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Girls just want to have fun: Why we should let sororities throw parties ALIFIMOFF’S ALLEY | Current rules enforce outdated gender norms
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remember my first frat party. It was oppressively hot, in the way that only Philadelphia in late August can be. I was backed into a corner, my calves pressed against the cool of the keg, slowly sipping my drink, terrified of being one of the girls who drinks too much on the first night of college and does something embarrassing. Despite the fear and the heat, and the acrid sips of Bankers burning in my mouth, I felt a swell of happiness. This was college. I’d made it. During New Student Orientation, fraternities often take on the role of unofficial “campus ambassadors.” They welcome new
ing their own events by outdated rules. The unequal rules surrounding alcohol possession and consumption in Greek life, which tilt the social power balance in favor of fraternities, are at the heart of some of Greek life’s biggest problems. Panhellenic guidelines prevent sororities from having alcohol in their houses. When sororities do host events with liquor, like formals or date nights, they are normally required to be held in an off-campus venue with a liquor license. Most sorority’s national guidelines prevent
The unequal rules surrounding alcohol possession and consumption in Greek life, which tilt the social power balance in favor of fraternities, are at the heart of some of Greek life’s biggest problems.” freshmen to Penn with square flyers shoved under the doors of college houses. During every major Penn “holiday,” frats take on a public role. They’re quasiinstitutions dictating the Social Ivy’s must-go events. Where are the sororities? They’re attending these parties as guests, prevented from host-
them from hosting events with open bars. This stands in striking contrast to the Interfraternity Council which responded to the new Task Force guidelines last semester by subsidizing “50% of the costs associated with hiring bartenders and security guards for on–campus fraternities.”
In practice, this means that when it comes to normal weekend socializing, sororities are dependent on frats to host and provide alcohol for mixers and socials. At parties, frat brothers control who enters, they pour drinks, and kick people out when necessary. They have the undeniable home court advantage. Unequal policies regarding alcohol lead to systemic inequities within the Greek system. These inequities are not the fault of any one organization or group. To paint this issue as one of fraternity misogyny or sorority prudishness would be to misunderstand the problem. These inequities are the result of a failure to update long outdated policies that enforce dated gender roles. Revamping Panhellenic rules about drinking isn’t just about combating rape culture; it’s
deal with the hassles of set up and clean up, and pay higher insurance premiums in case of an accident. If frats are doing all of the work, what are the sororities bringing to the party? Changing alcohol policies would let sororities dictate their own terms. It would give women power of the physical space they socialize in and relieve some of the heteronormative pressure SANJANA RAO | DESIGN ASSOCIATE that often accompaabout fundamentally shifting the nies Greek events. heterosexual gender binary that I understand that most alcohol still underpins most of Greek policies are dictated down from life. When sororities have no on high. They leave individual other option for casual socializ- chapters or sisters little choice; ing than a mixer hosted by a frat, they can either accept the alit creates a charged atmosphere cohol policies of their national where the latent expectation is, organizations and the National at the very least, heterosexual Panhellenic Council or they can flirtation. opt out of being a member of an I don’t have anything against on-campus Greek organization heterosexual flirtation. I don’t entirely. There’s an argument to have anything against respon- be made that women who dissible drinking or responsible agree with sororities’ alcohol hooking up. I understand that policies should simply not join fraternities and sororities are Greek life. But I think that’s a fundamentally social organiza- knee jerk reaction; one that distions. We’re all here to have fun, misses the Greek system out of but when the system determines hand and leaves women with two that men are the perpetual hosts equally limiting options: join and women forever their guests, Greek life and put up and shut up an unspoken quid-pro-quo with its problems, or stay disafworms its way into the system. filiated and give up the positive Party hosting comes with a aspects of the Greek experience. slate of responsibilities. When My Greek affiliation is one frats host parties, it means that of the best decisions I’ve made they flit the bill for the alcohol, at Penn. My sorority experience
REBECCA ALIFIMOFF has been an overwhelmingly positive experience that embodies all of the cliches one hears during rush week. In my sorority, I’ve found not only my best friends, but also a community of women who have pushed me to be more active, ambitious, and vocal about making Penn a better place. I’ve been inspired by their poise, dedication, and intelligence. I want Penn to be a safer and more progressive place. I want Greek life to be more open and inclusive. But that will only happen when we start an open dialogue about the structural problems and inequalities that plague the Greek community. It starts by beginning a conversation with the organizations that we are a part of. It starts by admitting the ways we have been complicit in systems that perpetuate outdated gender roles and asking how we can do better in the future. Girls just wanna have fun, and I’d like to do it without the crippling guilt of upholding the patriarchy. REBECCA ALIFIMOFF is a College sophomore from Fort Wayne, Ind. studying history. Her email address is ralif@sas.upenn.edu.
