In recent years, USF fraternities have found themselves in many controversies including discrimination, the objectification of women and drug abuse.
Fraternities should take more action toward following the student code of conduct. Fraternity leaders should be well educated on matters of hazing, drug abuse and sexual aggression and strive to organize more meetings with their members on these matters.
In the last two months, two USF fraternities have been temporarily suspended, publicly proving the corruption embedded in some on-campus fraternities.
Pi Kappa Phi was placed on an interim suspension Feb. 24 due to underage drinking and antisemitic acts. Also temporarily suspended was Pi Kappa Alpha, which was charged with hazing violations, according to the Director of Communications and Marketing for Student Success Renee Hunt.
Although these fraternities are currently dealing with the repercussions, most issues are swept under the rug or avoided entirely. Personal student experiences with Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) stray far away from the positive public perception the university strives to maintain.
A senior USF student and former pledge of Kappa Sigma, who requested to remain anonymous, said there was a power imbalance and cultivation of inappropriate behavior in the fraternity he was a part of.
Peer pressure was prevalent, as there were multiple times when other members would implement penalties if a member did not engage in doing drugs, according to the member.
“They would always bother me because I didn’t smoke, so because of that, they would make me do different punishments, such as more cleaning. If a person refused to drink or use drugs many times, they would kick them out,” the member said.
Hazing in Florida is a criminal offense, according to the Chad Meridith Act. The older members of the fraternity are toeing the legal line, when they take advantage of their pledges and humiliate them. To most, this behavior is nothing out of the ordinary, since it is presumed that the new members have to prove their “loyalty” to the fraternity.
Some students outside of FSL are also affected by their actions. A 2019 USF alum believes he was roofied at a party in 2020, where most of the people attending were a part of FSL.
“I had a drink that I kept with myself, but wasn’t keeping an eye on it, since I wasn’t worried about being drugged because I am male,” the alum said. “An hour into the party, I started feeling incredibly intoxicated, [but] the feeling wasn’t similar to alcohol intoxication.”
Fraternity leaders should be urged to take measurable action, such as organizing educational meetings on matters of hazing, drug abuse and sexual aggression, in order to stop these ongoing toxic behaviors within the community.
Young, impressionable men should not have these habits normalized by their peers. Someday, they will be setting the standards for the next generation, so this harmful cycle needs to end.
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April 11, 2022 at 06:49AM
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OPINION: USF fraternities practice harmful behavior – The Oracle - The Oracle
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