Op-Ed: Sigma Nu was not an Isolated Case

People Magazine and the LA Times were quick to dub the recent cases of drugging and sexual assault at Sigma Nu Fraternity as yet ‘another USC scandal.’ However, as a student who both joined and dropped a sorority in this past year, I view these occurrences as a tragedy that lays bare the ugly realities of Greek life; these deplorable acts are too often brushed off or readily accepted as a mere part of the quintessential college experience.

On day 5 of sorority recruitment during my freshman year of college, I was dropped from all the sororities I was interested in. I remember walking back to the dorms, confused and disappointed, only to be told by my friends who were rushing the fraternities: “it’s because you’re not white.”

They said it matter-of-factly - not at all in an intentionally malicious way, but rather as a simple observation and conclusion. While this may be a shock to hear, I was not a stranger to the discrimination plaguing the rush process; my experience was sowed with hints of racial bias and classism, which one might hope would already be eradicated at a prestigious institution like USC.

Sorority rush was a process clearly designed to weed out those who did not fit the mold: white and affluent. I could feel it from the moment I stepped foot into these houses.

At my first house, I was paired with an Asian girl when it was clear that we had nothing else in common. It only got worse. Throughout the week, my friends and I heard that recruitment teams apparently Zillow your house to check your family’s wealth. This classism was further illuminated when I was asked what my dad does for a living, and if I vacationed in Aspen over winter break.

Two years later, having experienced Greek life for a period of time, I can now offer a new perspective on the Greek community that I so enthusiastically approached during my freshman year of college.

Let’s start by dissecting the mechanisms underlying the Greek social structure and hierarchies, which, unsurprisingly, are centered around fraternities and their desires. At their core, fraternities were founded by and for white men of higher socioeconomic status, and their principles of racial exclusion are still seen today.

Their sorority counterparts are essentially recruited for and catered towards the white male gaze, since earning the frats’ approval is what elevates the sororities’ rankings. If you’ve ever heard of the superficial nature of sorority rush, this is the concise explanation.

Furthermore, the patriarchal power structure is reinforced by the fact that all sororities nationwide are unable to have alcohol or men in their houses, nor are they allowed to host many social events. In effect, fraternities are put on a pedestal as the host of college nightlife, rendering sorority members and other underage college girls (who cannot frequent the bars yet) largely dependent on them for alcohol and social events. As those who have been to frat parties can attest, there is an immediately noticeable disproportionate ratio of girls to guys present, since non-fraternity guys are not allowed at these parties. This ratio is not an accident.

It is not an accident that ⅓ women in USC Greek life experience sexual assault. It is not an accident that there are disproportionately white individuals represented in sororities and fraternities. It is not an accident that sorority and fraternity dues are thousands of dollars each semester, with little financial aid provided alongside it. These are intended effects of Greek Life’s foundations.

The very structure of Greek life lends itself to the pervasive nature of drugging and rape culture. These men who benefit from an inflated sense of social power also feel entitled to shamelessly objectify the numerous women at their disposal. There is a clear connection between the social and sexual power they hold.

If this issue is so pervasive, why won’t the school’s administration do anything about it? The answer: money. On top of the social dominance fraternities enjoy, these men also come from predominantly wealthy families with ties to alumni who are affluent donors themselves. As such, many administrators are, to the dismay of the rest of the student body, reluctant to disband or confront fraternities in fear of losing their donations. These donors may hold their donations back if universities criticize the organizations they were once part of.

The instances of sexual assault and drugging at Sigma Nu this past semester are not an unfortunate side effect of the power dynamics pervasive in Greek life, but rather, a direct and intentional effect of the system working as intended. Let it be known that instances of sexual assault, racism, and drugging are not limited to Sigma Nu, but implicate every fraternity on the row. As the student body watched all fraternities quickly release statements detailing their disgust with Sigma Nu, it was to our disappointment, but not to our surprise, that none of them have accepted any form of accountability for their complicity in this culture.

As such, it is time that college administrators reconsider their weighing mechanisms when they repeatedly pit establishing a safe and inclusive environment for their students against receiving donations from former Greek alumni. As the student body awaits a comprehensive response from USC, how the administration outlines next steps, and how our student body responds will reflect our readiness for change.