Hazing presents a challenging problem across America’s college campuses. While movies and TV programs typically depict Greek life as glamorous and filled with parties, the reality is quite different. Thousands of students suffer severe injury, while others wrack up legal charges that threaten to derail their life trajectory. Some, unfortunately, die.
A former University of Texas at Arlington student is suing the fraternity he pledged. In doing so, he hopes to change the culture of Greek life across campuses nationwide. If he’s successful, schools everywhere will need to update their policies to protect the safety and security of their students.
What the Lawsuit Entails
During his first semester at the University of Texas at Arlington, junior Roc Riner pledged the Sigma Chi fraternity. According to the lawsuit, fraternity members blindfolded Riner and forced him to perform physical exercises while drinking beer and liquor. He complied until he eventually lost consciousness.
On March 25, Riner traveled to the home of several fraternity members. They led him to an upstairs bedroom where they blindfolded him and forced him to dance. They sprayed him with water and shouted at him while he did so. Then, they led him outdoors, where they forced him to his knees and made him drink three-quarters of a bottle of a 750-milliliter bottle of liquor. They later told him that he finished the bottle.
Riner required hospitalization for alcohol poisoning and withdrew from the school due to medical complications. His attorney, T. Nguyen, stated that he wants to change Greek culture on campuses so that situations like this are no longer seen as commonplace in Greek culture.
The Problem with Greek Life on American Campuses
Despite the depictions of lighthearted fun in movies like “Revenge of the Nerds” and “Animal House,” Greek life creates considerable stress for many students. People join sororities and fraternities to find friends and feel a sense of belonging. They often need this interaction because many are new to adult life and want to form bonds outside their hometowns. Too often, however, this lifestyle includes overindulgence in drugs and alcohol.
More troubling is the way young adults carry these habits throughout life. One recent study found that students who once lived in a fraternity or a sorority continue binge drinking and drug abuse later in life. By age 35, close to half of fraternity members residing in college housing facilities displayed signs of an alcohol use disorder.
Some signs indicate fraternity and sorority involvement continues to decrease, but this drop in membership comes with both positive and negative repercussions. Many young people starting out in the world do desire and need the social support that group membership can bring. However, adolescents who associate with people that engage in binge drinking are more likely to participate in those acts themselves.
Concerned individuals who are angry about hazing injury and death advocate for the closure of fraternities and sororities and some universities have followed suit. For example, following the hazing death of Penn State University student Tim Piazza in 2017, the university suspended several groups. Alcohol-related emergency room visits dropped from 691 in the spring of 2018 to 570 in 2019. Perhaps taking punitive action against organizations that violate campus rules could stop some of the tragedies.
Cornell University, likewise, enacted stricter rules for fraternities and sororities, following the death of freshman Antonio Tsialas. Six Greek organizations engaged in behaviors that the university deemed so egregious, they warranted a suspension. Under the new rules, a roving security team will perform random spot checks of on and off-campus housing for potential violations. If they witness infractions, the chapter will face immediate interim suspension.
Perhaps the best solution is for all institutions to enact similar measures to prevent abusive behaviors, rather than banning Greek life outright. After all, these organizations offer valuable networking opportunities to students in addition to companionship. Many participate in philanthropic activities, like community service projects, which make a positive difference and pad resumes.
Fixing Drinking Culture on American Campuses
Greek organizations have positive and negative attributes, but society must act to prevent further tragedies. By regulating Greek life and college campuses carefully — and prohibiting hazing behaviors — colleges can create a safer environment for young adults.
Kate is a health and political journalist. You can subscribe to her blog, So Well, So Woman, to read more of her work and receive a free subscriber gift! https://sowellsowoman.com/about/subscribe/