The death of a West Virginia University freshman at a fraternity party last Friday and the subsequent suspension of all WVU fraternity activity has reignited a public debate about the role and value of collegiate Greek organizations. While Georgetown does not officially recognize or fund any single-sex pledge organizations, fraternities and sororities have nevertheless eked out an increasingly visible foothold on campus.
These organizations are not without their merits. They provide students with professional connections, often contain service components, and—in schools where they dominate social life—may provide students with a much-needed network of friends. But such a view glosses over the reality that Greek organizations’ primary goals remain social and exclusive. And, as the WVU case illustrates, they are often harmful to those both directly and indirectly involved.
With these reservations in mind, this Editorial Board argues that Georgetown should redouble its efforts to restrict Greek life on campus—restrictions that will keep fraternities a social choice for students rather than a social mandate.
Notwithstanding university policy, several Greek organizations operate at Georgetown and, under GUSA’s new partnership for unrecognized student groups, may now table in adjacent areas at Student Activities Fair. Many Greek organizations push service and academics to the forefront of their missions. These goals are outwardly noble, and align well with Jesuit values.
But this arrangement accords undue legitimacy to fraternity and sorority chapters which, unlike groups like H*yas for Choice, can rely on their affiliation with national organizations for support. Moreover, it fundamentally clashes with the widespread rejection of Greek life by Georgetown students. Numerous extracurricular organizations on campus contain a secondary social element that provides a more productive outlet for inclusion. For these groups, a strong, specific mission comes first—social benefits are secondary.
Beyond reflecting Hoyas’ preferences, increasing restrictions on Greek organizations would also acknowledge their nationally demonstrated “dark power” (to quote a March Atlantic feature article on the issue). Unfortunately, cases like WVU’s are not isolated. Over 60 deaths related to fraternity events have occurred over the past decade, most affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In response, SAE cut pledging from its program in March. But these anti-hazing policies are narrow and, often, isolated. Addressing these ongoing issues will require overhauling fraternity policy nationwide and reorganizing their social, professional, and academic priorities.
Ultimately, Greek life impact more than its members. Fraternity men are three times more likely to commit acts of sexual assault, while sorority women are 75 percent more likely to be victims thereof. As a violent incident at the University of Virginia reported yesterday by Rolling Stone illustrates, even addressing fraternity-based sexual assault can be a years-long nightmare.
Georgetown must remain vigilant about the dangers of Greek life and strengthen its policies discouraging their proliferation on campus. Hoyas’ social infrastructure is, for now, laudably elsewhere—but it falls to both students and the administration to ensure it stays that way.
