Expensive parties

Six fraternities of the University of Michigan celebrated a party at a ski resort which caused a bill damage of $500.000. At the beginning it was estimated $75.000 damage but after a full assessment of the 45 rooms and connecting hallway plus the loss of revenue and damage to the brand's reputation has seen the price multiply by six. Now, the fraternity that originally apologized, Sigma Alpha Mu, don't want to pay the bill, according to Batty Owens, general manager of Treetops in Gaylord.

Owens told MLive: "The destruction done to Treetops Resort by University of Michigan fraternity students in mid-January is now near or beyond $430.000."

While an investigation is ongoing, the university said that they expect the students who are responsible to pay the bill to the Treetops for the damages.

Owens also called on Sigma Delta Tau to contribute to the payment, which includes cleaning fees.

It turns out that members of other organizations from the Ann Arbor, Michigan school did a similar case at an another hotel the same weekend. The damage done to Boyne Highlands resort is also estimated to be worth tens of thousands. Since then the six fraternities implicated in the two parties have been suspended by their national organization while the university and police investigate the incidents.

Sigma Alpha Mu President, Joshua Kaplan said his members are embarrassed and ashamed of the behaviour of some members and that his fraternity accepts full responsibility and will be working with the management of the resort to pay for all damages and cleaning costs. "This behaviour is inconsistent with the values, policies and practices of this organization" said Kaplan. "We will work within our own organization and with university officials to hold those who are responsible accountable for their actions" he commented.

Suspension by their national organization means that the members of the fraternities involved may continue to live in their campuses house but can not participate in social activities, including parties or representing their organization at university functions.

What all those students did is really inappropriate and, excuse me for the language, really stupid. I agree that when you're at a party you just enjoy and if you have been drinking and are drunk you don't think in the consequences of your acts. But I don't know why and how people can break things, that aren't even theirs, during a party. I mean, when you are at a party you drink, dance, play and talk with people but you don't break things. Even more when you are in a public place, a hotel where you have to pay for  the rooms and the time you stay there, I would understand if maybe during the party something fragile breaks but the whole room, they even break the ceiling! I totally agree that the hotels want to receive money for the damages, it's normal. If I was the one judging that case I would make the fraternities pay, help at the reparations and they wouldn't be able to participate at any university activity.