In the past decades, disturbing incidents regarding sororities and fraternities that have caused students serious injuries or worse have emerged in media, reports, and records. This has raised the question of how exactly these institutions are fostering a safe environment for all students when considering the long history of elitist, racist, and now potentially the dangerous and life-altering effects of being part of a sorority or fraternity.

With the scary and significant change of being in college surrounded by new people, and the pressure of college social life, joining a sorority or fraternity might sound like the perfect way to integrate and fit in. However, many people do not realize that what seems like all fun and games of being part of a rush has a darker side: hazing. Most of the troubles that lie with sororities and fraternities are the initiation rituals that are required with joining these groups, which often involve alcohol incidents that lead to discomfort, humiliation, or even death. Yet the problem is not just these incidents that are happening but how they are being allowed to happen by the lack of legal action and consequences. According to KSLA, “InvestigateTV analyzed state hazing laws from StopHazing.org, a nonprofit that tracks legislation and advocates for change, and found a patchwork of regulation that has done little to end annual initiation rituals of physical, mental, and sexual abuse.” With the absence of action and little support from the school, hazing incidents continue to happen with no change and justice for those who endured and lost their lives due to these horrific initiations.

Despite generation, a major problem with these institutions is the lack of representation and diversity. With everything that has happened in the past two years with movements and calls for more inclusivity, it is honestly disappointing to see sororities and fraternities still symbolizing the shortcoming of change and the immense challenges that students of color face when looking to join a fraternity or sorority. As written in an article by Business Insider, “After a series of revealing reports from the paper and student protests, several black women were offered — and accepted — membership into previously all-white UA sororities.” Just because sororities and fraternities aim to be more inclusive does not make up for the fact that students of color and those with different identities struggle much more to be part of a community that only aims to limit their voice and place. Not only is the lack of representation harmful but it creates more stereotypes and allows individuals, especially the white demographic, to develop superiority. According to the Tempest, “Despite integration today, Black students remain hardly represented in Greek life. A research study shows that 95% of historically white fraternity and sorority members are white.”

Allowing these incidents and poor inclusivity to continue and occur without concrete action only further promotes the dangerous behaviors and issues within the school and the lack of care and awareness. Although I am glad to see more people speaking about their experiences that  show the reality of these institutions, it is still saddening to see that no permanent justice is being taken against them as a whole organization. It is time for accountability and real change to occur to help stop further damage and loss from happening. Why should sororities and fraternities continue to represent community, friendship, and philanthropy when they provide an unsafe environment for their own members? For these reasons, alone fraternities and sororities should not be allowed to have influence and place in our society.