Fraternities: Is The End

Near?
Issue Brief

Benjamin France - May 4, y

Introduction
If you turn on the nightly news or read a newspaper what you will most likely
read is an article pertaining to a Fraternity, due to them getting suspend from hazing,
alcohol related incidences, or the most popular, sexual assault. It seems to be that a
week cant go by without a fraternity somewhere in the United States making national
headlines. In 2015, which is just 4 months old, already over three Fraternities from
-

three different universities have made national headlines for either racism or sexual
assault. Some people think fraternities should be disbanded nation wide others think
there should be some type of reform of the Greek life process on universities, while
some think they are just fine they way they've been. Whichever side you chose it is no
surprise that the problem should be addressed before any more fraternities make
national headline.

History of Fraternities
Secret societies have existed for hundreds and sometimes even thousands of
years. The Freemasons are probably one of the most famously-recognized of all. In
1776, a secret society was founded at the College of William & Mary called Phi Beta
Kappa.This group differed from those before it in that it had a Greek-letter name. It
was the first Greek fraternity and it set the traditions for those to come: the Greek
letters, a secret ritual, a secret handshake, a badge, mottoes, and a code of laws.The
fraternity system grew throughout the early 1800s with the formation of Kappa Alpha
Society, Sigma Phi, and Delta Phi. The three made up what is now called the Union
Triad. Moving westward into Ohio's Miami University, three fraternities were
founded there: Beta Theta Pi, Delta Theta, and Sigma Chi. These would form the
Miami Triad. These early groupings would later give way to a large expansion of the
Greek system throughout the colleges for the better part of a century. In the 1850s,
Alpha Delta Pi was founded as the first sorority although Gamma Phi Beta was the
first organization actually called a sorority (and is the only one to retain this in their
official name). Secret societies were generally looked down upon by most people
throughout this time period. The 1980s saw several major developments in the Greek
system. Membership began to recover as the attitudes of the 60s and 70s faded, but
the legal changes to the drinking age created a very awkward position for Greek
organizations. Many Greek Organizations had become the centers of social life on
many campuses. Now this was a huge liability. A great many changes came with this
legislation, but much of it was probably for the better.The 1990s saw more changes for
the Greek system. Many groups were able to move away from the negative
stereotypes created during those rougher years and became again a home away from
home for students and a way of promoting leadership, scholarship, and community

spirit. If they where able to move away from these harsher stereotypes, what has
changed in the past 15 years that has now led to a hugely negative stereotype, even
though membership has increased, that
has led some universities to completely
shut greek life down.

Problems of Fraternities
Hazing
Fraternities have always had a
uneasy stereotype around them since
many people dont know what goes on
inside of them since they are a secret
organization. Though through out the
years of fraternities there always have been
rumors of hazing and how severe it is or
isnt. There are stories of fraternities
around the country of waterboarding pledges, making them drink excessive amounts
of alcohol, and virtually having them be slaves of the fraternity. Hazing is defined as
the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous
physical training and initiation. Fraternities are not the only organization to do it on
college campuses but are usually the main outlet for media to attack on hazing due to
it being a regular offense by many fraternities across the nation. There has been a 183
deaths attributed to hazing, though there is no national agency that records these
deaths, the parents of the victims attribute the death to hazing, as well the fraternity
members associated with the death have been charged. Many say hazing is part of the
ritual that is fraternity life, while others say it is the 21st century and hazing brings us
to a moral level of barbarians. Campuses all around the United States have actively
tried to end hazing by placing confidential areas where people can come report
hazing, by placing strict punishments on organizations convicted of hazing, as well as
the deterrent to join a society or fraternity that hazes. Fraternities themselves have
pledged to end hazing some ending their pledging process or new member process all
together. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, commonly known as SAE has nationally ended their
pledging process. This means that potential new members are given bids to the
fraternity and if they accept, they learn the fraternities secrets and members and then

initiated. Though this is good public relations for SAE, this only came to be after a
record 9 deaths of pledges since 2006 have

stemmed from the SAE fraternity, more

Racism in Fraternities
Another problems fraternities have
faced as well that have made national
headlines is the apparent lack of
diversity or racism in fraternities. When
people think of the stereotypical frat boy it is usually an image of a wealthy white
kid who is wearing expensive clothes while sipping on expensive alcohol living in a
larger then life plantation style house. Many people don't imagine an Asian, Mexican,
or African American joining a fraternity. Though there are fraternities that are focused
just for different ethnicities, the ones in the news headlines are the typical fraternities
ones think of, like the ones in the satirical comedy, Animal House. Until the late
1960s, white Greek organizations had whites-only membership clauses, according to
Matthew Hughey, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut.

