The Evils of Fraternities and Sororities Essay -- Argumentative Colleg

The Evils of Fraternities and Sororities Joining fraternities and sororities has been a long tradition among many college and university students within the United States. As the number of students entering colleges and universities grow, the influence and pressure to join fraternities and sororities grow as well. According to a research project conducted by Dr. Gary D. Malaney, associate professor of education and director of student affairs at the University of Massachusetts, â€Å"58.6% [of 413 students surveyed] reported having at least a few friends who belong to the Greek Area† (Malaney 2). However, the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of Miami in February 2004 was found at fault for the death of Chad Meredith for â€Å"attempting a drunken early-morning swim across Lake Osceola during a hurricane as part of a fraternity-initiation stunt† (Sileo 1). In August of 2004, the Psi Epsilon Chi chapter from the State University of New York was found guilty for the death of Walter Dean Jennin gs for â€Å"acute water intoxication during a pledge ceremony in which he was forced to drink alcohol and ingest enough water to make his lungs collapse† (Sileo 1). If fraternities and sororities are as positive as its members present them to be, why are fraternities and sororities mandating horrible things to innocent students? The truth is that many students know that fraternities and sororities are the wrong choice for the college and university atmosphere; however, they decline to reveal the truth in order to cover up this escape route from academics to civil disobedience. Among the many non-respectable rituals and ceremonies performed by these organizations, hazing is the number one reason why a number of students ha... ...du>. Roach, Colleen. Rev. of Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking, by Hank Nuwer. Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Higher Education Sept. 2000 v1, i2: p84. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 22 Jan. 2005. . Sharma, Angeli. Telephone interview. 22 January 2005. Sileo, Carmel. â€Å"Fraternities Fall to Stem Tide of Binge-Drinking Deaths, Lawsuits Claim.† Trial October 2004 v40 i10: p10. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 24 Jan. 2005. . Storch, Eric A. and Jason B. Storch. â€Å"Fraternities, Sororities, and Academic Dishonesty.† College Student Journal June 2002 v36, i2: p247. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 22 Jan. 2005. .