I’m tired.
Exhausted, actually. Every story of rape that makes headlines drains me entirely, and when those stories are born from the alleged actions of fellow Greek organizations, the ache just compounds upon itself.
One question keeps coming up, but no matter how many times it’s voiced, we haven’t been able to get an answer.
What is it going to take to protect our girls?
We already have mandatory alcohol and sexual assault awareness training for every incoming sorority member.
We already host seminars and online modules to teach them what alcohol can do to the body, and how some people are out to take advantage of that inebriation.
We read them their Title IX rights and give them the phone numbers to campus police and crisis hotlines.
We buy pink pepper spray in bulk, encourage women to stay in groups at night, always have a plan, and keep aware of their surroundings.
We try and guide women back to a safe path when we hear they may be overdoing the partying and keep our houses open as safe spaces.
We know that mistakes happen and regrets can consume them, but above all we know we are always at risk, and at some point or another, sexual assault will come too close for comfort.
Our efforts are wholehearted but all too often in vain.
And again, we were proven correct when reports of a dual rape at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon off-campus party started rolling out early last week.
Not one, but two young women went to the police after an October 3 party held at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house to report rape by intimidation and threat of force. In accordance with the Cleary protocol, campus police sent out an email blast with a basic description of the assault and perpetrator to inform the general public what is happening and who is at risk.
Names have not been released and the membership status of the alleged perpetrator has not been confirmed, but no matter how the dust settles, SAE will still be carrying the weight of the claim.
CSULB’s Interfraternity Council specifically declares in the Code of Conduct that any open party with alcohol present is forbidden, and any non-Greek attending a Greek event must be invited by a member who personally assumes all responsibility for the attendee’s actions. So, if the accusations being levied against SAE prove true, the membership status of the perpetrator really will not matter.
All that does is the fact that two girls walked into that party trusting their surroundings and expecting a night of fun before things went terribly wrong.
I know that as a Greek, I dedicate myself to bettering each and every one of my sisters and fostering a community that uplifts our campus, city and national philanthropies. I know that as a Greek, stereotypes galore precede us, and I have to work double time to prove that we have value.
And in light of everything coming out of the SAE debacle, I’ll be working triple time to make sure nobody else has to leave a Greek space as a victim when they walked in a guest.
