Can anyone really take fraternities seriously these days? Teen movies like Animal House and Revenge Of The Nerds did no favours for the reputation of what’s called Greek life by glorifying underage drinking, violence and vandalism.
But frats’ bad rep isn’t just the product of movie magic. Real-life instances of cultural appropriation, outright racism and sexual assault abound at fraternity houses. The oughts saw alcohol poisoning deaths, overdoses and hazing gone wrong.
So you might be surprised to know that Greek life at Canadian schools is still actually a thing –sort of.
Almost every Ontario university has at least one active fraternity or sorority. But where these institutions exist, it can be hard (read nearly impossible) for students to find information about the groups or get involved.
Their not so great reputation may have something to do with that.
According to James Parrott, a third-year student at Western’s Richard Ivey School of Business and a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity, (Zete’s for short), “Any average student who hasn’t met anybody in a fraternity or sorority probably [has] the typical stereotypes in mind: douchebags, rich kids, boys’ club.”
Andrew Kourganov, a student at Ryerson University and an alumnus of the Sigma Pi fraternity, says opinions about Greek life fall into two categories: either you’re a member and love it or you think it’s some freak cult.
He says the only thing holding back Greek life is its negative press.
“I feel there is a lot of ignorance about Greek life. The only way to deal with this is to provide all the transparency and education necessary.”
But transparency may not be enough to help fraternities and sororities to catch up with the times.
Student councils typically refuse to recognize them because of their exclusivity. They’re deeply gender-divided mixed-gender Greek orgs are practically non-existent. And the yearly levies frats charge their members run as high as $1,000. In 2017, gender divisions and hefty fees just won’t fly for the typical student.
While most schools take a hands-off approach when it comes to Greek organizing, Queen’s University strictly limits their presence.
In 1934, the AMS (Alma Mater Society, the Queen’s student government) banned student participation in fraternities and sororities. There was talk in 2012 of lifting that ban. After collecting student feedback, the law remained in the AMS constitution, but rather than banning student participation in fraternities and sororities, it prohibited them from using any school resources or associating themselves with the university.
A constitution that directly addresses fraternities and sororities is a rarity. Most Canadian schools have no laws and little written material pertaining to why fraternities and sorties are or are not part of campus life.
And there is no indication that attitude is changing. Schools are happy to let them go on as long as there’s no trouble, and the Greeks are happy to have the freedom to exist independently.
According to the North American Interfraternity Conference, 2014 saw 114,330 new frat members across North America, a 45 per cent rise since 2007.
How do these groups continue to thrive while getting the stink-eye from everyone else on campus?
Parrott says when he decided to join his frat in his second year, he was looking for a solid group of friends.
“The parties are fun and all, but the best times I’ve had in university were just spent in the company of my brothers.”
The promise of brotherhood seems to be the main attraction for new members. And for those who make it into the group, the ability to network keeps them around.
Kourganov says the best part of his fraternity was being able to connect with people who shared similar values. Being part of a “bigger picture” made Greek life special.
But few people have access to that bigger picture. Frats are great if you’re on the inside. But the bottom line is that not everyone is welcome to join, and that’s a bad rep that no amount of transparency can shake off.
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