<p>I have a real problem with objections to “stereotyping fraternities”. Stereotypes and/or prejudice are of course problematic in the context of inherent qualities (race, ethnicity, sexuality, perhaps religion, gender, ability…) but to “stereotype” people who <em>choose</em> to affiliate with a certain type of social club? That just seems eminently sensible to me.</p>
<p>Single-sex living, and for that matter, single-sex anything, invariably leads to less understanding and more hostility or weirdness around the opposite sex. Add onto that the bizarre rituals of “brotherhood” and magical secrets about what the Alpha stands for, and large amounts of alcohol for overgrown adolescents, and what do you expect to get? At the very best, exclusionary snobbery and annoyingly self-centered behavior. At the worst, well, we all know.</p>
<p>I will say that I had friends in fraternities in college, and friends who had been in fraternities, later in life. The existence of a few decent guys who get drawn into the life, does not make the structure a positive one.</p>
<p>However, the answer to what Universities get out of the Greek system is very simple - a big chunk of a solution to the two growing problems of money and housing.</p>
<p>Everyone needs to feel a sense of belonging to really get the most out of college life. Clubs are a great idea. But residential single-sex exclusionary bid clubs are… not.</p>
<p>Looks like this was the student government (CUSG), not the university administration. Now, how much that matters depends on what facilities are under control of the student government. The article also says that “At least eight of the 13 CUSG legislative council members are affiliated with a Greek organization.”</p>
<p>In Dartmouth’s case, it bcos some of the biggest alumni benefactors to the school participated in its Greek program. (Plus the Greek system resulted in an entertaining movie, staring John Belushi.)</p>
<p>As a woman, I am highly skeptical of the idea that adding women into the mix in the form of co-ed fraternities will improve the situation. Frankly, the idea smacks of out-dated gender stereotypes that characterize men as brutish beings who need the moral influence of women to civilize them! That’s laughable in today’s world. College girls today are far from being delicate flowers who faint or drop their handkerchiefs to catch gentlemen’s attention. I don’t possess a better opinion of the behavior of female adolescents than I do male adolescents. In fact, if I had to choose which single-gender group I would rather live with (theoretically), I’d choose the latter. </p>
<p>Do “animal house” fraternities tend to have greater or lesser popularity, status, prestige, and/or political power (in inter fraternity councils, student government, and/or representing the fraternity system to the university) compared to other fraternities? Or is there no correlation?</p>
<p>“I agree that the frats I’m familiar with are decorated in early refugee!”</p>
<p>There are some gorgeous, showplace fraternity houses, especially on some campuses in the SEC. They keep them nice by having a “party barn” out back, usually with a big patio. That’s where everybody gets crazy, and the house can stay nice for the alumni.</p>
<p>And let’s not forget that the drinking culture is alive and well among adults, and in some cases the alums are getting smashed when they come back for homecoming etc.</p>
<p>I guess I don’t really get the disdain for fraternities and sororities.</p>
<p>I never wanted to be in one. As I discovered who I really was, I realized that I wasn’t the type of person that needed to join a social group or brotherhood to feel complete. But I never disliked those who did or the groups they joined. And 25 years later, I wish I had some good connections from college to call on to help As I progressed through my career.</p>
<p>Fraternities don’t have anything going on that all people don’t do whether its a pro or con, good or bad.</p>
<p>The whole thing about exclusivity and like mindedness and uniformity is what all people do too. Some are democrats, some republicans. Some are atheist, some Christians, some Buddhists. Some support the military, some protest it. The craziest thing is groups within groups - It was in a news report that a group of protesters on the whole cop shooting stuff refused to let some white youth who were supportive of the cause to protest with them.</p>
<p>So, I can’t be upset with a group that does charity, networking, parties and provides brotherhood/sisterhood for college kids even if a few get stupid.</p>
<p>hazing is stupid. Some anti-hazing policies are stupid too.</p>
<p>Are they also the monopoly on poor behavior - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - NO. Yes, quite stereotyping. If there is bad behavior by anyone, in or out of any club or affiliation, it should be dealt with firmly. </p>
<p>I know my son enjoys being a member of a fraternity along with being an active member of student government. He is very aware of these issues and he agrees there are very serious issues which we all know about.</p>
<p>He doesn’t see the problems as being caused by fraternities where he goes to school as there is only one house and the fraternities sure sound very different than the ones that are in the news.</p>
