Sink Night: A "Small Triumph" for Fraternities

Cuts and bruises, a few broken windows, and here and there a case of alcohol poisoning or a broken leg: That is what College officials have come to expect as the regrettable aftermath of Sink Night the raucous celebrating by fraternity members and newly-accepted pledges marking the culmination of rush.

So many fraternity members have finished Sink Night in the emergency room that hospital administrators recently asked the College to post a Campus Police officer in Hitchcock all night to curb the chaos and keep a record for the dean's office. In addition, Campus Police recently beefed up their Sink Night patrols.

College officials were especially on edge this year. Since satisfactory Minimum Standards evaluations had eased many houses' anxieties, explained Assistant Dean of Residential Life John Jennings, there was some fear that brothers would have a devil-may-care attitude and drink, wrestle, and vandalize their way into Hitchcock and the dean's office.

But the deans found little to frown about. Even the most suspect houses served notice that basements and bannisters aren't the only things they're shaping up. The Hitchcock emergency room handled only two minor injuries a sprained ankle and a case of back spasms and there were no behavioral incidents requiring the dean's action. Houses kept their celebrations indoors, and a number of brothers volunteered to stay sober and keep things safe. "It was a noticeable improvement," said College Proctor Robert McEwen.

Jennings noted that "the IFC took the lead in safety this year. To me, that's a very good sign. Houses had articulated safety standards before I so much as asked them about Sink Night. And some brothers who stayed sober have told me they gained a different perspective on the event; they saw some things their brothers were doing were a bit silly at best." In terms of accomplishments for the fraternity system, Jennings concluded, this year's Sink Night was a "small triumph."