Why should college fraternities be encouraged or abolished?

Question

There have been many cases of death, injury and abuse that are linked to hazing in college fraternities. However, many frat members still harp on the advantages that members get from being part of these organizations. What do you think?

Answer 1

I don't think fraternities can be abolished. Maybe a law can be made doing this but they will just come out in another name. I think the punishment for activities concerning fraternities resulting to a violation of our law should be strenghten. Overall i think the objective of fraternities are good. They promote values like brotherhood, loyalty, camaraderie etc. but i guess the way they want to develop these values (specially on loyalty) to their neophytes is inappropriate which sometimes lead to death or physical injuries. Maybe the government, schools and other institutions should encourage fraternities to think of better ways to check on members' faith and loyalty to their organization.

Answer 2

Are you in a fraternity/sorority? If not, well I guess I have a little explaining to do. If you've ever watched Ramboo (first blood) or black hawk down, Ramboo and Sgt. hoot had a common idea that they voiced out towards the end and i quote " People will never understand why we do it." its the same with fraternities people never really understand why we do the things we do, why? well naturally they've never really been there and done that, they dont understand the people, and the traditions that people undergo to enter, they dont know the feeling that you feel after having undertaken the struggles, to be specific they dont feel the value of the price being paid they just think they do.
look it up in a latin dictionary Frater/ Fratris - latin word of brother. and then put away the daydream hazings ask yourself what do brothers do. A person who has never been in a fraternity should not be given the right to condemn them\it because they dont really understand it that much. I would just like to point out that despite there is a thin line between an organization being a fraternity or gang group, there is still a line.Going back to the topic whether to encourage or condemn these organizations, well I think that we are already a very civilized society with the appropriate standards, laws and all means neccessary to ensure peace and order, so I say just leave the fraternities alone, I used the word fraternities to say that they are individual groups not as a whole, if a Frat crosses the line, they cross it, punish them, not the whole body of frats men and women, nobody joined any organization to look bad, and every frat wants a good name, and every frat has their by-laws anyway, so if they want to have a good reputation and allow their frat to live long and continue existing in a society/community then that would be up to them, how they deal with their members. but I say it again Nobody wants to look bad, sometimes it just seems like that. I would like to shout out to all fratsmen and women out there whatever frat you may be that we are all brods and sis in ideas and beliefs lets all just remember that we are members of Fraternities, Sororities,and Frasorities, not gangs. lets keep it that way.

Answer 3

College fraternities may or may not be encouraged. It cannot however be abolished.
We do have an existing law passed by Congress which was supposed to deal with hazing. The problem is it only regulates hazing; it does not prohibit it.
As of today, many hazing-related cases have yet to be resolved by the courts. In most, if not all, cases, the actual persons responsible for the deaths of the hazing victims remain at large. Only the fraternity officers are penalized with a little more than a slap on the wrist.
Hazing can never be addressed or remedied by legislation alone simply because a majority of our lawmakers belong to a certain fraternity. It takes more than a strong political will and determination for fraternity members to be responsible enough to look after the well being of the neophytes.
Perhaps it would help if fraternity officers and members will voluntarily undertake a personal commitment to be responsible for the lives of the neophytes in all stages of the initiation rites especially when hazing is involved.
Neophytes must be prepared for hazing when they join fraternities. And fraternity officers and members must also have that sense of obligation to see to it that all neophytes remain alive and kicking even until after they become members of such fraternity.

Answer 4

I like the question, Ms. Patricia. Anyway, even if we tried, I don't think fraternities can ever be abolished. There will always be people looking for a sense of camaraderie, fellowship, brotherhood, or even security who think that they can only satisfy these longings if he becomes part of a fraternity. If a school or any institution implements an anti-fraternity law, it won't stop fratmen from continuing their operations. This might even cause them to rebel. If you think about it, the real essence of being in a fraternity is actually a good thing. You help each other out, watch each other's backs, assist the community, etc. But if you look at today's fraternities, they are mostly associated with shootings, hazing casualties, abuse, and other acts of barbarism. All this from a group that is supposed to be promoting brotherhood and all that jazz. Not all of today's fraternities are bad apples, but because of the havoc being caused by the others, it seems that way. They've lost sight of their true meaning, they're more like a band of hired thugs now. Having said all that, I'm not for encouraging fraternities, but seeing that it is nearly impossible to abolish them, then a major revamp in their tolerance should be implemented. Schools and sometimes even the authorities tolerate these acts too much that it seems they're all scared of the fraternity. Severe punishments or even banishment and imprisonment, depending on the degree of the crime, should be enacted. With all the beating fratmen give and take, they're used to punishment anyway. Give them a dose of their own medicine. If they want to be uneducated thugs, then let them act the part for real. Apprehend the perpetrators, don't allow the group to cover for each other. A peaceful coexistence between members, non-members, and rival fraternities should be maintained. If no one gets caught in the crossfire, then it's all good. If you have to have hazing for initiation rites, then just make sure you don't kill or seriously injure somebody. And to the aspirant, if you think you can't hack it, then just don't join the group! It's not that simple, but it can be worked out if only we all put a foot down on it. Let's not intimidate, and let's not be intimidated.

