Members of Delta Zeta joined guest speaker Rick Barnes Tuesday night in Roberson Auditorium in Lumpkin Hall to learn, “What’s all the fuss about risk management?”

Barnes is the former president of the Association of Fraternity Advisers and has spoken to more than 150 colleges. Barnes uses an “approachable and practical” way of presenting the risky issues that plague sororities and fraternities.

Barnes said that he has seen a lot of fraternities doing “stupid stuff” and wants to make more fraternities and sororities aware there are things that can lessen or eliminate high levels of risk.

He discussed topics such as alcohol, hazing, and criminal and civil law.

According to Barnes, statistics show that 260,000 to 320,000 of current college students will die because of alcohol. He also explained that in a fraternity or sorority, everyone is responsible for everyone’s actions as well as the decisions that are made.

“We’re all just a member of this thing called Greek life,” Barnes said.

Barnes explained there are some ways to manage risks. These include avoiding bad situations, assuming risks can occur, transferring liability and reducing the liability.

It’s OK to make mistakes, but everyone must learn from them, said Barnes. Fraternities and sororities can benefit from reducing risks to the lowest possible levels by simply recognizing bad situations and voting against them.

Sara Easton, a junior family and consumer sciences major and president of the Delta Zeta sorority, thinks what Barnes speaks about is important to the entire Greek system.

“Everybody can use improvements on functions and alcohol policies and this can help,” Easton said.