Greek Chapter Members’ Self-Identified Alcohol Use and Characteristics in the Greek Reevolution Project Second-Year Pretest

The purpose for examining this research was threefold. The researcher examined two measures of alcohol use, binge drinking and peak weekly blood alcohol concentration, of a sample of Greek students involved in the GRE project, members of either treatment chapters or control chapters, at UNL. The research also examined volunteer participants’ alcohol levels and risk factors through selected demographic characteristics to provide a snapshot of Greek students’ drinking and related risk levels. The individual members of both the treatment and control chapters were combined for this study’s purposes, as the data analysis focused on pretest data gathered at the beginning of the 2004-2005 academic year, before treatment groups received any interventions that may have affected the results. The results of the study suggested that, statistically, the two measures are both adequate to determine alcohol use. Significant differences in alcohol use were found in the characteristics of (1) class rank, (b) social involvement, and (c) smoking. No significant differences in alcohol use were found in the characteristics of (a) sex, (b) living arrangements, and (c) leadership. Significant differences in risk factors were wound in the characteristics of (a) sex and (b) smoking. No significant differences in risk factors were found in the characteristics of (a) class rank, (b) social involvement, (c) living arrangements, and (d) leadership. Alcohol use and risk factor results contrary to the literature that especially merit more research and examination were found in (a) place of residence and (b) leadership. In the current climate where Greeks and higher education institutions’ administrators are distancing themselves from each other, usually because of risk-management challenges, the results of this research may benefit Greeks themselves, officials with their chapters, and administrators at the institutions with Greek systems. More research is needed to correct weaknesses of this study and to examine other factors that influence Greek students’ alcohol use and risk factors to strengthen the Greek system and provide a richer, safer Greek experience for students. Advisor: Barbara Y. LaCos