USC drinking culture perpetuates sexism

Content Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault. 

There is no question Greek life embeds the social scene at USC. Although fraternities and sororities offer an alluring facade, the so-called “auspicious organizations” have also played an active role in the exponentially rising rates of sexual assault on college campuses nationally. Moreover, while it is almost a given that fraternity parties will include alcohol, the distribution of this party essential perpetuates this misogyny. 

At USC, Greek life flourishes. The National Panhellenic Conference, which guides 26 sororities across North America, represents more than four million women; however, their rules and values are stuck in a time when women’s rights were questioned to a greater extent than now.

The NPC banned alcohol in 1975, claiming their goals and values aligned best with an alcohol-free environment; therefore, any alcohol-related activities are completely banned in sororities, in theory. 

However, it is 2021 and the parties haven’t stopped. There’s a catch: This rule does not extend to fraternities. Not only does this blatant sexism feed into toxic drinking culture, but it also reveals USC and Greek life members’ complacency in perpetuating sexism. 

The tangible impacts of this rule are overwhelming. If a sorority wishes to host an event, it may not do so with any agency and must ask fraternities for help. Put another way: Women cannot host a common Greek life party without men’s involvement. 

Since fraternities control alcohol distribution, this dynamic contributes to sexual assault cases. According to a study published in the NASPA journal, women in sororities are 74% more likely to be raped than their peers. In fact, AlcoholEdu reports 26% of USC students report consuming alcohol at fraternities. Fraternities seem to acknowledge the discrepancies in sexual assault cases in Greek life, and its proposed solution was to limit the number of non-affialited fraternity members allowed in frat houses. Ironically, several studies have found men in fraternities are three times more likely to rape women. And while this does not equate every man in Greek life to a predator, the statistic speaks for itself.

These organizations’ plaguing misogyny is overwhelmingly disturbing. Because of the NPC’s outdated rules, women in sororities have merely one option if they choose to drink surrounded by their friends — a frat house. Instead of drinking in the comfort of their own home surrounded by women they know, women in sororities must drink in a house full of drunk and unfamiliar men.

The expectation is a direct threat to the health and well-being of women at universities everywhere. The NPC’s rule extends to the gender norms present in Pre-Suffrage America — women are not strong or capable enough to take care of themselves. Because independence is nonexistent for these women, men must accompany them, regardless of sobriety.

To be clear, the solution is not throwing a bunch of White Claws and Four Lokos into every sorority house on the street, but we must address rule discrepancies solely based on organization members’ gender. The question remains: How does one change the sexism that has plagued these organizations for decades?

Firstly, Greek Life must either extend the NPC’s alcohol ban to fraternities or get rid of the ban altogether. There is absolutely no acceptable reason for a house of women to have expectations and consequences a house of men — who are part of the same umbrella organization — do not share. 

Considering drinking culture’s prominence on college campuses, revising Greek life’s alcohol policies is a start, but the blatant sexism does not stop there. Most sororities are not permitted to have men sleep over; instead, they are confined to common rooms as visitors. Sorority houses have varying times when they allow men in the house; however, fraternities do not deal with this problem. 

Right on trend, fraternities have no rules surrounding women guests regardless of timing or location. Essentially, a man can bring a woman into his own familiar environment, but this courtesy does not extend to the women living in the house next door. 

It is of utmost importance and urgency to change these rules and regulations surrounding women in Greek life. Sexism has a tight grasp on society and, clearly, the NPC; however, there is no reason why women in Greek life should suffer the consequences of these alarming and outdated rules. Women are not kids who need constant supervision or incapable beings who need men to hold them accountable. If the NPC can get behind this statement, then they are in desperate need of a new set of regulations.