The Penn State Interfraternity Council saw what happened when ifcs around the country continued to hold social events..
They ended up with spikes in COVID-19, like the University of Washington which reported more than 121 infected students as of Sunday.

On Tuesday, the vote by the Penn State Interfraternity Council to cancel frat social events for Fall was unanimous.
Nate Brodsky, President of the Council, says the organizaiton wants to keep the fraternity brothers and others safe.

“People who are outside of this, so that could be other Penn State students who are non-Greek life members, that could be Penn State faculty, most definitely could be the local State College residents. It could even be, ya know, family members of members who are in Greek Life,” Brodsky, said.

What will happen to THON, the annual fundraiser for children who are cancer patients, at Hershey Medical Center?
The annual event has donated millions of dollars during a fundraiser weekend.

Brodsky expects virtual fundraising to be a big factor this year.

“Chapters, they’ve already been doing for a long time, phone calls to a alumni, virtual fundraisers, donor drive links, so the day and age that we live in, it’s 2020, we can do almost anything virtually now,” Brodksy, said.

The 37 chapter presidents will talk weekly this coming semester on the status of the moratorium, or temporary probation of social events.
However, Brodsky says when the ban on these activities is lifted things won’t all of a sudden go back to normal.

“We are planning to phase out of the moratorium, right, because it’s not like you can just say, “Oh we’re going to lift it and go back to socially as normal,” Brodsky, said. “No, so we’re going to have to phase out f it and come up with different contingency plans for that.”

The Penn State IFC is looking at donating a portion of its budget to helping chapters become more COVID proof, like putting in hand sanitizing stations, or making more face masks available.

Brodsky says, it’s expected fraternity brothers will be living in frat houses this Fall, but that decision relies on each chapter’s housing corporations or landlords.

As of now, none of the houses have closed for Fall.