Greek life from the outside: the good, the bad, the ugly

I have never wanted to join a Greek organization.

Obviously, I am not alone in this -- plenty of people make it through college, Tufts and elsewhere, without having much of anything to do with fraternities or sororities. Given the rising numbers of students joining the ranks of the various Greek organizations here at Tufts, however, sometimes it feels like there are relatively few of us holding out. Many of my friends are in sororities and fraternities; I have no problem with most individuals who participate in the system. I understand that a lot of people feel a sense of kinship, support and community from their respective organizations. These groups also do a great deal of good work for charities.

Despite all that, the increasing amount of students who rush is telling of the fact that there’s no real socially equivalent alternative to Greek life, despite Tufts Admissions’ efforts to obfuscate the rising numbers. Frats and sororities have a stranglehold on Tufts’ social scene -- on weekends, if you’re going out, chances are you’re going to a frat. Many students, especially upperclassmen who live off-campus, have parties in their houses. For underclassmen who are obliged to live on campus by university policy, there aren’t really other choices. If you enjoy casual drinking but don’t enjoy frats as a freshman or sophomore, you’re more or less out of luck.

This is partially because of increasingly stringent regulations that people living in dorms are supposed to follow, and partially because of the sheer magnitude of Greek life here. Greek life has been getting bigger and thus presenting somewhat more of a challenge to those of us who don’t have any interest in it. Frankly, it’s becoming difficult to avoid. There should be more social life outside of Greek life, because there are plenty of problems within it that have been chronicled in exacting detail by many before me, notably in an Atlantic cover story from last year. While Tufts Greek life is by no means a stand-in for Greek life across the country -- our rates are still relatively low, and consequently the on-campus presence is a fraction of the one on the campuses of large state schools, particularly in the South – it still has its fair share of very serious issues, including sexual assault.Even the organizations’ good work of charitable giving can be fraught, as unfortunately the affiliate charities are often determined by national administration rather than by the Tufts-specific chapters.

The thing is, Greek life is a privilege which its adherents pay for, conferring everything from access to parties and other events to useful alumni networking with members who have graduated to the aforementioned support system. If you’re not in a frat or sorority, you haven’t paid to get those privileges built into your college experience post-rush; you have to go looking for them.While I’ve been told there are systems in place that supply financial aid to students who can’t afford to join Greek life otherwise, I’ve also been told by many people that it isn’t quite enough. 

"While I can't speak on behalf of all fraternities, I can say that the Tufts chapter of Theta Chi has been devoted to ensuring that we are need-blind … if someone we like cannot afford dues, the house and brothers will always find a way to make it work," said Jason Rathman, a sophomore and Theta Chi brother.

Personally, I like making friends independently rather than being adopted by an already established group of people, but to each their own. There isn’t anything wrong with people who do want that.

However, there is something wrong when underclassmen feel that they have to join a Greek organization to participate in social life at Tufts. There is something wrong when fraternities and sororities are perceived as the only student entities powerful enough to avoid administrative consequences for parties, and though publicizing official party policies is a step in the right direction, it isn’t enough. There is something wrong when many students who are involved in Greek life ignore the problems within it because they’re already involved with an organization and are therefore reluctant to criticize it or see its flaws.

“The Greek community needs to be less defensive when it is criticized … at the same time, I've had really amazing and productive conversations with fellow sisters and members of other sororities, and earnestly/desperately hold out hope that these will lead to wider changes and continued striving towards transparency,” Scherezade Khan, a junior and director of community outreach on the Panhellenic Council, wrote over email.

In the end, I don’t hold “being a member of a Greek organization” against those who are, indeed, members of Greek organizations. If you’re in a Greek organization and you turn a blind eye to the problems that are present therein -- racism, classism and sexism being the first that spring to mind -- that is an issue. Luckily, it’s a solvable one, and the solution is this: Listen when people call your organization out, whether or not they are members, and listen carefully to their complaints. Listen, understand and work to change things. That may seem like self-evident advice, but the glacial pace of any major changes proves that it isn’t.

If you’re not in a Greek organization, don’t worry so much when it seems like all your friends are rushing. It isn’t all your friends, and you’re still under no obligation to join, regardless of peer pressure to the contrary.

Everyone has the freedom to choose. Choosing something riddled with internal issues is every individual student’s prerogative -- but once you’ve chosen that, remember that it also becomes yours to fix.