A more Sober UC Boulder: an alcohol-related death forces the University of Colorado to address its "drinking culture".

The fall semester was only days old when the University of Colorado found itself, again, the center of negative attention. The tragic death of Lynn "Gordie" Bailey, a male freshman who participated in a fraternity hazing, forced UC to confront its reputation. (UC Boulder had the dubious honor Last year of being The Princeton Redew's No. 1 party school.)

Bailey died September 16, during rush week, in the Chi Psi fraternity house after a night of drinking. Pledges reportedly were taken into the surrounding mountains, told they couldn't Leave until they drank four 1.75-liter bottles of whiskey and six 1.5 Liter bottles of wine, and were Later brought to a keg party at the frat house.

To its credit, UC Boulder was quick to address the situation, avoiding some of the confusing PR missteps that initially characterized its response to Last year's sex assault/sports scandal.

First, Chi Psi's national office revoked the chapter's charter. UC officials also put an end to fall rushes for freshmen students, who must now wait until sophomore year. UC Boulder will also participate in a 28-member panel charged with studying campus alcohol abuse, formed by Colorado State University after a student death there.

Are these actions enough? Henry Wechsler, director of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies Program, has his doubts. Weschler says the rate of binge-drinking is not decreasing, but is staying very much the same, with 44 percent of college students reporting that they ingest successive drinks to get drunk.

UC Boulder, however, is on the right track by addressing the fraternities, he adds. "The Greek system is at the heart of the drinking culture. The schools have to crack down on them," says Wechsler. Binge drinking is prevalent at schools with Large Greek systems and Large athletic programs, he says.