This is not an assault on the Greek system. Many good times have preceded this incident. I only hope that the following will be a constructive lesson to make an enjoyable, improving system even better. My point? Down with the houses that can't maintain internal control.
I am sorry to say that one house is beginning to change my usually positive opinion of the Greek system as would yours if you experienced, or even witnessed, the degrading behavior of brothers of one fraternity over Green Key weekend. I cannot claim that their immature behavior during this incident was different than they normally act within the confines of their house. This weekend, unfortunately, I just happened to bear the brunt of their display of foul behavior.
During the course of the night I realized that when you descend their stairs, all ties of friendship, humor, and decency dissipate into the wafting smell of stale beer. During the evening the brothers' jokes become more exclusive to depressing, deprived, insecure males.
Mostly we were all laughing with each other and having a very good time. All in jest, one suffers a few jabs and jokes here and there, but these people know no moderation. What was funny once was taken too far. Soon, I was singled out in the joking, which evolved into verbal assaults.
One compliment on my physical attributes eventually turned into a slew of chants and calls for my exposure. My calm and rational requests for their acquittal was greeted with subtle bribes of gifts (beer?) that would hopefully lessen my reluctance to reveal my breasts.
Among friends and other females, I felt that it was just a little joke out of control and there was no pressing need to leave. Things went back to normal laughing and joking for a bit, until it was realized that their scheme was not working.
It was at this point that the chants and verbal assaults began again, and those who were my "friends" would not participate in this degradation, but injured me worse with their laughter and support of it. Is singled-out verbal assault by a large group of males upon one female while others cheer it on, a funny thing? I find a lot of things funny, but I miss the humor in this.
Then as if I had not been fully degraded by continued verbal assault, one of the pledges -- under order I suppose -- grabbed my breasts. This behavior exceeds all boundaries of humor and decency. How far can we allow this behavior to go? How much further would they have gone?
As I left, I told them never to try this stunt again on me, or any other female. The brothers began their chanting again, making a sarcastic and condescending joke at feeling apologetic about their actions.
I left, thoroughly insulted and disgusted, convinced that they were all hopeless baboons, with nothing in the world to depend on but their beer. Nice camaraderie. Nice people. Nice house. Grow up guys. The only people you amuse are yourselves, and that is why you are alone in your wallowing.
What this fraternity further fails to realize is the sobering reality that their actions only further perpetuate their conditions. You are welcome to do as you please, but do not send me an invitation to your Saigon Party and then treat me, or any other person, with such disrespect and immaturity.
What angers me, and ought to anger other supporters of the Greek system, is that it is brothers like these that give a bad name to not only their own house, but the system we avidly defend. Maybe it is only this house, but I would like all of the houses to look at this incident and make sure they don't ruin our Greek system by letting anything close to this happen again. Next time, it could be worse.
A few key points to remember: (1) most anything is fine in moderation; (2) if you are going to be drunk, be assured it's no excuse -- you are still responsible for your words and actions; (3) if you are part of the Greek system, then you represent it, so you had better treat it, and the people in it, well enough to be able to keep the privilege of participating in it; and (4) abolish the Greek houses that can't maintain internal control, and long live those that do.
Don't let them fool you; they are not nice guys. They may act that way in hopes that somebody will have pity on them when they complain about their pathetic life-style. Wallowing in their hand-crafted misery and self-destructing pity is what they do best.
Let's start seeing some maturity and responsibility; demonstrate some restraint and control within the house. Hey, wake up guys! Maybe there is a reason you are that way. Don't blame the rest of us. Shape up or ship out before you ruin it for everybody else that finds pleasure in the Greek system.
No shame in my game.