<p>He feels the problem is alcohol and kids being on their own for the first time. First semester freshman year is a dangerous time. He would tell me of all the house parties that only the freshman girls got invites too-they were straight house parties with no Greek affiliation. How is abolishing Greek life going to change that?</p>
<p>The idea that my son is some kind of animal and needs a female presence to make him less of an animal is offensive to me. I have told my son what not to do and I hope he has listened. I will tell my daughter the same thing when she heads off to college and it is consistent with what they have been told all along. Do not go anywhere alone and make sure that whatever you do someone in your group agrees to stay alert-which means someone doesn’t use any mind-altering substances. If you see anyone is trouble it is your responsibility to do something about it-period. </p>
<p>Most of these kids from my limited knowledge are already drunk before they even get to these parties.</p>
<p>There also seems to be an erroneous concept that these 18 year olds were tee-totaling angels while in high school and living at home, but then are corrupted by the big, bad fraternities once they arrive at college. Plenty of high school kids are drinking to excess, using drugs, engaging in risky and even criminal sexual behavior, and participating in hazing well before they reach the university. A recent case of the latter involves the Sayreville High School football team, and this forum is full of cases of high school sexual assault that did not involve fraternities. </p>
<p>As I see it, vices exist among humans of all ages and kids will engage in them whether there are fraternities or not. At my D’s school, a theme house was actually considered one of the “sketchiest” places on campus, and known for drugs and general debauchery. There is hazing going on in university marching bands too. Frankly, I think parents don’t want to look at themselves and their kids with some honesty, preferring to put the blame for the student’s bad behavior on the college or an organization.</p>
<p>UVa fraternity gang rape story looking embellished at best, a Duke Lax level hoax at worst. Will Dana, Rolling Stone’s managing editor “In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced,” </p>
<p>—"This mission has seldom been more important. In America today, class divisions, social media, the Balkanization of culture and an intensely partisan, polarized political environment are sorting people into ever-narrower silos and eroding common ground.</p>
<p>And college administrators have an almost unrivaled ability to push back at that, fostering conversations across all lines: economic, ethnic, racial, religious."—</p>
<p>This author is nuts. He’s calling for more social engineering than the colleges already do. Kids go to college to get exposed to people from all over the country and the world, to expand themselves. But, maybe, they’d also like to associate with a few people who are like they are, in personality, or interests. It’s comfortable at the end of the day, to come home to people that you can easily relate to. It’s what people do. Call it tribalism or whatever. But kids these days are more open than ever to meeting different races, religions, origins, etc. They are not MORE “Balkanized” than ever before. </p>
<p>Maybe if the media and other writers like this one would stop calling out the divisions and the “everyone’s unique and special” in our society and, instead say we are all Americans, we would get along better. The “cultural appreciation days” etc are what highlight differences instead of bringing people together.</p>
<p>In the author’s mind, It seems that only kids that want to be Greek are not to be appreciated or tolerated.</p>
<p>Some of the could very well be tee-totaling angels before going off to college and going to their first alcohol laden party or otherwise acting wild. </p>
<p>My HS classmates and I noticed this with a few college classmates during our first-year in college. Two factors which stood out among many other possibilities are 1. They tend to come from extremely sheltered backgrounds or 2. They came from super-strict homes…especially religious fundamentalist ones where they were so heavily micromanaged they weren’t prepared for the freedoms of a residential college away from home. </p>
<p>They also seemed overwhelmingly suburban. </p>
<p>Personally, I was a teetotaling person in HS and most of undergrad. </p>
<p>Alcohol didn’t appeal to me very much and growing up in what was a crime-ridden working-class NYC neighborhood with a presence of heroin and crack addicts, that entire scene just wasn’t very appealing to me by the time I started college at 17. </p>
<p>It’s ironic I drank more after college than before. And that’s still once in a blue moon while socializing with friends or colleagues in bars or other social events…and only if I feel like having it. Alcoholic beverages ain’t cheap and I personally have better things to spend my money on. :)</p>
I saw a lot of this at my college in the 80s - many, many students were first-generation, from isolated rural areas. There were also a sizeable minority from fundamentalist religious backgrounds. These kids tended to go home on the weekends, and pretty much stuck to Christian activities on campus … gee, does that mean they were being “tribal” and non-diverse?</p>