Abolishing Greek life becomes more realistic

Fraternities continue to come under fire for sexual assault allegations

MEGAN VALADEZ / ASST. OPINION EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

**Content warning: the following mentions incidents of sexual assault.**

Violence against women is a men’s issue.

I walk to my car with my keys between my fingers, my pepper spray ready, and my full Hydro Flask in hand. I look under my car before entering and lock the doors right away. I look over my shoulder every 40 seconds when I am walking alone. I always hold my own drinks and never leave them unattended. I refuse to join a sorority because I cannot stand Greek life and the negativity it perpetuates, such as exclusivity, racism, sexism, and sexual violence. I refuse to go to events or places where there are large groups of men, specifically college men, because I am scared that something sinister will happen to me. 

I am not the only one that thinks like this. Women are seen as second-class citizens. Women are constantly seen as sexual objects for men. Women are not safe walking alone. Women are not safe on college campuses. 

All over the nation, reports of sexual violence pile up every day, but now, college students are organizing protests that can not be ignored. National surveys have shown that one in four undergraduate women are sexually assaulted during their college years, although some believe those numbers are underreported.

On Oct. 21, USC’s Sigma Nu fraternity was identified as the perpetrator of sexual assault and drugging other students on campus. The main orchestrator? The president of the chapter. How can women feel safe when a fraternity’s leader is drugging and assaulting women?

On Sept. 27, six women filed reports of being drugged at Sigma Nu to campus Public Safety which prompted the alleged suspension of an individual and the identification of another suspect: Ryan Schiffilea. 

Not surprisingly, USC found it appropriate to send out mass emails informing women on how to prevent being assaulted, as if it is that easy. 

“If a sexual assault occurs at USC, a critical service we provide is the confidential advocacy and counseling through Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP). It allows for individuals who have experienced harm or who have seen harm committed to seek confidential support and assistance,” USC wrote. 

It seems that USC is placing the burden of preventing rape on the survivor, not the rapist. We saw this last spring on our very own campus when a student came forward about being sexually assaulted by a fraternity member.

On Mar. 29, 2021, USD’s Gender Equity and Sex Positivity Club (GESP) called Public Safety out on their website that included victim-blaming language in relation to sexual assault. 

“Watch your drinks and don’t give anyone an opportunity to spike them,” the USD email read. “Don’t go out under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” PSafe advised. 

The website had not been updated in ten years and included information regarding how not to be raped.

In response, PSafe removed victim-blaming language from their website by replacing the “Rape Prevention” section with a link to USD’s on-campus resources. It’s no shock that this was changed only after they were called out for using this language. 

USD students responded by holding a protest, planned by GESP, on campus with requests to expel the rapist, introduce new policies, such as Zero-Tolerance Policies, remove the fraternity from campus, and to implement an in-person consent education program. Huge numbers of students turned out for this protest, which included many people who had been sexually assaulted themselves. 

Similarly, USC students gathered together to protest in front of the Sigma Nu fraternity house, where they taped posters to the walls outside with phrases such as “#MeToo,” “Silence is Violence,” “Justice for all women,” “Expel rapists,” “End victim blaming” and so many more. 

Campus sexual assault survivors and their allies are speaking out in growing numbers because the crime appears to be as pervasive as ever and the climate to fight it is getting worse. Those who report sexual misconduct face retaliation for doing so because it “ruins the image” of assaulters, as well as Greek organizations. 

Many other women came forward on social media to discuss how their sexual assaults were disregarded by school officials, and how they still carry the trauma with them every day. 

It’s funny how universities such as USD and USC, pride themselves on being progressive institutions of change, yet no change occurs when it comes to sexual assault. Women still fear being taken advantage of by their male classmates, they still cover their drinks or worry if they’re showing too much skin at a party, and they still have to deal with the pervasive rape culture that exists at these universities. 

Sure, USD is trying to do better, but the key word there is “trying.” From what I have seen, there have been no drastic changes or tangible efforts from USD this semester. We need more than trying, we need change.

I am tired of students having to take on the responsibility of telling their institutions that they are not doing enough. I am tired of school administrators placing the responsibility of preventing rape onto women instead of holding the rapists accountable. It’s not fair that women have to walk around campus with the possibility that they might have to face their assaulter. 

I want abolition. Institutions thinking they are “reforming” their policies and procedures is not enough. These two instances are just a few of the millions of sexual assaults that happen every day all around the world on college campuses, most of which go unnoticed or unreported. 

I don’t want to feel scared walking around campus at night, or even during the day. I don’t want to miss out on events or get-togethers because I fear men. USD is not doing enough to eradicate “rape culture” on campus. The “training” we have to do every year is easily skippable and tells women “here’s how not to get raped.” 

Instead, in-person training would also force men to listen instead of skip through lazily put together PowerPoint slides. I think the biggest call for action would be to believe survivors and take all cases seriously. Once we stop second guessing victims and start believing that they did not “deserve it” or “ask for it,” we can start making our campuses safer. 

When universities do not punish men for their actions, it shows others that there are no consequences, therefore they are free to do as they please. Maybe, if USD and other institutions held men accountable for their actions, people would see how damaging it can be to their lives, and would tell men “Hey, there are real consequences for my actions.” 

Instead of universities being “disgusted by the violence that took place” they need to realize that there is no place for abhorrent misconduct, nor a culture that supports it on campuses. They need to take action instead of releasing statements that mean nothing.

Whether a woman, a man, or a person of different identity, sexual assault should never be tolerated. Not on a college campus, not anywhere.

Violence against women is a men’s issue. Gender-based violence is upheld by every man who fails  to intervene. It is upheld by every  man who chooses to protect a rapist. It is upheld by every man who chooses to look the other way. It is upheld by the institutions that protect our abusers and rapists. Stop protecting rapists and hold men accountable for their actions.