The time has come to end frats

Critics of this idea point to the benefits of fraternities: the networking, the social ties, the philanthropy.

But it’s not as though abolishing frats would mean male students could no longer network, make friends or participate in community service. There are plenty of non-Greek associations that exist exactly for those purposes.

For proof, look at Middlebury College, in Middlebury, VT, which banned frats in the 1990s. It has more than 15 recognized philanthropic clubs, from a group supporting a local resident with cerebral palsy to a mentoring organization for low-income kids. There are many networking and recreational clubs as well.

The opposition to the ban-fraternities movement also argues frats will simply move underground — making them more difficult for universities to regulate. It’s the equivalent of the “let your children drink at home, so you can make sure they’re doing it in a safe environment.”

This argument has a couple of flaws.