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91 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 8, 2004 Crater grad cleans up wild frat Linfield College student receives a medal from the McMinnville Police Department for effort By JACI SCHNEIDER Mail Tribune McMINNVILLE — It was a dry year for Crater High School graduate Justin Samples, but it paid off big-time. The Linfield College fraternity house where Samples lives was in October on its way to becoming the first McMinnville property to be boarded up as a public nuisance. The McMinnville Police Department was fed up responding to fights, noise complaints, underage drinking, alcohol poisoning, drug use and other problems, culminating in a property theft from a neighboring fraternity on Halloween. Just seven months later, Samples received a citizen police medal for his work in purging the fraternity of its party image. He’s president of Linfield’s Theta Chi chapter and a former Crater wrestler and football player who graduated in 2001. Theta Chi had always been notorious for being the "Animal House" of Greek life in the community, Samples said, referring to the 1978 movie filmed in Eugene that paints fraternity life as a nonstop party. But with a new chronic-nuisance law enacted by McMinnville’s City Council, and the Linfield campus leaning toward a zero-tolerance alcohol policy, Theta Chi needed an extreme makeover. Advertisement "Change had to happen," Samples said. Theta Chi had planned to begin phasing out alcohol in the coming school year to meet requirements established by its national organization. But when things came to a head in October, Samples and Theta Chi adviser Buzz Stroud realized that the only way for the house to stay open was to ban alcohol immediately. "It was make or break time," said Samples, who wrote a public letter of apology on behalf of the fraternity published in the campus newspaper last fall. Most of his Theta Chi brothers understood, but the decision caused a small uprising. "We didn’t have any room for error," Samples said. So the six members who wouldn’t comply were kicked out of the fraternity. "It was definitely the toughest part of my life." Samples worried that the now-dry fraternity would suffer from a drought of pledges (prospective members). Instead, he says interest doubled after the transition. "Alcohol-free actually became a selling point," Samples said. Stroud said for students concerned with academics, an alcohol-free environment is appealing. "We’d like to see people’s grades stay strong and make the most of their individual talents," he said. As the fraternity adjusted to the changes, Samples met weekly with college administrators, fraternity leaders and McMinnville police Chief Wayne McFarlin. "He was the leader in making a number of very difficult decisions," McFarlin said. "The Theta Chi fraternity had become a model of compliance and Justin a model of leadership in doing what’s right." Instead of being known as the "party house," Theta Chi now holds risk-management seminars, addressing issues like sexual abuse and assault. And its members agreed to double their community service commitment to eight hours per semester per member. "We’re trying to clean up the Greek (fraternity and sorority) system as a whole," Samples said, adding that "it’s inevitable" the entire campus soon will follow Theta Chi’s lead and go alcohol-free. McFarlin agrees, and says Theta Chi and Samples have helped set an example at Linfield. "Justin was instrumental in creating a new culture in frat row" he said, referring to the area where fraternity houses are grouped. Samples’ award was only the second that McFarlin has bestowed in his four years in office. "We’re really proud to be able to recognize his leadership," McFarlin said. "Justin has shown that what many believe is impossible is possible. He created a roadmap for success." Samples will be the fraternity’s risk manager this fall, the beginning of his senior year studying personal finance and business. "He has strength of character and respect," Stroud said. "He’ll be successful in whatever he does." Reach news intern Jaci Schneider at 776-4471. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times