Answer 5

College fraternities at this point of time should be discouraged and abolished because they do more harm than good to members. They encouraged blind loyalty, unnecessary obedience and attachment to distorted values and of course, bad company. In case, a "brod" or "sis" gets in trouble, frat members would take their fratmate's side without blinking an eye, without understanding " 'who' started 'what' " or "how 'what' started." The dignity of college frats in the very early years had gone into the drain long time ago, even before the present generation of frat members were born. The noble purposes for which they were created had "gone with the wind." Attainment of higher ideals and pursuit for academic excellence are some of the good things that college frats are supposed to work for and encouraged among members to achieve, but sadly, now, frats are just peer groups where everyone is supposed to think and act as the groups declare. Gone are the days when frat members were role models for decency, respectability and determination for doing what is good for the group and the community. Present day college frats are reduced to "barkadahan," having vices together and unceasing in their pursuit to put other rival frats down.
Hazing, a definitely very barbaric means of commanding and maintaining loyalty is made to appear honorable and principled. This idea is inexorably sick and incorrigibly blinding. The very reason why college frats should be abolished is because present day frat members don't understand the real meaning of the word "fraternity" and they cannot live up to honorable aspirations for which college fraternities were created.
It may sound not so nice when Miriam Defensor-Santiago said, "Puro kalandian lang yan" or something to that efect. Many think so.

Answer 6

as a fratmen, i can say that we don't need to abolish the fraternities in our country, instead of doing it, why dont we just encourage them to replace the hazing method that they have. Because this is the reason why other people freaked out when they hear the word "hazing", maybe because, it literally means violence to them. What im sayin here is that, we should think of other alternatives that we can do for the neo's for them to be able to be a member of a certain fraternity. For example, exams, no failing academic grades, community service and etc. On the other hand, I can say that being a frat member has an advantage compared to other students in different aspects.

Answer 7

They should be abolished.

We are in 2007 already and many cases has been reported for death, injury and the like. But what happened next? NO CASES were solved and more and more of death cases piled up.

Why to build fraternity groups when death is the consequences? You can live without these frats...there can be another group to establish or make which no murder will happen.

It's not wrong to form an organization but the system in an organization which leads death to members are PERFECTLY WRONG....a BIG CRIME...and who take the consequences? Who admits the murder? Who are the members will help during his death? Since for a fact that the killer..the murderer is in the GROUP itself?

I was encouraged to join before during my college days but i was never ENCOURAGED to join when I ask the advantages of joining. Whose member has been a good citizen in a country through fraternity? Nobody!

Answer 8

My fraternity has been a source of ridicule for the past two decades. True, hazing is a violent act and there should be more alternatives to enter the fraternity but in truth there isn’t. Were working on it. Were in the process of building an educational, community service, charity work system. That we can put as an optional hazing procedure. At least if they don’t get in they can do some good for themselves and the fraternity.
The way the fraternity grows is depending on the chapter, leader and the environment.
The leader must always take responsibility of his followers whether they are wrong our right. I was fortunate to have a very experience leader. He taught me in many ways to be productive, smart and responsible within the fraternity. Now I live in the us and till this day I am an active member of the fraternity chapter, based in the us. So for me my fraternity life was a blessing and will continue to be.

Answer 9

I personally believe that college fraternities and sororities need not be abolished. Responsible and humane ways of treating the members of these groups is the only solution to the problem. Initiation rites need not be the cause of death of many college students here in the Philippines. They must think of rites that will show how worthy of the group a student is while at the same time, preventing any injury to come upon their to-be fraternity member. If these organizations will not be responsible, college fraternities will need the intervention of the law and be abolished yet some might complain that this is a violation of the human right to form groups. Maybe a law that commands full responsibility of a fraternity over their members and goals will be the solution to this problem.

Answer 10

I think the many death cases, injury and abuse which involves Fraternity hazing in the Philippines is not because of the Fraternities but because of the misconcepcion of the word itself - FRATERNITY. Fraternity is a brotherhood, its suppose to give help to its members and to the community. The violence involving Fraternities its because some members didnt really understand what does brotherhood really means, its not how much an individual can take the beating, but how much can a brother do to help another fellow member either in the Fraternity or in the community. Does what brotherhood is all about.

Instead of abolishing Fraternities, maybe we can re-educate all of them, to take away the violent activities in such fraternities. Maybe we can take the FRAT WAR to another level like, not with fighting one another, but by how much help one fraternity can do in the community he's within. A best FRAT AWARD maybe?

Let's not abolished Fraternities, instead use this as a TOOL to help a community

Answer 11

College fraternities should be abolished if the fraternity hazing procedure didnt change. When we say brotherhood/sisterhood - it means we treat each other as a real brothers and sisters, and we should not hurt each other by terms of hazing that could injured the new member. I admire the brotherhood/sisterhood of all fraternity group that's why there are still students want to be a frat member, but with the increasing cases of death, injury and abuse I think it should be addressed by the school board or our good congressman and senators to look at it and change the system of hazing that they are implementing right now. Just a suggestion - why not make hazing a more meaningful one rather than hurting someone - example make a project for new members like planting 1000 trees at la mesa dam or other mountain or make a community clean up, street sweeping, clean up the drainage to prevent flooding in the streets. There are many things that can be done and this students can help promote a clean and green environment. I hope that this can serve as an eye opener. Thanks