Let’s heed the strict rules of Greek life
LOSE THE EXCESSES IN COLLEGE FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES, BUT KEEP THE POSITIVES
ANYONE who has been dropped off by parents at her freshman college dorm has heard the universal last bit of advice before being set out into the world: “Call every day, don’t forget to do your laundry, make new friends and join lots of clubs!” But what happens when people say the group you want to join is a danger to students?
While the student pastime of “grabbing a cold one” is nothing new or shocking, the fact remains that it is also nothing new or shocking that Greek-letter organizations have been tied to recent cases of alcohol-related deaths in Texas.
In the most recent instance, Texas State University lost freshman Matthew Ellis, whose death this month after a fraternity event was ruled to be alcohol-related. As a result, University President Denise Trauth suspended not only all fraternity, but also all sorority, activity on campus.
As a graduate of Texas State, my heart bleeds for the loss of a fellow Bobcat. I did not know Matthew, but it was clear from the outpouring of grief that he was loved and will be deeply missed.
To be sure, no parent should ever receive a call informing them that their child died participating in the activities of a student organization. But I confess, as an alumna sorority member, some of my fellow Greeks’ concerns about the university’s blanket suspension of Greek life have stuck in my mind. More than anything, I wonder whether this suspension will actually serve to prevent additional student deaths.
Hear me out. I know from experience that, although university regulations relating to Greek-letter organizations vary from school to school, all fraternities and sororities impose strict standards of behavior on their members. And there are chapter advisers, local alumni and members from chapters’ national and international affiliates who visit throughout the academic year, all in the interest of ensuring that Greeks on campus adhere to rules intended, among other things, to keep their undergraduates safe.
What’s more, chapter executive boards work diligently to make sure students follow the rules because no one wants their charter revoked, and everyone wants to be part of top-tier chapter.
Every Greek member knows that if the chapter is suspended, they will no longer be permitted to hold activities on campus or take part in school-related functions. That lowers a chapter’s visibility and diminishes the group’s status, making it harder postsuspension to recruit new members.
True, perceptions about Greek life can be negative. And, yes, there are times when Greeks act out the stereotypes. But the good aspects of this
“No fraternity or sorority member wants to cause harm to a Greek brother or sister. By consistently enforcing rules already in place, the Greek community stands to gain all the benefits of membership with none of the danger.”
world should not go unnoticed: the sense of belonging, thousands of hours of community service, mandatory seminars on issues such as bullying, sexual assault and body positivity, weekly required study hours and being held accountable for maintaining a decent grade-point average.
In going Greek, sure, you’ll know about all the best parties, but there is so much more to it. Which is exactly what I and so many other young people learn during their time as an undergraduate member of Greek society.
One day you join a sorority as a nervous freshman knowing no one on a strange campus and, in the blink of an eye, when graduation comes, you realize that the friends and memories you made within the organization will be ones you will cherish for a lifetime.
Don’t believe me? Let’s swap the phrase “Greek life” for “sports team.” You try out and join the team, spend the majority of your time with your teammates practicing, studying, eating, doing volunteer work, partying, walking to class and experiencing successes and failures together. When it comes to building strong bonds of friendship and community, how are these two sorts of organizations different?
So what, then, is the best way to end the dangerous behavior that no one in the Greek community supports while keeping fraternities and sororities as a beneficial part of college life?
First, let’s get as much adult supervision at fraternity events as there is with sorority activities. At Texas State and elsewhere, for example, there are “house moms” who live in the sorority houses, while the men live on their own. Sororities have rules against alcohol and having parties at their chapter houses, while the fraternities have no such prohibitions. Having older adults where the worst infractions are most likely to occur — initiation, big/little reveal and other ritual affairs — could have a hugely positive impact.
Meanwhile, the campus-based Greek umbrella organizations could lower tolerance for rule breaking through closer monitoring and reporting practices. At the first sign of trouble, they could enforce social probation, a dreaded punishment that temporarily prohibits a chapter from hosting parties. This eliminates a large part of their fun while keeping the chapter under the supervision of their governing organizations.
Greek chapters must also weed out their own few “bad apples,” not look the other way when members flout the rules. Alumni chapters could and should insist on this.
No fraternity or sorority member wants to cause harm to a Greek brother or sister. By consistently enforcing rules already in place, the Greek community stands to gain all the benefits of membership with none of the danger.