RUSH

BY GRACE BARTLETT, TIA RAHMATALLA, SHANZA SAMI DESIGN BY TAELIM YOON

Kappa Kappa Gamma. Alpha Phi. Chi Omega. These assortments of Greek letters may seem random, but hold deeper significance than one may expect. Greek life, particularly sorority life, is an integral part of college life for many University of Iowa students — often consisting of large houses, rich culture, and vast communities. While many sororities continue to foster a sense of community through connecting students while providing housing, there are many other aspects of sorority life that the majority overlook — from the secrecy with social media to restrictions with relationships.

Sorority culture is comprised of a large group of women living within the same large occupancy.

Greek life is designed to aid undergraduates seeking a comfortable living space, while also strengthening connections between students.

Cultural norms within sororities entail various activities, even dating back to events prior to entering the sorority. A 4-round initiation process, or rush, occurs prior to entering a sorority, and details a comprehensive look into determining whether the PNM, or Potential New Member, is qualified to become a part of the sorority.

It should be cautioned that traditions shouldn’t be confused with rituals, although there are some aspects of it integrated within Greek life. Angela Nyunt, a third-year Uni - versity of Iowa student on a Human Physiology track and president of the UIowa Panhellenic Council, runs through the initiation process for prospective sorority members. Nyunt notes that traditions within sorority life aren’t as hardcore as some picture it to be. “It’s not like we have rituals, which are just ceremonies that are special to each chapter. It’s secretive, but there are some ritualistic components there during preference round, so they just get to see a little bit more of the chapter.”

Many report that the various traditions can lead to an increased sense of community and connections. Nyunt notes that connections and networking were a big consideration for her when joining the sorority. “I initially wanted to join because I heard about the professional development opportunities. I wanted to meet more people who are in pre-med who can give me advice, or network with people, because I’m going to med school and am very career driven.” Later, Nyunt transitioned to enjoying aspects of her sorority for the life-long friendships. “After I joined, I was like, ‘I actually get along with these people really well.’ I formed a lot of close friendships.”

Sorority alumna Ann Saba recalls how a sense of community was fostered within her sorority. “I met my best friends in the sorority. I was very introverted and shy in college, so I was able it was a place for me to meet new friends.” Saba suggests that the numerous social activities offered within sororities, from formals to volunteering and even movie nights, foster new bonds while also benefiting the university. In addition to the numerous social activities, partying and rave culture within Greek life is one aspect often frowned upon. Rave culture surfaces deeper than a simply dancing -- ranging from drinking to substance use among other activities. Partying within sororities often gets messy when upon involvement with fraternities. Alcohol abuse, done illegally and underage, is a prevalent practice within Greek life. According to a study completed by Harvard University, four out of five fraternity and sorority members are binge drinkers, compared to the two out of five college students that are binge drinkers. Binge drinking and alcohol abuse have a number of effects, contributing to accidents, sexual assaults, numerous emergency room visits, and even deaths.

`Surprisingly, the sense of community within Greek life can be an active cause of alcohol abuse. Peer pressure is one insurmountable factor in developing binge drinking habits, with college students feeling obligated to partake in activities that their friends are also doing. Constantly being surrounded by peers that binge drink makes it difficult for students to avoid doing so as well.

Hazing is another aspect of Greek life often overlooked. This unofficial part of the initiation process puts the desire of PNMs to join Greek life to the test, through reckless, and often dangerous tasks, with previous hazing incidents including heavy intoxication, physical violence, and pressure to steal. A common misconception is that hazing differs in frequency between sororities and fraternities, however, experts suggest that women are hazed as often as men, but in less violent ways.

In 2017, a University of Iowa freshman part of the Sigma Chi fraternity died from alcohol poisoning during a formal event. This incident led to the eventual implementation of restrictions and regulations for social events across the University of Iowa’s Greek system. The following academic year, suspected violations of alcohol and substance abuse led to the suspension of nearly a dozen of the university’s Greek chapters — potentially linked back to being a part of the hazing rituals that occur within fraternities and sororities.

Aside from the most prevalent substance abuse — alcohol abuse — there are numerous other forms of substance abuse that occur within Greek life. The Orlando

Recovery Center reports that members within fraternities and sororities undergo accelerated and increased addiction to cigarettes, marijuana, ecstasy, and other drugs. Parties and large gatherings within the Greek system encourage the widespread dealing of drugs and substances. These substance addictions, however, aren’t as extensive as binge drinking habits within the Greek chapters. Numerous studies report that the premature use of substances within college Greek life contributes to substance use disorders in adulthood, displaying significantly higher rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and marijuana abuse compared to their non-member counterparts. This creates a multitude of obstacles regarding job opportunities, career success, and the overall quality of life for Greek life alumni.

