Universities need to break the fraternity monopoly on nightlife
Since news broke of gang rape allegations against a Cornell University fraternity and a lawsuit filed by a former student, my phone has been abuzz with messages from fellow Cornell alumnae – many of them, like me, former sorority members.
We are furious at the callous way Chi Phi fraternity members appear to have regarded "Jane Doe" in their group Snapchat communications – as subhuman, a mere vehicle for their sexual gratification. But none of us are much surprised. The fraternity culture that enabled this remains vivid in our memories, even 15 years removed.
While at Cornell, we received an elite education from world-class professors. Simultaneously, through our participation in Greek life, we received an education in misogyny. At the time, what we experienced created a nebulous sense of unease. In retrospect, we walked a gauntlet.
Many Cornell alumni I know have a story of suspected drugging at a fraternity party. Either they became inexplicably incapacitated, or they watched it happen to a friend.
Looking back, it is staggering how widespread this was; never since have I navigated a social space where being involuntarily drugged was considered a routine risk. But as teenagers venturing into nightlife for the first time, we accepted that it was part of the experience.
For college women, noxious party culture is normalized
Women who interacted with fraternity men quickly learned our core function in their eyes: sex objects. In sororities, this dynamic was........
