There has been a long debate going on across the United States for quite a few years now about whether college fraternities should be abolished, due to concerns such as hazing, excessive alcohol abuse, and more. However, banning college fraternities is not exactly a reasonable approach to fixing these problems as they would be likely to happen regardless. One needs to consider the amount of valuable contributions that college fraternities bring to students’ lives and college campuses in general.
While many people see fraternities as a negative aspect of college life, they should most definitely not be abolished, as they ultimately provide great leadership skills, a brotherhood or a second family for college students, and connections that will help members later on in life.
One aspect that makes fraternities extremely beneficial to college students is the leadership qualities that students will gain throughout their time.
Every fraternity holds specific leadership positions that are taken on by members who are chosen. Some of the common executive positions amongst fraternities include labels such as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Social Chair. These positions are pushed for by fraternity members and teach very valuable qualities to these students when it comes to leadership. Having a position of such would require one to make decisions, deal with conflict, and display great communication when problems may arise.
An article by Union University, a prestigious, private university in Jackson, Tennessee states, “Students involved in Greek Life have numerous opportunities to increase their leadership skills… In addition to Union’s leadership training opportunities, fraternities and sororities also allow members to seek additional leadership training through national conferences and workshops.” The improvement of fraternity member’s leadership skills will help them be more successful in everyday life whether it is an academic or a professional setting.
Another benefit that college fraternities provide for students is that it provides unique friendships that could last a lifetime. Through experiences such as social events, or academic support from peers, members have great opportunities to develop very strong bonds that can extend far beyond college. This is also very helpful for someone going to college out of state, or far away from home, where they may not know many people who are attending the same university as them. According to Mercurynews.com, over 40% of new incoming college students move away from home to attend college. Millions of people who move far away from home to attend school have an incredible opportunity to join a fraternity and gain a brotherhood like no other.
Adam Sadiku is a Western Michigan Senior who was a member of the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. He holds no regrets about joining the fraternity, as he explains, “Coming to Western Michigan I was not familiar with a lot of the people. The frat opened up great opportunities to meet new people and I would have never expected to gain the bonds that I did out of it.”
As this is a controversial topic, many people feel that fraternities should indeed be abolished. The main concerns that people have are that college students have to go through violent hazing to be initiated, that fraternities promote underage drinking, and some even believe that fraternities as a group treat women disrespectfully.
An article from The Washington Post mentions all of these counterarguments and ultimately argues that fraternities should be banned. However, times are changing and many frats are starting to move away from hazing. When it comes to alcohol, alcoholrehabguide.org records that roughly 80% of college students consume alcohol to some degree.
There are not nearly that many students who are in fraternities, meaning that alcohol use is inevitable on college campuses and is going to take place regardless, with or without fraternities. The benefits that college fraternities bring a student heavily outweigh the potential risks that may come with being in one. Any college student looking to gain connections or a lifelong brotherhood should look into joining a fraternity.
The long-lasting debate on whether or not college fraternities should be abolished undermines the benefits that could come from fraternities, as it ultimately comes down to the choice of fraternity. College fraternities are extremely beneficial to college students and bring many valuable contributions to the table. Although many people see college fraternities as a negative aspect of college life, reasons such as great leadership skills, a brotherhood like no other, and connections that can last a lifetime are reasons that fraternities should never be abolished.
