“The Loyal Order of Buffaloes” 0
The Inky analyzes why so many college fraternities are swamps of drunkenness and misogyny and also why that swamp is unlikely to be drained*; the article focus on Penn State, no stranger to headlines in recent years, but can easily be generalized. A snippet:
Syrett said that Greek alumni were a powerful force, sometimes withholding donations if their fraternity or sorority is threatened by university action. And some schools often depend on fraternities to help shoulder the burden of student housing.
Doug Fierberg, an attorney who has helped people sue several universities and fraternities, expects little change to come out of Penn State’s latest scandal. He has overseen lawsuits involving hazing deaths as well as the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
“Penn State and the fraternity will pat themselves on the back as if they’ve done something proper,” he said. “But until the fundamental flaws [are addressed] in the way the fraternities are managed – and mismanaged – this will continue to get worse.”
_______________
*No every chapter of every frat deserves such a characterization, but the ones who do not are outliers. Hell, at my college, when I was a student back in the olden days, the Sig Eps were considered the sane ones.
