In the past two weeks there has been incredible backlash against the decision by the national leaders of every sorority at the University to forbid girls from going out on Boys Bid Night. This command was given to sorority members through a formal letter, and the national leaders refused to engage in any sort of conversation about the ruling, even after many students requested a discussion. While I am not in a sorority, many of my friends are, and I was flooded with requests to sign a petition stating that sorority members should be allowed to go out for Boys Bid Night. The writers of the petition insisted the mandate was a violation of their rights and a suggestion “that women should not and cannot exist in certain spaces.”
I struggled when deciding whether to sign this petition. I absolutely agree it is ludicrous to forbid women from attending a party. It’s especially ridiculous to think this could in any way be a strong method of combatting sexual assault — you don’t solve crime by locking up potential victims. Still, the petition that’s been sent to me numerous times only targets the specific decision to keep sorority sisters away from Boys Bid Night, and I have to wonder if the real problem is much larger than one night.
Most of my friends who have joined sororities rave about their experiences. They often tell me about the incredible friends they’ve found, the women who inspire them, how safe they feel in their sisterhood. What’s odd to me, though, is that they always tell me how incredible their sororities are in spite of the rules they have to follow. I have heard many times how horrible rush is and watched my friends roll their eyes as they adhere to rules they all agree are ridiculous. What makes this frustrating is that fraternities have much more freedom. One of the most well-known examples is the fact that outside recruitment, fraternities can hold large parties with alcohol while sorority houses must be dry (even though many sorority members have argued they would feel safer attending parties held at their own houses and run by women). The Greek system continues to use rules made long ago, despite the fact that today’s students have clearly outgrown such rules and the good old-fashioned sexism that fostered them.
In the petition and other responses to the Boys Bid Night ban, sororities have urged national leaders to empower their members. It’s a valid request, but the national leaders have done little to empower sororities thus far — why would they start now? From what the sorority sisters I know tell me, sororities at the University seem to thrive because of their members — the women within their chapters who work hard to create a good experience for every student who chooses to join. Perhaps it’s time for national leaders to take a cue from those women. Ditch the antiquated regulations, and start treating women with the trust and respect they deserve.
The letter from national leaders only banned sorority members from going out on that one specific night, Jan. 31, so sororities are now free to attend parties as they choose, a sort of resolution to the issue. This weekend, sorority sisters will attend the parties from which they were temporarily forbidden, and the outrage will be over for now. Still, I doubt this is the last time national sorority leaders will issue a mandate attempting to limit the freedom of women. Sororities at the University ought to stop waiting for national leaders to empower them and ought instead to start empowering themselves. Sorority sisters should speak up and change the rules that aren’t serving anyone but an outdated system.
Nora Walls is a Viewpoint writer.
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