Rape, nude photos, racist behavior: Do fraternities make men behave badly?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/us/fraternities-boys-behaving-badly/
By Holly Yan, CNN
Updated 1:48 PM ET, Wed March 18, 2015
(CNN)Despite roots in community service and brotherhood, inappropriate behavior at fraternities can be so common that often, no one blinks an eye.
But a spate of recent disgraces -- from racist lyrics to nude photos of incapacitated women -- have prompted suspensions, expulsions and a much more serious look at what some fraternities really stand for.
"I happen to believe fraternities and sororities are a good thing. I happen to believe they do a lot of good work in society," CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill said. "I know a lot about black Greek letter organizations that do a tremendous amount of service in the public interest. So I don't want to dismiss all of it."
But Frank Bruni, author of "Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be," said while we can't stereotype fraternities, "we can take note of what they are."
"And what they are is they are exclusive societies -- many of them, not all of them -- that let in like-minded individuals who can then exist in a very homogenous environment," he said. "That strikes me as something that's at odds with what we really want colleges to be."
Here are some of the disturbing incidents that have made the news this month alone:
Nude photos
Kappa Delta Rho at Pennsylvania State University
Penn State fraternity suspended over Facebook page
Photos of nude women, some apparently passed out, were posted on a private Facebook page -- allegedly by members of Penn State's Kappa Delta Rho chapter.
A former member of Kappa Delta Rho alerted police to the page, telling them in January that it had been used by members to share photos of "unsuspecting victims, drug sales and hazing," according to a copy of a police affidavit.
"No arrests are being made at this time," State College Police Lt. Keith Robb said. "Unfortunately, we aren't able to identify any suspects right now because the accounts on Facebook were sanitized, wiped clean."
In the meantime, the chapter has been suspended for one year.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/us/fraternities-boys-behaving-badly/
By Holly Yan, CNN
Updated 1:48 PM ET, Wed March 18, 2015
(CNN)Despite roots in community service and brotherhood, inappropriate behavior at fraternities can be so common that often, no one blinks an eye.
But a spate of recent disgraces -- from racist lyrics to nude photos of incapacitated women -- have prompted suspensions, expulsions and a much more serious look at what some fraternities really stand for.
"I happen to believe fraternities and sororities are a good thing. I happen to believe they do a lot of good work in society," CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill said. "I know a lot about black Greek letter organizations that do a tremendous amount of service in the public interest. So I don't want to dismiss all of it."
But Frank Bruni, author of "Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be," said while we can't stereotype fraternities, "we can take note of what they are."
"And what they are is they are exclusive societies -- many of them, not all of them -- that let in like-minded individuals who can then exist in a very homogenous environment," he said. "That strikes me as something that's at odds with what we really want colleges to be."
Here are some of the disturbing incidents that have made the news this month alone:
Nude photos
Kappa Delta Rho at Pennsylvania State University
Penn State fraternity suspended over Facebook page
Photos of nude women, some apparently passed out, were posted on a private Facebook page -- allegedly by members of Penn State's Kappa Delta Rho chapter.
A former member of Kappa Delta Rho alerted police to the page, telling them in January that it had been used by members to share photos of "unsuspecting victims, drug sales and hazing," according to a copy of a police affidavit.
"No arrests are being made at this time," State College Police Lt. Keith Robb said. "Unfortunately, we aren't able to identify any suspects right now because the accounts on Facebook were sanitized, wiped clean."
In the meantime, the chapter has been suspended for one year.
