In light of recent events, the Greek community at UVA has been painted in a fairly negative light in both national and local media. Since the Rolling Stone article titled “A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA” was released on Wednesday, November 19th, grounds have been buzzing with talk of sexual assault at UVA as well as the way this brutality is approached by both the administration and the student body, and the perception of Greek organizations as breeding grounds for this sort of behavior. After this, President Sullivan sent out an email on the following Saturday, November 21st suspending fraternal activity.
This idea that Greek organizations are breeding grounds for this behavior has had my stomach in knots, and I would go as far as to assume that I am not alone in this feeling. Has the objectification of women and men as potential sexual conquests taken over our Greek community? Is our system of fraternities and sororities tainted with this sexual violence far beyond repair? If I continue to be an active member of the Greek organization that I have come to love so much, am I part of this problem?
I want to begin this article with stating that the perception of our Greek community is FAR from the most important issue raised by the infamous Rolling Stone article. Sexual assault is absolutely the most pertinent issue at hand, and the level of discourse that has been generated by this article is way overdue. With that being said, after a few days of grappling with the many responses to this article, it is time to step back and remember the true reason we decided to run to the giant wooden letters (or get thrown in the air) on bid day.
Let’s get this straight: Being in a fraternity or sorority does not mean that you think that sexual assault is okay. It does mean that you decided to join an organization in order to find a sisterhood or brotherhood that would become your home away from home. It does mean that you sought out a way to serve the community around you. It does mean that you were looking to find friends to lean on in times of hardship and celebrate with in times of joy. Unfortunately, there are exceptions to every rule, but we cannot allow this exception to lend itself to negative, sweeping generalizations about 30% of this great university’s population.
We must take ownership of the issue of sexual violence as members of the UVA community, but we cannot let the blame that is directed toward us as members of the Greek community weigh us down. We must remember the reasons that inspired us to go Greek and continue to hold them in high esteem. As members of sororities and fraternities at UVA, we must pledge to face this problem head on as a result of our investment in the wellbeing of the UVA community as a whole. It is time for us to use the aspects of Greek life that inspired us to rush in the first place to shape our community into one that will NOT tolerate sexual assault or a stigma surrounding the issue.
Amidst the turmoil of this past semester, it is crucial that we remember the true reasons why we went Greek- the friendships, the values, the experiences, the spirit of service- and let these reasons guide the way we act as members of the Greek community.
We can be an active part of finding a way to curb the sexual violence that has become endemic in our society. Use your sisterhood or brotherhood as a dynamic support system in order to seek consolation and initiate constructive conversations. Join groups on grounds that speak against sexual assault and offer survivors a safe place. It is time for the Greek community at UVA to approach the issues illuminated by the Rolling Stone article not as the guilty party, but as an influential coalition that is ready to work toward a solution as a part of the UVA community in its entirety.
