In the first month of fall quarter, both Kappa Sigma and Sigma Phi Epsilon canceled EuroTrash and White Lies, respectively — two inaugural all-campus parties popular with frosh.

According to Andrew “Stoff” Christofferson ’26, president of Kappa Sigma, four of the five housed fraternities (all but Sigma Nu) have sustained a disciplinary violation or been under investigation this quarter. Phi Kappa Psi is under probation without restriction.

“We’re allowed to put on events, but the vibe is that we’re on thin ice,” Jasper Karlson ’28, a member of Phi Kappa Psi, said.

For Christofferson, this year is “fundamentally different from any previous year.” 

The first month after the dry period — which is enforced during New Student Orientation (NSO) — should be “jam-packed,” Christofferson said. “It’s supposed to be a place where a lot of kids can have their first drinking experience in a safe environment.”

In an email to The Daily, director of media relations Luisa Rapport wrote that “maintaining a social scene is still a priority. Supporting a vibrant student social life is important to Stanford, and that includes a vibrant Greek life for those who want to participate in it.”

Still, first-year students experienced a different opening to the social scene than in previous years. 

EuroTrash, which is usually the first all-campus party following Stanford’s alcohol-free NSO, is often described as a chaotic but memorable introduction to campus social life, serving as a bonding opportunity for the freshman class.

“Everyone, all of the freshmen class was saying, ‘Let’s break dry week with EuroTrash,’ and then it was canceled,” Clara Cestone ’29 said. 

Scheduled to take place on Sept. 26, EuroTrash was canceled for the first time since 2022, when it was rescheduled following issues with obtaining a fire marshal. 

Christofferson reasoned that Stanford’s stance on medical transport and liability made it “almost impossible to throw EuroTrash.” He said that even if “someone that did not drink at our party just pulled up, basically blacked out, to our front door and then passed out right there,” Kappa Sigma could still be held liable if they called for help.

According to Rapport, the Office of Community Standards (OCS) said it follows established protocols when addressing potential policy violations. She added that event cancellations are “very rare,” pointing to seven Row house parties, an Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) tailgate and Cardinal Nights activities this past weekend.

Sigma Phi Epsilon was scheduled to host White Lies, another highly anticipated all-campus party, on Oct. 3, but hours before the event was meant to begin, the fraternity posted a statement on Fizz — a social media app for college students — to announce the cancellation.

“Unfortunately not a white lie – white lies tonight is canceled due to extenuating circumstances. We are working hard to resolve this and have white lies as soon as possible. Our apologies,” the post said. 

The cancellations have left freshmen confused about party policies. 

“No one really knows why things are being canceled. I only ever hear it through word of mouth or on Fizz, not from the administration directly,” said Cestone. She added that “if some people derive their fun from a party scene, then that’s not admin’s choice to take it away from them.”

Christofferson also expressed concern about how the OCS approaches cases involving Greek life organizations. “There’s not much transparency,” he said. “The process doesn’t operate in good faith. You’re basically guilty until proven innocent. And the timelines for even a simple case can drag into next school year.” 

According to Rapport, OCS clarified that it “does not patrol parties or student social life at Stanford.” Instead, the office wrote that it responds to allegations of policy violations and educates about the Honor Code and Fundamental Standard.

Christofferson added: “I genuinely don’t want to fight the University… If I need to, I will,” and called for stronger Good Samaritan protections for student organizations in an effort to prevent fraternities from being penalized for seeking medical help.

He also claimed that OCS are really “just trying to save their asses.” He said the cancellations are actually due to OCS’s own liability and culpability. 

“It used to be that Stanford could be fun for everyone, however you wanted. I don’t feel that’s the case right now,” Christofferson said. 

OCS states in its mission that its goal is “to promote mutual responsibility of members of the Stanford community to uphold the Honor Code and Fundamental Standard,” Rapport wrote. When OCS reviews reports of potential violations, its goal is “to ensure the safety of the Stanford community.”

As the academic year moves forward, conversations about safety and tradition continue. The year’s first all-campus party took place on Oct. 10 with Sigma Chi’s “TΣXas Rodeo,” followed by Phi Kappa Psi’s “phi-2k” party on Oct. 11.

“This quarter is tough. Winter will be a little better. Spring will be even better. I really hope that the University responds and that we can find a way to find a balance between fun and safety, because I really think that we all are trying our best at the end of the day,” Christofferson said. 

Karlson believes that even with probations and cancellations, there are still fun experiences to have on campus. “Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit more creative,” he said.

A previous version of this article reported that Phi Kappa Psi’s “phi-2k” was the first all-campus party this quarter, instead of “TΣXas Rodeo,” hosted by Sigma Chi. The Daily regrets this error.