In addition to substance abuse, sexual assault reports continue to increase along with the rise of partying culture within sororities and fraternities. One pivotal sexual assault incident occurred within the University of Iowa’s Phi Gamma Delta chapter, where two brothers allegedly engaged in nonconsensual intercourse with a woman, followed by the pair recording the attack and sharing images and a video on social media. This incident coined the title ‘FIJI’, named after the fraternity where the assault occurred, sparking rage and active protests against the assault. The FIJI incident ultimately led to a widespread social movement across the entire campus, inspiring the advocacy of sexual assault victims and increasing awareness. The lawsuit filed against FIJI states that the chapter is fostering ‘a culture of alcohol abuse, underage alcohol consumption, and sexual harassment’.

Sorority and fraternity relations are also a critical aspect of Greek life. While many sororities and fraternities join hands on conducting initiatives and joining organizations, romantic relationships may be among the many pursuits between sororities and fraternities.

Sorority and fraternity mem - bers can undergo a matching process, which determines couples for date nights. Processes such as these fuel the potential for romantic relationship development, through creating couples for formals and date nights.

One common tradition between sororities and fraternities is the selection of a sweetheart. A fraternity sweetheart is one sorority sister chosen by a fraternity’s members to serve as the chapter’s ‘female face’, granted extensive privilege, adoration, and respect. In other words, the fraternity sweetheart is the ideal Greek life representative elected by fraternity members. To determine the fraternity sweetheart, many sororities implement rigorous competition periods with fraternities judging the competition. While this competition between sorority sisters may seem friendly, it holds deeper significance than expected.

According to the Center for Discover in Eating Disorder Treatment, joining sororities are shown to be linked to devastating self perception effects with regards to self esteem, body image dissatisfaction, and eating disorders. Studies have shown that 23-32% of females on college campuses have an eating disorder, and has been shown to have a correlation with joining sororities. This has a potential association with peer pressure and comparison within sororities, which has detrimental physical and physiological effects on females.

Through pitting sorority sisters against one another, a sense of flawed self perception is created. Numerous sorority members indicate that upon joining sororities, body dysmorphia and insecurity increases. In a study completed about the sorority rush process, women who participated in the rush had a higher level of body image disturbance compared to those who chose not to rush. Researchers of the study also report that, “…becoming a member of a sorority has the potential to exacerbate these variables further,” with newly inducted sorority members also showing higher levels of body shame, even in the following month after the rush process has ended.

Additionally, sorority members constantly undergo sexualization from fraternities, being held to a higher standard in comparison to their male counterparts. Numerous sorority members around the nation note that the basis of the Greek system is fundamentally flawed, operating under the fact that fraternities hold power, while sororities are tokenized and objectified. Sam Mason, student at San Diego State, notes that “the entire system is structured to treat women as a commodity.”

Sororities in the past were not vastly different to how they are now. University of Iowa sorority alumna Ann Saba shares about her experiences with the changes throughout her time in her sorority. Sororities from the past also offered many social opportunities and experiences. “Mostly, the sorority was about social opportunities.” Saba notes the fact that she was constantly surrounded by friends, and fostered her relationships with them through the many activities offered there, including roller-skate parties, talent shows, and parties with affiliated fraternities. Charity events were also implemented. “There was one big charity event every year we organized,” Saba recalls. There were also weekly meetings with organized leadership positions, including president, treasurer, secretary, and more. Similarities even stretch to the con - cept of interacting with nearby fraternity chapters and throwing conjoined parties.

Saba notes that different roles presented themselves in the sorority. Sorority member roles were allocated into 2 groups: pledge moms and pledge daughters, or representatives for people in the class above you and below you. These representatives served as life mentors, similar to that of an older sister, which allowed social aspects of the sorority to prevail. Although many positive aspects were highlighted throughout Saba’s experience, there were some negative experiences throughout. The rushing process was known to feel like a toxic tradition for Saba. “It felt cold and unwelcoming.” The process consisted of talking to the freshmen for about three minutes and forcing you to make direct judgements about them, which Saba notes wasn’t an accurate representation of an individual. “Sometimes, it takes a while to get to know people.”

Many students at West High also hold mixed feelings about becoming involved with Greek life. Lydia Evans ‘26 believes that sororities practice too many outdated traditions. “[Sororities] are old-fashioned and a little archaic. At times, they enforce ideas and values that aren’t applicable to modern-day times, like the division of men and women.” This contrasts with Abhi Ashwath ‘26, who finds the networking aspects valuable. “[Benefits include] the social networking and connections that you could make, to help with future life opportunities.”

Regardless of whether one decides to join a sorority for the social opportunities or financial benefits, there are multiple facets of Greek life to consider, be it the partying culture, community involvement, or initiation process. By the words of Angela Nyunt, “I get to meet and interact with a lot of strong, empowering women every single day. I have a lot of cool opportunities just from the people that I get to meet.”