Disclaimer: This article contains sensitive topics such as drugs, alcohol and sexual harassment.
Amidst the chaos of transitioning into college life, first year students often have something else to worry about: Greek Life. No, not the lifestyle of the beautiful country of Greece, but the tens of thousands of sororities and fraternities actively attempting to recruit incoming freshmen into their organizations.
Sororities and fraternities are organizations that house groups of college students: sororities for women, fraternities for men. Sororities and fraternities are often exclusive, but they are also designed to build a sense of community. The organizations host different academic and service events on campus often in an exclusive manner that alienates the general student body.
Though sororities and fraternities provide connections, opportunities, and circles of support for many college students, there is an undeniable toxic culture that these organizations have begun to promote. Over the years, the secrets of the infrastructure of sororities and fraternities have been unveiled, leaving the reputation of these ancient campus organizations tainted.
The toxicity of these organizations begins with rushing. Often a misunderstood concept, rushing is the formal word for recruitment in sororities and fraternities – a process where hundreds of college students try to sell themselves in order to squeeze their way into the sorority or fraternity of their choice. Yet, what is supposed to be an exciting and enjoyable process often becomes perilous. Students are often stressed at the competitiveness of these sororities, curating different perceptions of which sororities and fraternities are “good” and “bad”. Some may not even take a glance at a sorority that is “worse”, and there is immense pressure to join a sorority that is both socially accepted and praised.
Greek organizations are often also extremely picky with their members. Many sororities and fraternities employ certain “molds” that they expect prospective candidates to fit into, molds which are infamous for perpetuating racial and sexual discrimination. The competitiveness of these organizations makes it difficult for students to get into their top choices, often leaving students feeling unworthy and inferior if they are unable to get in.
Green Hope English teacher Mrs. Kathleen Holland touched on her experience with sororities in college. “I personally was never in a sorority, but many of my good friends and peers were. I remember the day when the decisions came out. There was a lot of crying and wailing for those who didn’t make it into their top choice. Sororities sometimes – though not explicitly – evaluated candidates based on their looks. On my campus, there was a sorority that very evidently only accepted pretty girls. That was the sorority all girls wanted to get into (though not all of them did) which was the issue,” she mentioned.
Some may think that getting into one of these organizations would be the hardest part; yet for many students, it’s just the tip of the iceberg of many serious concerns. Some fraternities and sororities employ tests of drinking and doing drugs as a pledge of acceptance into the organization, a phenomenon that has induced numerous dangerous consequences, perpetuating a toxic culture of excessive drinking and drugs upon recruitment- a process referred to as hazing. Instances of hazing and other toxic traditions have been evident in Greek organizations across the nation. A serious hazing incident at Bowling Green State University ended in tragedy when sophomore Stone Foltz was forced to consume 750 mL of liquor as an initiation tradition into Pi Kappa, a prominent fraternity at the university.
These traditions have cost these organizations an immense amount in some instances. According to a South Carolina law firm, Strom, North Carolina State University has faced numerous hazing accusations in regard to their fraternities over the past couple of years. Beyond suspensions due to alcohol and drug hazing, the institution was forced to disband one of their fraternities after the discovery of a pledge book that contained vulgar language and references to raping and lynching. The book spoke disgustingly about committing wrongful acts to others, and repeated multiple slurs and other phrases alluding to sexual violence.
These inappropriate and in some cases, life-threatening conduct of certain Greek Life organizations have raised an imperative question: is joining a sorority and fraternity truly worth it?
According to Former Green Hope student Fiona Smiddy (’22) and sophomore at the University of Mississippi (‘26), every moment of her sorority life has been worth it. “I love being part of my sorority, it has been an amazing experience. I’ve loved having the opportunity to make new friends, especially friends out of state. Being in Phi Mu, I have been able to take part in a lot of community projects, like Bonamu and Casa Encore. I have never had a bad experience with Greek life, but I know some scenarios have the potential to be toxic.”
Smiddy also touched on the pressure of the rushing process, “I know of girls who didn’t get the house that they wanted, but they usually ended up loving their other house, or dropped out of the recruitment process altogether.”
Similar to Smiddy’s experience, Greek organizations can provide invaluable connections and resources for students. Being a part of a fraternity or a sorority allows one to surround themselves with people that may be able to help alleviate the stress of navigating the new terrain of college life, as well as be able to connect more deeply with the campus community.
However, not all students share the same experiences as Smiddy in Greek Life organizations. It’s important to remember that decades of these organizations and their evolved traditions have created a culture that to this day, remains toxic. Hazing and sexual assault allegations have skyrocketed in recent years in connection to sororities and fraternities, and many of these organizations continue to promote questionable behavior, often pressuring students to comply to this conduct.
Students should never feel pressured to join one of these organizations and one should do thorough research on the organization of their interest before proceeding to rush. Many Greek Life organizations pride themselves on their commitment to their members and the upholding of ethical and moral standards within their infrastructure, but there are others who simply do not. It’s easy to be deceptive about the true nature of an organization and its practices, and upon getting involved, it’s difficult to escape.
Greek life organizations, and all they do, have and will continue to be a staple on college campuses. As lessons in history have showcased, there is an evident need to rebrand the reputation of Greek life, making them more inclusive, safe and conducive to success in college.
