Why not having Greek Life is good for campus
On so many boring uneventful weekend nights at RWU, many students long to have Greek life at our disposal. Fraternities and sororities are a great source of events, connections, philanthropy and entertainment, but there are too many cons that outweigh the pros of greek life. I think RWU made the right choice in not having Greek life on campus and here is why.
As we all know –– with any fraternity (and sorority) comes hazing. It’s somehow tradition to subject your fellow brothers and sisters to humiliation and abuse. Sure, there’s the harmless fraternity brother carnation, but then there’s the extreme that sometimes results in an unexpected and unavoidable death. This could be by forcing them to drink too much, physically harming them or putting their lives in danger in other ways. We’ve all heard the horror stories of brothers and sisters getting physically and emotionally abused, beyond a point that should be acceptable. Older members treat the pledges as if they’re rag dolls they use for their own entertainment. It’s unacceptable that schools still allow such harmful activities to carry on.
Another con of greek life on college campuses is the promotion of drugs and alcohol. Many students pledge themselves to fraternities and sororities because they know that they throw a lot of parties –– but with parties comes the high possibilities of drinking, smoking, snorting and other means of getting high. Sure, some of these methods would be fine if everyone was of age and if marijuana or other drugs were legal in Rhode Island, but – in most cases – they are not.
Yes, there are still parties and consumption of alcohol and drugs on campus, but with sororities, more so fraternities, there is the constant peer pressure to prove yourself and your loyalty to fit in.
Lastly, the rape culture surrounding fraternities is something to be worried about. With a house full of immature college-aged men, there is always going to be the relentless sexist locker room talk that results in them luring women with the intention of non-consensual sexual activity.
This talk encourages young men to incapacitate and take advantage of a young woman who attends their parties. This vicious cycle will never stop until there are actual consequences inflicted on the “brothers” that partake in such harrowing assaults.
Let us not forgot the Stanford student, Brock Turner, who was found guilty of three charges of felony sexual assault in 2016. The conviction carried the potential of a 14-year long sentence, but he was only sentenced to six months. If college students like Turner keep getting by with minimal consequences, students are going to believe they’re impervious to the law while continuing their obscene behavior –– while receiving greater support from their fellow “brothers.”
Without the presence of Greek life, students are pushed to seek friends and activities by joining clubs and being an active student on campus. With RWU views on Greek life, there is a lower chance of pressure to abuse substances and fellow students.
