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“I remember when I went with a group of five, including myself, and we’re all black. We went to a fraternity where we were told there was already too many people. We said ‘okay’ and started to walk away. Then 17 white people walked up; they all got in” (anonymous Gettysburg College senior).
Regardless of whether fraternity members decide to recognize it or not, an unspoken practice exists at fraternities on campus. I’ve collected multiple interviews from students on campus and each testifies to a certain behavior that is wrongly accepted within fraternities. The offensive actions of a handful of people do not define the fraternity system as a whole; yet, fraternities are supposed to improve the college community through service. While they are required to put in hours of community service and hold successful fundraisers, fraternities fail to benefit campus culture.
“The ratio is completely sexist. Last year, I got turned away with my three girlfriends. We walked up and we were dressed nicely but they told us they were at max capacity. So, we started to walk away and then a group of girls who were prettier, maybe, were let in. My friend was like, ‘it’s not very fair of you to turn us away when we’re no different than those other girls.’ The guy at the porch threatened to get us blacklisted from every sorority if we did not leave the property” (anonymous Gettysburg College sophomore).
By turning away students based on appearance and skin color, fraternities do not create a safe, welcoming environment. Instead, students are uncomfortable and even angry that individuals of the same student body would treat them differently. In fact, while fraternity members may believe otherwise, fraternity houses are not separate entities from the college campus; they just represent another form of housing for students who elect to join a specific organization. Fraternities are all still responsible for improving the social climate on campus, as non-members are responsible for doing the same. Providing the justification that “the houses are our houses” is an excuse that, while true, is simply an attempt to ignore responsibility for the behavior that occurs on the porches. Yes, it’s your choice to decide what brand of beer to host. Yes, it’s your decision to let people in based on the safety of that individual and others. It’s your house. So, when concerns are raised about racist and sexist actions on your porches, it’s the responsibility of the fraternity to think critically about how certain actions further the systemic injustices present on our college campus.
“Some fraternity brothers say, ‘we don’t want this to be a sausage fest’” (anonymous Gettysburg College junior).
Unfortunately, this exclusionary porch behavior often comes from sophomore fraternity members who have just been recently inducted. Porch duty is an acclaimed right of passage for new members. Since sophomores experienced the same harsh treatment from fraternity brothers as first-years, they feel empowered to turn away anyone based on the standards by which they were treated. A vicious cycle is at work here. Sophomores repeat this behavior because they are now in a position of power. Now they’re making the decisions. And when they’re standing there, holding that much power in their hands, they perpetuate the same racist and sexist standards that their older fraternity brothers exhibited.
This power struggle is not only wrong, but it shows how there is a handful of disrespectful students who further allow a kind of hate on campus. We need to understand how our actions and words strengthen systems of injustice. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the one at the porch. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t actually heard these statements being made. There are more than enough students who have testified to unjust practices on fraternity porches. And, when you are a part of an organization, be it a fraternity, a music ensemble, an athletic team, or a business, your actions reflect upon that organization as a whole. In sum, these comments further spread a racist ideology that should not be promoted on campus.
“I’ve gotten: ‘hey black girl, wanna come in and show us how to dance?’ I’ve walked away from situations like that. I’ve also gotten: ‘can you braid my hair, swag?’ (anonymous Gettysburg College senior).
Greg Sachs responded to discussions about the ratio: “. Primarily, we’re checking to see if we know you as you, because most Greek students are a part of many different social circles and know a great number of people on campus. If we don’t, no problem, you’re still welcome under most circumstances. ” However, the testimonies of students on campus have demonstrated that you are not welcome under most circumstances if you are not known to fraternity members. And, when names are not known, fraternity brothers suddenly feel empowered to judge others based on appearance, skin color, and other standards that comprise of who we are. Instead of turning people away and worrying about whether or not you know the person, members should instill the values of the college into whoever is on that porch and learn how to respect other people, regardless of appearance, skin color, and gender.
Imagine this situation outside of Gettysburg College. How would people feel if this ratio situation was out of the safety net of college and someone justified the behavior by saying that he didn’t want it to become a “sausage fest?” That term is entirely sexist toward women. It’s an event where the number of men significantly outnumbers the number of women, and in the context of fraternities, this diminishes the chance for fraternity members to hook-up. This is why the “weight of many pairs of eyes” isn’t completely harmless. Greg mentioned how, “yes, it’s true that you may feel the weight of many pairs of eyes looking at you as you walk up to our porch; but we would do that to our friends, professors or even JMR if she were approaching our house.” I find it very hard to believe that fraternity members would give President Riggs or professors the same you’re-a-piece-of-meat look as female students receive walking up to the porch. It’s not just the “weight” of the look that makes women uncomfortable; it’s the undeniable feeling of being judged. This judgment is not only made because of what people wear to fraternities but also how their appearance suggests a desire to hook up, which is not always the case.
I stand by my original claim that the 4:1 fraternity ratio is sexist. The ratio is present because of a minority of disrespectful people at each porch whose behavior goes scot-free. Some members of fraternities get away with unkindly treating individuals who are a part of their own college community—using race and gender as weapons to humiliate. Please know that this article is not meant to personally victimize any individual fraternity member, protest the existence of fraternities on campus, or to attack a specific fraternity.
But, fraternity members, understand this: you may not want to confront the realities of what you promote on campus. That’s a privilege. You hold the power, so you aren’t directly affected by the irresponsibility with which it is used. What you do and what you say matters; don’t pretend that it doesn’t.
This piece is a rebuttal to an article from a fraternity member—published in response to this piece —to persevere in revealing a harmful fraternity culture at Gettysburg College and to illustrate that the insulting actions of a handful of people should not go unnoticed. All opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent that of Her Campus Media, Inc..