Pledging Sigma Alpha Epsilon last year was the best decision I’ve made at GW. I love the idea of fraternities, and actively promote their interests. That is why it pains me to see the state of GW’s Greek life and then read an article that bashes off-campus fraternities with lies and ignorant generalizations. Let’s clear things up with a little SAE History 101.
Since Nov. 8, 1858, young men have banded together on this campus to become brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Our rich history dates to when this school was called by its former name of Columbian College. After the Civil War, Washington City Rho was the first chapter to reactivate in the fall of 1865, giving us the title of the “Phoenix” chapter because we rose from the ashes like the Phoenix bird does every 500 years. For decades we lived in harmony with the University. Unfortunately, recent decision-makers have decided to actively control Greek life and began seeing fraternity houses as valuable real estate. More than 100 years of tradition didn’t mean much to GW, but it did to our national, who has stood by us year after year.
In the past 10 years, most fraternities on campus were strong-armed out or survived by adhering to strict regulations placed on them by the Interfraternity Council. They got rid of the houses that represented a refuge for having fun on campus and replaced them by building Townhouse Row, which consists of fraternities you’ve probably never heard of, and they can’t even throw parties. These and other puppet fraternities, some of them less than five years old, portray themselves as social clubs that accept anybody willing to pay dues. Furthermore, they have no history and only exist to give GW the faade of real Greek life. So make sure to wave to high school tours that walk by your house, and we’ll do our best to explain to the freshmen why nothing happens on campus without us. Instead of walking to an SAE-like party to pretend GW had a social life, students now pay for cabs and use fake identification at off-campus clubs. The war is over, and the students lost. In the aftermath, there are still a few fraternities and sororities keeping it real in the face of a campus that shuts down with the sun.
Finally, to those who perpetrate the rumors we read and hear, thank you for giving us the bad boy image you love to hate, laughable articles to read and amusing stories to laugh at. To the true fraternities, good luck. Be smart, die hard and remember that we are all in this together. To the student body, we’ve been rocking hard for 148 years and have survived everything this school could throw at us, so get ready, because we’re only getting stronger.
-The writer is a sophomore majoring in international affairs.
