My heart sank this when I saw that the ex-Baylor fraternity president was indicted on 4 counts of sexual assault.
And he wouldn't even go to prison. It infuriates me when I read headlines like this.
I see way too many headlines of sexual assault and hear even more whisperings because people don't want to talk about "sensitive subjects" when it comes to assault and toxic masculinity.
While it pushes me to fight for more awareness of sexual assault in college, I have to think about how incidents like this (and I know, there are so many) impact how Greek life is seen by the majority of the population. Many campuses do not have Greek like because of their negative reputation and association with sexual assault; also, the colleges and universities do not want the hazing that comes with these chapters.
When looking at Greek life only through the lens of the media and what they are portraying, fraternities and sororities go against everything I stand for.
Before rushing, I was so afraid of the judgment that I knew would be coming from these sorority chapters. I had heard that many chapters, especially in the South, only cared about money or hazed their pledges. However, my experience in my sorority has been completely different than that. It sounds like a cliché, but I made connections and found friends I never would have. As a member of Alpha Chi Omega at the University of Virginia, I have found nothing but love and support from my sisters. Before I even knew my sisters well, they welcomed me with open arms. So where is this image of Greek life in the media? Obviously, I am not in a fraternity and can only speak from my personal experience, but I have also seen the brotherhood among my friends in fraternities. It's so much more than just drinking buddies or people you get through hazing with. I have met awesome guys that care about each other and care about the reputation of their chapter.
So I want to change the reputation of Greek Life.
It was so different than any of the stories I had ever heard. But part of changing the reputation of Greek life is changing Greek life. At chapter last week we talked about how we can make the rush process less superficial. I've seen guys call girls safe rides home and helped them find a friend so they could find a way home safely.
While the reputation of Greek life isn't the best, part of what we can do to change it is fix what's actually broken so we can be more than these immoral acts.
