The Runner Debates: Fraternities & Sororities: The Pro Side
Despite the bad rap, fraternities might just be what KPU needs
Click here to read the other side!
Recent rumblings from the Kwantlen Student Association and the Alliance of BC Students about the possibility of one day building student housing on campus have gotten me thinking about what our young university could look like a few years from now.
Should the project get off the ground, the institution would take a big step towards developing that sense of community and unique culture found on the campuses of more established institutions. Who knows? Maybe getting students together in an on-campus residence would help the school shake it’s “all business, no fun” commuter college vibe and develope something resembling the party culture that one tends to think of when imagining a real college experience.
To me, fraternities and sororities are an exciting idea. As things are today, the party culture at KPU is nonexistent. Don’t get me wrong, our university is good for what it provides—the small class sizes and comparatively cheap tuition are great, but nobody came here to have fun. As a longtime KPU student I have no complaint about the quality of education, but those seeking that unforgettable college experience that includes ample debauchery along with the regular helpings of learning and personal growth won’t find that on these campuses. There are times when this school feels sterile. Having fraternities around would help to create a more social—and most importantly more fun—vibe on campus.
It’s an idea that doesn’t sit well with everyone these days. Lately the old university tradition has come under fire. For some the issue is simply about noise, while bad press from a few highly publicized incidents of disgraceful behavior, along with negative archetypes associated with frat guys and sorority girls, have created something of an image problem.
Is this image problem fair? For every publicized incident at one party, thousands of frats and sororities across North America add to campus life at their schools without issue.
Critics of the greek system tend to assume that problems within some frats are somehow inherent to the culture. Examples of bad behavior by members are often held up as the norm, when the attitudes that lead to such behavior can be addressed. Issues such as noise can be a addressed simply by common sense bylaws limiting revelry to weekends.
KPU making it’s own system from scratch means it would have the opportunity to create a culture based on respect and inclusiveness backed by a code of conduct. KPU frats could be a valuable tool for encouraging a responsible party culture as this hypothetical KPU residential life develops.
Sure, the frat thing is not for everybody. I’m not even certain it would be for me, having never been involved with one. However, the sense of community and vibrancy that such a tradition would encourage at KPU could make the joining of a fraternity or sorority not just a valuable student experience, but an unforgettable one.
