For many campuses around the nation, Greek life is the lifeblood of the university. Sororities call to mind both philanthropy and sisterhood as well as matching outfits, great housing and frat parties. They’re often constructive organizations for all involved, connecting like-minded women to a common greater cause.
Beyond a social boost, sororities vaunt service opportunities, generations of tradition and fabulous post-grad networks. Despite the perks, it seems sororities are rapidly gaining notoriety for harmful and discriminatory behaviors.
In the past few years, sororities have been egregiously linked to hazing and racism. In late 2014, two college girls unveiled a horror story that made the New York Post. The young women, 17 and 18 at the time, revealed that during their initiation process with Gamma Beta Delta at Medgar Evers College, they were put into a sweltering basement, blindfolded and aggressively interrogated by a large group of girls about personal matters like sexual orientation and history. Beyond the humiliating and degrading verbal attack, they were told that they were going to be tied naked to a tree. The brutal treatment lasted 10 hours and left them shaken up and in tears.
Stories like these are popping up all the time and erasing the good-natured, compassionate image of sororities. Don't believe me? Cosmopolitan and USA Today have both compiled lists detailing the horrendous acts committed by sororities and fraternities in the past few years.
Beyond plain old hazing is a much more vicious occurrence: racism. This time last year, a controversy surfaced over a nasty Snapchat from a few members of Chi Omega at the University of Alabama. People were in an uproar over a screen-capped image of two sorority sisters smiling above an emoji-punctuated caption: “Chi O got NO n-------!” Unfortunately, this sort of aggressive racism isn’t an isolated event.
In 2012, Chi Omega at Penn State was called out for offensive costumes and signs. Sisters wore ponchos, fake mustaches and held up signs reading, “I don’t cut grass, I smoke it,” and "Will mow lawn for weed and beer." The sorority later apologized, but the damage was already done.
The blunders aren’t over just yet. In the past few weeks, Alpha Phi at the University of Alabama received an influx of negative press over their vapid, slightly sexist and potentially racist recruiting video. Critics argued that the constant hair-flipping and Solo-cup-clutching utterly desecrated the good work and altruistic reputation of sororities.
An opinion piece published by AL.com sums it up perfectly. The video is described as “aesthetically homogeneous and forced, so hyper-feminine, so reductive and objectifying.”
Instead of lauding the philanthropic aspect of the organization — or even the strength of the sisterhood, the video promotes that sororities like Alpha Phi just want to look good. Viewers were further ignited by the very specific profile of the girls in the video. The farsighted shots of the group outwardly boast a population of thin, predominantly blonde, Caucasian young women. There wasn't even a hint of racial diversity, nor did its absence seem important. Even further, there was no sign of charity or higher values, just white smiles and glitter in the wind.
The brief video, in its entirety, arguably undermines the very foundations of sororities everywhere.
So, what's the deal? There are so many great sororities around the country, but all it takes is a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. Due to the secretive and obliquely traditional nature of Greek life, it is difficult to know which organizations are genuine. In most cases, pledges will find a lovely group of girls to bond and grow with. The truly scary part is the small percent that discover the dark, perturbing side of sororities.
Like the girls at Medgar Evers, sometimes the only way to find the heart of the sorority is to jump headfirst into it. As seen in the media, not everyone walks away from Greek life unscathed. Many smart, ambitious young women have been hurt by the violent or prejudiced behaviors of sororities; the risk is there, but there is also a reward.
The real question is, what is Greek life worth to you?
