Rider moves to curb campus drinking

TRENTON, N.J. --Rider University has announced that it will take several steps to curb campus drinking, including banning alcohol at fraternity parties, in response to the death in March of a freshman who was binge drinking.

Gary DeVercelly, 18, of Long Beach, Calif., had a blood alcohol content of 0.426 -- more than five times the legal limit for driving -- when he died after a night of drinking at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house on the Lawrence Township campus.

In April, the university appointed a task force of faculty, staff and students to come up with ways to address drinking on campus. Its recommendations, issued Monday, will go into full effect this fall.

"The recommendations really serve to keep our promise to the DeVercellys" to address campus alcohol abuse issues, said Rider's dean of students, Anthony Campbell.

Under the new rules, the university will:

-- Prohibit alcohol at all social events in residence halls or Greek houses. Sororities did not allow alcohol at parties even before DeVercelly's death.

-- Strengthen sanctions for alcohol policy violations, including notifying parents when their son or daughter violates the school's drinking policy.

-- Hire a substance abuse prevention and education coordinator.

-- Establish a Good Samaritan policy that encourages students to get help for students who have been drinking too much without fear of getting in trouble by campus authorities.

Students who are over the age of 21 would still be allowed to drink alcohol in their rooms, as they are allowed to drink in residence halls.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Gary DeVercelly's mother, Julie, speaking from the family's Long Beach home, declined to discuss the details of the recommendations.

But she said that even if the proposal serves to improve student safety on campus: "It cannot undo or lessen the tremendous hardships and loss our family has suffered over the tragic death of our son, Gary Jr."

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Associated Press writer Chris Newmarker in Lawrence, N.J., contributed to this story.

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On the Net: http://www.rider.edu