By Kristine Pascual, Oct. 8, 2024
Cliques, hazing, elitism and sexism are four words that come to mind when hearing “sorority” or “fraternity.”
With rush season wrapping up and initiation around the corner at CPP, sororities and fraternities need examinations. Since Greek life’s birth in 1776, fraternities and sororities have experienced major issues including hazing, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual assault and peer pressure according to Appalachian State University. If Greek life wants to continue its traditions without being scrutinized, chapters nationwide need major reform to prevent more heinous crimes from occurring.
Business marketing student Gabby Linstrom dislikes Greek life for its annual dues, lack of individuality among members and extreme toxicity. Linstrom grew up hearing horror stories from her cousin who participated in Greek life at USC.
“It’s a very toxic way of living, and we shouldn’t subject this to kids —17-to 18-year-olds coming out of high school,” Linstrom said. “Greek life promotes underage drinking, underage drugs, and a lot of people are not ready for that right off the bat.”
For incoming freshmen, the desire to find acceptance may compel them to participate in activities they may otherwise be uncomfortable with doing. According to USA Today students are interested in joining Greek life, they go through the rush process, visiting fraternity and sorority houses, getting to know existing members or social events like visiting hosted by different organizations to get a feel of the best fit.
As if the rushing process isn’t stressful enough, pledges can entail hazing, too. In 2021 at The University of Missouri, 18-year-old freshman Danny Santulli was hospitalized with severe alcohol poisoning from a hazing incident at Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. As a pledge, Santulli was forced to drink a bottle of hard liquor and instructed to finish it by their “pledge fathers.” Santulli faced irreversible injuries including brain damage and loss of sight, the ability to walk and talk.
Once a sorority or fraternity picks their new members, they accept the invitation and become “pledges.” Being a “pledge” does not mean full acceptance and initiation into the organization. As a “pledge,” you undergo hazing–rituals, traditions and challenges intended to test your loyalty to the organization.
Hazing has turned into an activity where older members essentially torture, degrade, and abuse pledges. Nearly every college campus has banned hazing within Greek life, but due to intimidation and pressure from older members, it’s kept very hush within communities.
Greek life promotes party culture, substance and alcohol abuse for minors. The social atmosphere of a party typically includes peer pressure around excessive drinking and drug use. Every weekend, frat houses throw parties with alcohol and drugs. Fraternities typically have a strange rule, too: women only, and for men, unless you’re part of the fraternity throwing the party, consider yourself uninvited.
“There’s this mindset that when you get into Greek life, you’re all one in the same,” Linstrom said. “In a sense it’s like you’re networking but it’s a little odd, it’s like they’re all in their own world — like trauma bonding together.”
Indiana University’s student newspaper reported 50 pledges at Kappa Kappa Gamma who were given a choice between snorting a line of cocaine or performing a sex act on a man in 2021. Allegedly this happened during KKG’s “Big Little Night,” where a “big’s” role is to act as her “little’s” mentor, offering guidance, support and friendship.
Greek life supposedly fosters mentorship amongst members, promoting the importance of “sisterhood” or “brotherhood.” Members are encouraged to keep their mouths shut to protect their fraternities or sororities according to ABC News. Power dynamics can lead to older members exerting pressure and power on pledges, knowing they would sacrifice their morals to protect each other from trouble.
Each year a fraternity has a “sweetheart,” a sorority girl who is nominated and chosen by the fraternity brothers to act as the female face of their organization as stated by Campus Classics. In her role, the fraternity sweetheart helps with philanthropy and volunteers at their events. According to Linstrom, fraternities are essentially “hiring a mother.” Calling the position “sweetheart” is disappointing for women, especially since within a sorority, there is no male counterpart.
“(Sweethearts) just add to the stereotype that women are house makers who plan everything for the men who get to live in the moment,” Linstrom said. “I don’t get why a woman would want to degrade themselves like that to be in full view of a man.”
The role of a sweetheart perpetuates the outdated stereotype that women are in the supporting role next to a man. Women are powerful and independent but holding the role of a sweetheart diminishes their contributions and reinforces the idea that a woman’s worth is tied to their ability to support men.
Leeza Bonderchuk, an urban and regional planning student,mentioned Greek life has potential to be diverse, especially at Cal Poly Pomona where white students are a minority. Bonderchuk became familiarized with Greek life through social media. Additionally, she has acquaintances who participate in Greek life.
“It’s a very vast topic because there are two different ends: sororities and fraternities,” Bonderchuk said. “But at the end of the day, both are rooted in white supremacy from practices that were created before.”
White supremacy is a driving aspect of the foundation of Greek life according to the Royal Historical Society. It’s been centuries since Greek life emerged, but privilege, exclusion and racism are still present amongst many fraternities and sororities.
Greek life is awful. It’s hard to understand why anyone would want to join an organization that requires them to fit into a mold. Many members dress alike and act similarly, starving for acceptance rather than embracing individuality.
College is a brief time to explore and grow and there are countless opportunities that allow for authentic connections without the financial burden of Greek life within classes or school clubs. It’s disheartening that joining a Greek life often means changing who you are to meet their criteria, leaving many feeling like they must fit a specific image to be accepted.
According to a former member of the sorority, CPP’s Kappa Delta charged between $500 to $600 per semester for a membership fee. This price did not include any further costs sorority sisters typically spend on gifts for their littles, potential fines for breaking certain rules or criteria and customized apparel. College costs a thousands, if not more but adding Greek life fees on top of that only worsens the financial burden on a student.
Sororities and fraternities at CPP can argue philanthropy is their main goal as an organization, but if they truly wanted to give back to the community, they would do so without having to pay a fee.
If Greek life wants to survive, they need to do some research on their foundation built off systemic issues. Allowing hazing, racism, classism and rape culture within their circle virtually erases the good they do within philanthropy.
“It’s like a cult,” Linstrom said. “They all dress the same. They all have to act the same. For you to get in, you have to be just like them. You damper yourself down into this singular individual that fits into what a certain frat or sorority wants and then present yourself as such.”
Feature image by Teresa Acosta