But doing away with those clauses didn't end the de facto segregration. Black
fraternities and sororities, on the other hand, have been admitting white members for
decades, said Hughey, who was one of the few white collegians who defied social
convention in 1996 to pledge with a historically black fraternity.
Though the anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly indicates that white Greek
organizations remain essentially segregated, no data about their racial composition is
kept by their governing bodies. In 2010, Hughey published a study he had conducted
of eight white Greek chapters on three East Coast campuses. He found that the
average percentage of non-white members was 3.8%. If that's integration, it's feeble at
best. There is more then just lack of diversity in fraternities but racist actions are more
then present in the chapters, the Alpha Delta fraternity and Tri Delta sorority at
Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., hosted a Bloods and Crips-themed party in July.
Both organizations issued apologies after students and others expressed outrage.
More recently an act by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, (ironically once again
SAE) of Oklahoma University was taped chanting, there will never be a n***er in
SAE, this gained national headlines and resulted in the closing of the OU chapter as
well as the explosion of the fraternity members from the university. Racism is
prominent in fraternities and this day in age where the goal in society is to end racism,
fraternities are not leading the way. Along with hazing, racism is shedding more light
and making it easier for the media to
scapegoat fraternities for college campus
problems.

Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is one of the biggest
problems striking college campuses today. With a
culture surrounded on binge drinking and sexual
encounters it is not a surprise to see why there have been so many sexual assaults on
campuses around the country today. Though sexual assaults can happen at any
college party and with any type
of
organization, the media tends to
scapegoat the cause and
predators to be from a
fraternity. It is not hard to see

why this is the case, with fraternity life based on socializing with girls, drinking large
amounts of alcohol, and having a house where forty other members live with out
supervision, its a recipe for large parties and trouble. Sexual assaults in fraternities
have been splattered across national headlines this year causing an even uglier public
relations for fraternities nationwide. In November Rolling Stones published an article
A Rape on Campus which gruesomely detailed a gang rape at the Phi Kappa Psi
fraternity house at University of Virginia. This caused UVA officials to suspend all
greek life activity and the Phi Psi house to be vandalized and riots calling for
expulsion of the members. Though with the article doubts where raised on the
legitimacy of the facts as well as if it even happened at all, a third party investigation
showed the event didn't happen at all. The Fraternity is now looking to sue Rolling
Stones for defamation. Even though it didn't happen it still caused bad pr for
fraternities around the country showing that they whereat leading the fight in ending
sexual assault on campus. A couple months later Kappa Delta Rho or commonly
known as KDR at Penn State was exposed and investigated to having a Facebook page
comprising of members that had pictures of hazing, drug deals, and naked women,
some conscience others inebriated. The initial headlines included the facts on drug
deals and hazing but as the story went on with time those where forgotten about and
eventually the headlines focused on the naked women. This highlights the need for
media to write a story that will attract the most readers and it todays society it seems
to be a story on sexual assault. Once again the fraternity house was vandalized and
protesters called for the end of greek life at Penn State and the expulsion of the KDR
members, even though no
victims had come forward.
With this the question begs to
ask what will the fate of
fraternities be and how can we
change the deteriorating view
of them?

Fixing the Problem

Many people think they should all together get rid of the greek system on college
campuses while others say it needs to be reformed. There are many different angles
one can take but the realistic approach is a reform of fraternities on campus, in
summary, not as much freedom. What does less freedom mean? Well at Penn State,
where I am an active member of a fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, there are rules and
freedoms I am astonished that exist and don't exist. The IFC or the inter fraternal
council at Penn State is essentially the governing body of the 51 fraternities at the
university. They say what can and cannot happen in fraternities and parties.
Fraternities are not allowed to have unregistered social events, cannot have shots or
glass bottles on the bar, people cannot have more then one cup/beer in their hand.
Fraternities are not allowed to have kegs or jungle juice at their parties. When there
is a party social checkers have to come by and check if it is the registered sorority over
and if there is alternative food or beverage on the bar. If fraternities don't follow these
rules they are assigned a borough point, they are allowed 12 before they are kicked
off, these points are retracted after 6 weeks of good behavior. The amount of freedom
this creates is unbelievable. Fraternities on the regular,

Implementation
I havent gotten here yet, Issue brief might have gone in the wrong direction since my
suggestion doesn't have a sound proof revision plan, class with help with my view.