMANENT FINANCING IY □ Synovus A pw*Wrr of Mwipr Smritrt A Georgia Rtikknlid Morlgogt IktritM ,«! flllLLEOSp TJicyc one-of-a-kind feature* and amenitie* offered by The Station at Milfedye wilt let everyone know that you've artived. 7D6.5H3.191D uiuim.The5tatianRtmilledge.cont COTTAGES FOR SALE & LEASE From the people who invited you to PLAY, RELAX and LIVE at The Retreat comes an exciting new development in student living, arriving in Athens in the Fall of 2007. • Unique Craftsman-Style Cottages • Hardwood Floors, Ceramic Tile & Carpet Flooring • Front Porches • Back Decks & Patios with Rear Entry • Convenient Location • Pre-wired for High-Speed Internet Access; Wireless Capable • Sparkling Swimming Pool • Private Yards The Ultimate) Student Living