Last February, I wrote a column outlining the misogyny that exists in the fraternity system. With staggering statistics — such as where fraternity brothers are 300 percent more likely to commit sexual assault, and that an estimated one in five women experience sexual abuse during college — it was evident that something needs to be done in order to take the power out of the hands of fraternities.
New information now supports the idea that part of the reason for this high amount of sexual assault in fraternities is due to a fraternity’s exclusive right to host parties with alcohol, a right that sororities are denied. It is therefore a logical conclusion that if sororities were granted this power, it could aid in mitigating the amount of sexual assault that exists on college campuses.
The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is an organization that resides over 26 different sororities throughout the country. In their Manual of Information, it reads, “NPC affirms that College Panhellenic planned or sponsored events shall be alcohol free.” In a New York Times article, an NPC officer said that the purpose of this mandate is to help keep its members safe. But with alarming facts related to sorority’s experiences — like sorority members are 74 percent more likely to experience sexual assault than any other female on a college campus — it seems as though the system is failing the members it swears to protect.
By denying sororities the ability to host a party with alcohol, the fraternities maintain all of the social control on campus; the power is relinquished from females and handed directly off to the boys. Fraternity houses become the exclusive party venues on many campuses, leaving the power of drink-mixing — and, some would say, drink-spiking — up to the very guys who will later reap the rewards from this privilege.
It doesn’t help that fraternity houses are home to numerous bedrooms that are easily accessed by a drunk fraternity guy with no inhibitions and the girl he chooses to prey upon that weekend. The loud music and dark lights allow for discreteness, and are able to cover a voice of protest or a struggle of resistance on the way up the stairs.
A party hosted by and policed by a sorority might help mitigate the amount of sexual assault that has the potential to take place. It would give women the power to remove any ill-intentioned man who oversteps his bounds, and their locked bedroom doors would eliminate the easy access that fraternity brothers are granted in their own houses. Sororities would also be in charge of making the punch that every drink-thirsty undergraduate consumes, ensuring that date rape drugs don’t “accidentally” make their way into the mix.
Does this mean that all instances of sexual assault in Greek Life would suddenly dissipate? Of course not. But if there’s a chance that granting sororities the ability to have alcohol in their houses would help even one girl, isn’t it an option worth pursuing?
Sexual assault in the fraternity system isn’t as prevalent here as it is in other schools across the country. Because it doesn’t seem to be as big of an issue here, it is easy for Binghamton University students to forget how serious of a problem it is — but even we hear the rumors perpetuated by social media that speak of a girl who was raped the previous weekend, or a party busted because the cops were called in order to protect a woman who didn’t want to be led upstairs.
With a president-elect who gives off an attitude of unconcern regarding sexual assault, it is easy for us to be rendered complacent — but I urge all students to not let this happen. Be active. Take a stand. Do not allow sexual assault to persist in any capacity, especially at the school that so many of us are proud to call home.
Emily Houston is a sophomore double-majoring in English and political science.
Correction: The article was updated to correct the statistic that fraternity brothers are 3 times more likely to commit sexual assault, not 300 times more likely, as was originally published. Pipe Dream regrets the error.