Sororities Knack for Trouble

Diane — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:32:01 +0000

The Zeta Phi Beta sorority at Colorado State University has been under investigation and had their recognition withdrawn. There have been incidents of hazing, which include being deprived of sleep, and being forced to eat cat food.

Fort Collins has been ranked as one of the top places for college students to party in the nation. Sororities and fratenities flourish at this school and are an important tradition. This hit Zeta Beta Phi pretty hard because they were suspended and recognition was permanently withdrawn.

Police have reported that new pledges were forced to eat cat food and perform extensive physical activity. One pledge after these activities was forced to seek medical attention.

It is unfortunate that these students got caught up in doing something so stupid. I’m sure the girls in charge, just thought they were having a good time, but forgot to consider the girls that were pledging. It seems there are always sororities and fraternities in the news because some student was injured or died after binge drinking at a party or something else.

It seems that you cannot combine the words common sense and Greek in the same sentence. These clubs are supposed to be fun for college students not put them in the hospital or the coffin. Many students join these to be a part of something, and to improve their social life. They just want to have fun.

Granted fun can include some stupid actions, but there has to be some fence line where students know they are going to far. Evidently they don’t know where the line is between fun and ridiculous because incidents keep occurring.

Sororities can be a lot of fun and make the college experience that much more fulfilling, but there has to be a balance, otherwise incidents keep happening and more college students keep getting hurt.

College Students: Tomorrow’s Future Leaders?

Marcus Varner — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:52:10 +0000

College just doesn’t mean what it used to. One need only look to the recent drug bust at San Diego State to see this point driven home. Forget about discipline, higher learning, and character- college has become a big party. Colleges put students through rigorous admission processes only to let them run rampant once they get there. The result: a college diploma- especially one from San Diego State- doesn’t stand for anything.

College administration, parents, fraternities and sororities, and the students themselves are all to blame for this. Research has shown dramatic increases in alcoholism, illegal drug use, casual sexuality, and criminal behavior among U.S. college students. Keep in mind: these aren’t the gang members or high school dropouts or kids who hold up liquor stores. These kids are the cream of the crop, those who got high enough grades and test scores to get into four-year universities.

College administrations have lost their nerve when dealing with problem students. Maybe they are afraid to lose financial donations from proud parents. Maybe they are afraid to put a public black mark on their university by highlighting student rowdiness. Maybe they’re afraid to quell student individuality. Whatever the reason, their lax standards of conduct are steadily eroding any confidence in the quality of their institutions.

Fraternities and sororities have become laughable in the contradiction they represent. Check out this mission statement from Theta Chi, one of the fraternities embroiled in the San Diego State drug bust:

Theta Chi Fraternity exists to serve a need for young men of character, principles and ideals to associate with each other. Our chapters and colonies are laboratories for leadership. Our undergraduates grow, mature and develop through interaction with other outstanding young men.

Character? Principles? Ideals? When I read the phrase “laboratories for leadership,” the first things that came to mind were meth labs. Other fraternities involved claim to promote high ethics, community service, and positive contributions to the world and society. These mission statements are so far from the binge parties, hazing, and criminal behavior they have come to represent. These organizations no longer foster personal growth; they are just clubs, maybe gangs.

Lastly, these kids’ parents are clueless. In many cases, these students are funded by their parents. Their parents have the power to yank their misbehaving behinds out of college whenever they want. So why don’t parents crack down on or even seem to notice this behavior? Who knows? Fear of how it would look. Fear of making their kids angry. Fear that their kids will never go back to school if they pull them out. The old proverb goes, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”

College administration, fraternity and sorority leaders, and parents need to grow a spine. These kids are out of control. And if you won’t control them, the law will, and it will end up with your kid sitting next to a cellmate named Leroy, flushing whatever chance they had at a successful career down a nasty prison toilet. Until you do give them boundaries, all of the diplomas and awards you could hand out to them are for naught.

Education & Careers » sororities

Sororities Knack for Trouble

College Students: Tomorrow’s Future Leaders?