Patrick Ward: Frats, sororities have outlived usefulness

Regarding the March 10 news article “College cuts ties to frat after racist videos”: The Oklahoma SAE debacle is just the most recent in a string of sorority/fraternity stories of poor judgment and group think. But it begs the question: Why in 2015 do public universities even condone and endorse the traditional Greek system of social fraternities?

Universities portend to be institutions centered on teaching, inclusiveness, diversity and all students having equal value and deserving of equal opportunity. Yet the Greek system, by its very nature, is built on exclusivity and isolationism. With a few exceptions, most Greek organizations admit only members of the same race, similar appearance (with regard to dress) and same socioeconomic background and use the financial cost of joining and maintaining membership as a barrier to entry.

Yes, some organizations are charitable and do good work, but volunteer organizations on the campus could fill any void created by eliminating the university-sanctioned Greek system. The social Greek system is a remnant of a much earlier time in our history that has outlived it usefulness and is increasingly an embarrassment and public relations headache for the universities that host them.

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Patrick Ward: Frats, sororities have outlived usefulness."