2020's progressive movements, especially the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer, reignited the firestorm over fraternities and sororities being banned on campus in lieu of many of the issues previously discussed. Opponents argue that they are institutions of power and privilege that have no place in our modern society and are not essential to the university experience. This has led to countless IG Stories and accounts sharing threads about why fraternities and sororities should be expunged completely.
What has been most interesting about the conversation this time around is that some Greek organizations are ready to pull the plug on themselves. The most notable was the sorority Zeta at Northwestern University. After the @abolishnugreeklife Instagram account began sharing accounts of students feeling excluded from Zeta and other organizations, Zeta held an emergency board meeting with its executive board. The result: the majority of its members tried to disband the organization. This almost worked ... until the national Zeta organization stepped in. It led to a similar movement across campuses, where many fraternity and sorority members began leaving their chapters in pursuit of less controversial organizations.
The big question is, where do we all go from here. Some argue that fraternities will always be around. Universities get a significant portion of their alumni donations from fraternities, and even if abolished completely, likely, underground secret societies will always exist. Others argue that fraternities and sororities can be reformed and should not be completely abolished, as they do yield positive impacts on their members and do good through philanthropic activities. And still, many insist that fraternities are an antiquated institution that needs to be shown the door. In this post-COVID world, it's still to be seen how university life will recollect itself and adapt once campuses are open again and what this means for Greek life. Whether fraternities are there are not, the only constant we are sure of is that for college students parting, uh, finds a way.Â
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