I love to dance, and after a year of online college and isolation, I was excited to enjoy social events this fall. However, I quickly realized that there are limited options for how to spend a weekend night in Downtown Binghamton, as most of Downtown is dominated by fraternity and sorority houses. Aside from the questionable music taste and uncomfortably warm temperatures at these venues, I have been confronted with the greater issue of considering what kinds of organizations I want to align myself with.

During the summer of 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and as several instances of police brutality were being brought to light, there was a movement to consider the ways in which historically racist, sexist and violent institutions perpetuate these norms. In this same vein, but on a smaller scale, #abolishgreeklife began to trend on social media, and people began vocalize their traumatic experiences with Greek life.

Greek life institutions have been problematic since their founding. The first fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded in 1776 at The College of William & Mary. Greek life began to gain popularity in the 1800s in predominantly white institutions (PWIs) that reflected homogeneous student bodies. As PWIs began to become more integrated, Greek organizations enforced racial bans in their constitutions. These bans remained until the 1960s. According to The Tempest, “Alpha Phi Alpha, the first historically Black fraternity, was founded in 1906 at Cornell University … [and] Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first historically Black sorority, was founded in 1908 at Howard University.” These Greek organizations had trouble being recognized by their universities and were not given housing or space to meet and live in.

Today, “95 percent of historically white fraternity and sorority members are white,” according to The Tempest. There have been countless sexual assault, rape, hazing and racial discrimination allegations pointed toward Greek institutions nationally since their founding. It seems that no amount of calling out shakes the immense power of Greek life, even as horrific stories are told by previous chapter members and racist traditions are being brought to light. Kappa Alpha Order, a currently existing fraternity, was founded under the guidance of Confederate leader Robert E. Lee and continued to celebrate Confederate culture through the 1990s. Another fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, was founded by Confederate chaplain Noble Leslie DeVotie in 1856. In 2015, videos surfaced of the frat singing racist songs, and in past years it was found that they were hosting jungle-themed parties in which members participated in blackface. They have been accused of harassing Jewish frats and flying Confederate flags.

In addition to racist histories and continued exclusivity, Greek institutions — especially fraternities — have been at the center of sexual assault and rape allegations. Two studies from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) journal found that fraternity members are more likely to commit rape than other students. Sorority members, who often mingle with fraternities, were also found to be 74 percent more likely to be raped than other female students. Additionally, degrading hazing practices are a cornerstone of Greek life. The forced consumption of alcohol and strenuous physical conditions involved in many initiation rituals has even led to the deaths of many students. Sorority members have talked about being scrutinized about their bodies and forced to lose weight, among other grievances.

There are nearly 3,000 chapters of fraternities and sororities across the country. Binghamton University recognizes 55. BU has had a rocky history of its own with Greek life. In 2012, all BU pledging was suspended because of horrific hazing reports from a University student. In June 2020, Instagram account @shareyourstorybing was flooded with stories of sexual assault and harassment at the hands of Greek institutions. The account currently has over 6,000 followers and 894 posts, most of which are submissions from University students. The Women’s Student Union (WSU) has also been posting from their Instagram account, @wsubinghamton, to raise awareness about the lack of accountability Greek organizations face. However, participation in Greek organizations remains a prestigious listing on a resume, making it a goal for many incoming college freshmen.

Although students can easily choose to exclude themselves from Greek life, the power of Greek organizations in college and afterward is inescapable. According to The New York Times, 2 percent of U.S. citizens have been involved in Greek life, “but 80 percent of top executives at Fortune 500 companies and large majorities of U.S. Congress, presidents and Supreme Court justices are ‘Greeks.’” The networking participation in Greek life allows is a huge selling point, but the problem is that these benefits are reserved for the homogenous populations of fraternities and sororities. Greek life “disproportionately [favors] members of historically white, male Greek-lettered fraternities and reflect the inequities of U.S. society as a whole,” according to the Royal Historical Society. Universities themselves benefit from the donations of Greek life alumni, and the social opportunities that Greek life institutions provide may be a selling point to prospective students. This, combined with the decentralized nature of Greek life from universities and their residences off campus, makes university oversight difficult.

In response to the overwhelming amount of sexual assault allegations, BU President Harvey Stenger stated in 2020 that the school is “dedicated to doing better,” creating a Title IX Council to follow up on campus sexual assault allegations. However, I continue to hear stories of sexual assault at BU because of the culture of abuse perpetrated by fraternities and their toxic ideals. In a university where so much of social life is dominated and controlled by Greek life institutions, it is easy to be complicit in the negative side of the culture. Downtown, frat brothers often stand outside of open parties, asking students to recite the name of the fraternity, its leader or any of the brothers before being granted entrance. This has always struck me as strange and condescending, and it is a result of the pedestal that fraternities and sororities are placed on. However, it is not productive to demonize students in Greek life, as the exclusive culture and abuse of power is a collective effort that has been carried throughout the institution’s history.

Some fraternities and sororities across the nation have recently begun to confront the problematic nature of Greek life, thinking about how they could reform the deeply rooted Greek life culture to be more inclusive. In July 2020, nearly one-third of Vanderbilt University’s fraternity chapter Delta Tau Delta disbanded, with members explaining that their efforts to promote reform in the Greek life system failed. They stated in a Vanderbilt Hustler article, “Historically white Greek Life is an institution that has wielded an enormous amount of social, academic and financial capital in a way that has done immense personal and structural harm to our fellow classmates.” The former members then created an agenda of ways to give space to other organizations and classmates, which included “[contributing] a minimum of $6,000 toward supporting student organizations that advocate for historically disenfranchised campus communities,” signing petitions and supporting the transfer of traditionally exclusive Greek row houses to other organizations based on an application process.

The positive intent of Greek life to create a place where people make friends and gain professional opportunities could possibly be preserved, but only after a full reform of the system. Reform requires the full commitment of Panhellenic and interfraternity council organizations as well as university officials. There needs to be public recognition of the discriminatory history of fraternities and sororities by universities and Greek institutions. Nationally, multicultural and minority chapters need to be granted the same opportunities as historically white chapters, and toxic discriminatory admissions practices need to be abolished. The amount of harm that Greek life institutions have caused students is unacceptable, and the exclusivity of opportunities granted by Greek life participation due to discriminatory admissions practices is unfair. If not complicit in reforms, Greek life institutions must face repercussions, and if students continue to feel unsafe in these environments, abolishment is necessary.

Doris Turkel is an undeclared sophomore and is Assistant Opinions Editor.