This message brought to you on behalf of All Is Well.
“The 26 sororities that belong to National PanHellenic do not allow alcohol in their houses (or other space dedicated to the sorority like a dorm floor) or at their events unless they are at a public place like a hotel and the liquor is sold by the owner to those over 21.”
As long as there is drinking going on, and certainly sorority members are part of it dry house or no dry house, I see this policy, common at sororities, as archaic and a negative. Why not let young women party in their own homes where they can have some control of the circumstances, the substances and the environment? Instead, the partying happens elsewhere on campus, usually frats, whereby women are giving up some of the control for others. That is backwards thinking IMO in the name of some weird sense of female “propriety”.
Be careful with terminology, due to the existence of two similarly named organizations:
National Panhellenic Conference = historically white sororities, usually abbreviated NPC
National Pan-Hellenic Council = historically black fraternities and sororities, usually abbreviated NPHC
No hazing is allowed in (most?) fraternities either. Obviously that doesn’t stop them.
I agree. I’d much rather my D be able to drink in her own sorority house (were she in one) than have to do it in a fraternity house.
Our campus was a dry campus. Sorority houses are privately owned and not owned by the girls. This isn’t a my body hear me roar issue. The majority of girls living in the house are underage. It is not legal for them to be drinking. (Though I do seems to remember mimosa s after bids day.)
And the house is nice inside with a large formal room. You don’t mess where you eat. Fraternity houses smell bad and are disgusting with sticky floors. The girls don’t want that mess.
Not all sorority girls are angels but in general I think the girls are more mature and act accordingly in comparison to frat boys.
“Fraternity houses smell bad and are disgusting with sticky floors.”
Many frats are very, very nice these days, as was the Penn State frat where the young man died.
Of course, so are the boys in their houses, throwing parties.
^That is another good point. The Greek system in the Northeastern is different than the Greek system elsewhere. We don’t have that football culture the same way as other areas. The Greek system doesn’t have the same kind of popularity as the South. So here the sororities are usually nice inside. The fraternities not so much. Penn clearly had wealthy alumni support.
Well, college kids are going to have sex too, and some smoke pot too, so why have any rules at all? Make it one big orgy at the sorority house, let them bring their guys to their rooms and throw back a few shots. Dorm kids drink, and they don’t allow that ‘in the safety of their own homes.’ They will get expelled in most cases. Drugs? Not allowed in dorms even in states where 21 year olds can legally buy mj. Why, those college kids should be up in arms! How dare the dorms set rules against them having alcohol or pot in their rooms, where they want to get stinking high in the safety of their own homes!
Sororities don’t allow drinking because the majority of those living in the houses are under 21. The days of ‘well, they are going to do it anyway’ are over. When I first pledged, the drinking age in our state was 18 and we were allowed to have liquor in the house as most kids were 18. When the laws changed, so did the rules at our house (and those nationwide). Bars don’t let 19 year olds in under the theory 'they are going to drink anyway so might as well let them do so safely in a warm bar instead of having a kegger out in a field.
@OHMomof2 Obviously but why fight for the girl’s “right” to engage in illegal activity. Just because the boys break the law doesn’t mean the girl’s will be empowered by also breaking the law.
If you think it empowers the girls, go rent them an apartment and buy them the alcohol and drugs you think their under 21 selves need.
Are fraternity men over 21, generally?
@gearmom It’s not consistent. Why would men be allowed to throw parties with alcohol but not women?
Allow it all or ban it all, equally…what’s the counter argument to that?? Men handle it better? Men are more mature? Men will do it anyway?
@OHMomof2 The counterargument is very simple. The men are not “allowed” to throw parties. When they are caught they face punishment at least where we are. The girls just follow the rules and maybe that is based on maturity, intelligence and a different culture in a sorority. If some campuses in certain parts of the country are allowing this illegal behavior then that is a reflection on the adults.
It is not consistent, at least at historically white houses, because the umbrella organizations for the historically white fraternities and sororities are separate organizations.
Yes, NPC and IFC are entirely separate governing bodies.
Men (alums) run the IFC and women (alums) run NPC. Maybe women are just better leaders? They certainly are better at enforcing the rules.
" Dorm kids drink, and they don’t allow that ‘in the safety of their own homes.’ "
Actually, it is definitely allowed at most colleges for those of age. So, yes, many college students are drinking, legally, “in the safety of their own homes”.
That’s not true @gearmom .
At Penn State, the fraternity that Tim Piazza died in was being punished and the punishment was having to be “dry”. Obviously this was ignored, but if it is a punishment to be dry for a period of time, obviously they can be “wet” the rest of the time, and fraternities not being punished can also. Part of the punishment proposed for Penn State now is a limit on the # of parties fraternities can throw, in fact.
Where we are, the men are not allowed to throw alcohol serving parties.** (We also don’t have alcohol in dorms.) Now if some places allow this illegal behavior, that is a reflection on the adults. The women who run the NPC as @twoinanddone mentioned are clearly better leaders who don’t allow the minors that they are responsible for to break the law. I think this reflects the intelligence and maturity of the women involved.
**Though I have heard of expensive parties with professional bartenders and security and wrist bands that are publicly allowed to happen. Not sure how common.
Haven’t some fraternities (either local chapters or nationally) gone to dry houses because of the insurance issue?
Sorry I edited my post so neither reply above makes sense.
Yes fraternities pay more in insurance because of alcohol.
Yes I understand gearmom’s school may be a way-out-of-the-norm exception to what I understand to be a national rule - fraternities most definitely can and do throw parties with alcohol served. And that’s not illegal, it’s only illegal to serve underage people at them.