After suspending all Greek Life activities following the potential hazing death of Maxwell Gruver, the University is taking steps toward returning Greek activities to a new sense of normalcy.
The University reinstated Greek organizations’ privilege to have chapter meetings on Oct. 2, but has not yet reinstated new member initiation or social events. LSU Student Advocacy & Accountability plans to meet with chapter officials to determine when all activities would be reinstated, according to Dean of Students Mari Fuentes-Martin.
“We have to go chapter by chapter and make sure the safeguards are in place that hazing will not return the minute new member education returns,” Fuentes-Martin said. “Each chapter must give us how they’re going to resume new member education so that we go back to a safe place. For some people, when you say we go back to new member education, you go back to hazing. That’s what we’re trying to control.”
One of the bigger initiatives as a result of the Greek Life suspension was the new tailgating policies for all student organizations. These policies required student organizations on the Parade Ground to register several days in advance, report to an assigned 30 by 30 feet area and not set up before 8 a.m. Organizations also could not have a tent larger than 10 by 10 feet, common source drink containers, glass containers, tablecloths, furniture (with the exception of folding chairs, lawn chairs and tables), stages or other structures, vehicles of any kind, tent walls, drapes or stakes to anchor tents. Organizations also had to clean up before the game began.  
Feedback on the new policies was positive, although there were only five organizations on the Parade Ground, the designated area for student organizations. Many Greek organizations held tailgates away from the Parade Ground, which the University cannot regulate.
eSportsLSU Vice President Madison Shields said the new policies were helpful and convenient for a club having their first tailgate.
“I think it’s super cool [the University] reserved us a spot like this because we wouldn’t have had such a large area, and would have had to set up a tent the night before, but they did all this ahead of time so we just show up whenever and set up,” Shields said. “There was definitely room to [tailgate] beforehand, but now it’s more accessible.”
LSU President F. King Alexander announced the formation of a Task Force on Greek Life on Sept. 29, which includes representatives from several different faculty and student-led departments and will examine how the University handles aspects of Greek Life.
LSU Foundation Board of Directors member Rob Stuart will serve as chair of the task force. Other members include LSU Executive Vice President and CFO Dan Layzell, LSU Student Government president Jason Badeaux, LSU Faculty Senate president Kenneth McMillin, LSU Dean of Students Mari Fuentes-Martin, LSU Athletics Department representative Verge Ausberry, Interfraternity Council president Mason Tusa, National Panhellinic Council president Anesha Pink,  Panhellinic Council president Madison Hopper, LSU Residence Hall Association president Camille Flint and Kappa Sigma House Corporation representative BJ Billeaudeau.
“Maxwell Gruver’s death was a tragedy, not only for his family, but for the entire LSU community,” Alexander said in a statement. “The Task Force will look deeply into our Greek community, the University structures and policies that support it and the strengths and weaknesses that define it.”
Fuentes-Martin said there is no timetable for when all Greek Life activities will resume because the events surrounding the suspension are always changing and developing.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Kim Nguyen

Members of Delta Chi fraternity tailgate along Dalrymple Drive on Sept. 30, 2017.