Penn undermines its own relationship policy by staying silent on Kurzban THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN OPINION BOARD
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t has been close to two weeks since The Daily Pennsylvanian published an investigative article detailing a sexual relationship between former Undergraduate Chair of the Psychology Department Robert Kurzban and a female undergraduate student in his class. The alleged relationship clearly violated University policy and undermined Penn’s recent efforts to counter sexual misconduct on campus. Despite this, the admin-
University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy. “We take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and investigate them,” MacCarthy wrote in an email. “However, we do not comment on individual personnel matters.” This week, in response to a new set of allegations that Kurzban had a romantic relationship with an undergraduate female student while he was her minor advisor, Executive Director of
If administrators want to adapt and improve the University’s policies around sexual misconduct, they must also be willing to acknowledge when existing policies have been violated.” istration has provided little in the way of a response. When approached for comment on the story, three of the University’s top administrators did not respond, while two deferred to a two-sentence statement from
the Provost’s Office Leo Charney replicated the same statement provided by MacCarthy. All five of the administrators contacted for this latest article also declined to address whether Kurzban would be teaching a
class next semester. As of today, over a dozen Penn students have spoken to the DP about Kurzban’s behavior because they recognized that he reportedly made troubling violations of University policy. As of now, it is unclear if administrators agree. No administrators from the University have acknowledged the reports of Kurzban’s alleged behavior, or whether any formal action is being taken against him. In the two weeks since the article, Kurzban’s name has not appeared in any public statement. When Penn announced its categorical ban on consensual faculty-student relationships last month, Provost Wendell Pritchett insisted that keeping campus free of sexual misconduct was one of Penn’s “highest priorities.” Earlier in the semester, the Provost penned a school-wide email with Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, calling on members of the Penn community to submit suggestions on how to make the University’s procedures around sexual misconduct more “effective and equitable.” If administrators want to adapt and improve the University’s policies around sexual misconduct, they must also be willing to acknowledge when existing policies have been violated. The
University has prohibited sexual relationships between faculty and students “during the teacherstudent relationship” since 1995, meaning that Kurzban’s alleged conduct violated a policy that has been in place for decades.
with his graduate student, whom he had also taught as an undergraduate. Within a week, a Yale spokesperson told reporters from the campus newspaper that Darnell was suspended for one year, without pay.
Penn should acknowledge that Kurzban’s alleged actions violated a decades-old policy, clearly articulate what actions the University plans to take, and clarify Kurzban’s current status on campus.” By keeping silent on the allegations brought against Kurzban, administrators have missed a crucial opportunity to clearly reaffirm to students that they are committed to upholding policies designed to keep this campus safe. Five years ago, when Yale University administrators found themselves in a similar predicament, they opted to be more transparent with their students. Egyptology professor John Darnell engaged in a sexual relationship
Similarly, three days after the Chronicle of Higher Education published an article earlier this year reporting allegations of sexual harassment against Harvard University professor Jose Dominguez, Harvard Provost Alan Garber sent out a university-wide email calling the scandal “a difficult moment for our community.” Later that month, Harvard publicly announced that Dominguez had been placed on administrative leave. This is not the first time that
Penn has stayed quiet on controversy surrounding key personnel. Earlier this year, students were informed that longtime director of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business Inge Herman had left the University, but were not given any explanation why. Administrators declined requests from DP reporters asking for more information. In 2016, nearly two dozen Penn employees talked to the DP about inappropriate remarks made by Executive Director of College Houses & Academic Service Martin Redman. At the time, seven former or current CHAS staffers, including four house deans, said they had spoken to Penn’s Division of Human Resources about Redman but multiple administrators contacted declined to comment. This pattern of silence needs to end. Penn should acknowledge that Kurzban’s alleged actions violated a decades-old policy, clearly articulate what actions the University plans to take, and clarify Kurzban’s current status on campus. Administrators have explicitly and repeatedly said in recent years that they are committed to fighting sexual misconduct on campus. Their resounding silence on Kurzban’s alleged behavior undermines that commitment.