Police were responding to a routine noise complaint around 10:30 on Saturday night when they came upon a distinctly non-routine sight: the Delta Tau Delta house at the University of South Dakota was evidently packed to the rafters and rocking hard. Plunging in after securing a warrant a little after midnight, police charged almost fifty partygoers with offenses including underage consumption of alcohol, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, maintaining a disorderly house, failure to obey a lawful order, false impersonation, and maintaining a place in violation of beverage law. Among others, both the president and vice president of Delta Tau Delta were arrested.
State's Attorney Teddi Gertsma explained that the laundry list of offenses were being taken very seriously: “The problem is you think it’s not a big deal when you go to these parties and drink, but that’s where we have the assaults. We have sexual assaults, we have fights. Property gets damaged. People get hurt and it’s more than just the alcohol, so we really have no tolerance.” Of course, there were no violent offenses of any kind charged at the Delta Tau Delta house, but it's the possibility that matters, one is led to think.
The bust takes its place as the largest since 2004, when 119 arrests were made at a fraternity party. KELO-TV reports that "police hope it doesn't label this community as a party town." But the comments on the article in the USD Volante make clear that these are hardly unusual events. Writes one poster dubbing himself "aggarvated student": "I would like some one to list 5 things an average student has available to them to entertain themselves. Sorry to bust on USD and the town of Vermillon but their really isnt much to offer for activities. I think this should be highly address before we start lossing our students due to the cops just busting up some fun."
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