Kim Scarsella ’16 is a former member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority at Cornell University. She can be contacted at [email protected].
I was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority while at Cornell, and much of my social life while at school was based in the Greek system. One thing that stands out to me, that has been absent from the slew of opinion pieces on Jane Doe’s rape allegations, is the lack of criticism of the sorority system. Yes, fraternity men are the ones accused of rape in this case. Yes, these crimes happen at fraternity houses. But why? The rules forced on sorority women are antiquated, offensive and dangerous. I was appalled by the restrictions put on us while rushing sororities, and subsequently remaining in one for my full four years of college.
To begin with rush: Fraternities host open parties where men can come and go as they please, mingle, drink alcohol and smoke cigars. Simultaneously, women are led around like children, forced to visit every house, wait in line outside in the freezing January cold, adhere to strict dress codes, get yelled at by their rho gammas and then have brief, choreographed conversations with sorority members where they are strictly forbi...