With the start of the new school year, some new students are excited to jump into the college lifestyle by cheering at football games, meeting new people and attending frat parties.
Either to celebrate a football win or to fill up a quiet weekend, frat parties have become a big part of the social scene for college students here at the University of Oregon, but they aren’t always as fun and exciting as they seem.
Frat parties are not worth going to.
I went to a lot of parties in the fall term of my freshman year. My first few experiences made me a little disappointed because the parties weren’t what I expected.
My experience at frat parties consisted of a bunch of sweaty people dancing in a basement which only continued to get mustier. By the end of the night, my feet hurt, and I had to walk back home in the cold while wearing not nearly enough clothes.
The brothers who are assigned to monitor the party and not participate in drinking, are called sober monitors. I found myself feeling more safe when greeted by the sober brothers, especially after hearing about all of the negative allegations surrounding frat parties.
Overall, I never had a bad experience with any of the brothers or guys at the frat. The parties just weren’t as fulfilling as I thought they would be.
As the school year continued, I realized that I valued the time spent with my friends in the dorms more than I enjoyed the frat parties and I stopped going altogether.
Generally, frat parties aren’t known to be the safest environment for students. Just within this past school year, some UO fraternities have been alleged to have drugged attendees or assaulted their female guests.
As of March 7, Theta Chi was temporarily suspended for drugging two attendees at the beginning of the 2024 year.
Last winter term, Phi Delta Theta and Delta Sigma Phi were also placed on interim suspension due to more alleged drugging.
In addition, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, SAE, also known to many college students as “Sexual Assault Expected,” is typically known as the frat to stay away from, especially after its s disaffiliation from UO for drugging and assaulting attendees.
Sara Bowin, a sophomore at Delta Gamma, explained the Panhellenic Counsel’s warnings about disaffiliated and suspended fraternities.
The UO Panhellenic Counsel is part of the National Panhellenic Conference which organizes, supports, and advocates for the sorority chapters at universities nationwide.
“They [PHC] tell you at the beginning of recruitment, ‘These are the frats who are disaffiliated,’” she explained. “They kind of make it a note to you: ‘don’t attend these ones or be aware of the activities of why they’re suspended.’”
Along with alleged drugging, partying also promotes underage alcohol abuse. Students might feel pressured by their peers to drink before these events or some underage guests might be interested in attending frat parties since it is an easy way to access alcohol.
Additionally, partygoers sometimes drink too much, making them more vulnerable in the disordered environment of a frat party.
Sam Burgess, the safety and wellness board delegate for Alpha Tau Omega, explained that they discuss the safety of their members and guests at their chapter meetings each week.
“I think the main thing is definitely having access to a lot of water,” he said. “Another thing is making sure that, if there’s a case where we need to have someone get walked home or have them get an Uber home, that we can do that for them.”
Burgess also explained that they are making the parties more exclusive this year by checking UO IDs, which will help control the environment at the frat.
Through his work with safety precautions, Burgess thinks the safety of the frat depends on which one you are going to.
“I feel like they are [safe] sometimes. It really depends on the fraternity,” he said. “It really depends on their safety guidelines and if brothers know what to do in certain situations.”
Safety is constantly brought up at affiliated fraternities but there is always room for improvement, and each fraternity does things differently, which makes college partying unpredictable.
Along with the inconsistent safety at frat parties, they are also overhyped. Some see college parties portrayed glamorously in films such as “Animal House” or “Neighbors” which can make the reality – which is far different – disappointing.
I asked Bowin if she thinks frat parties are worth going to.
“I’m gonna be honest, no,” she answered. “A basement is not my idea of fun.”
Bowin explained that she hasn’t necessarily had any negative experiences at frat parties, but they just aren’t really worth it.
In addition, the chaotic environment of frat parties makes it difficult for an individual to seek proper help if they have been drugged.
Angelika Stoleck, a Delta Gamma member, explained the importance of safe partying when alcohol is involved.
“Know your limits. Have fun, it’s college. It’s a real quick four years of your life, but safety is the number one priority,” she explained. “Always have a buddy with you, get your group of girls together, go out, have fun, but know each other’s limits.”
Although frat parties can be dangerous in some cases, most have safety precautions set in place that are constantly being analyzed and improved.
My advice to freshmen is to skip the partying phase. Find some strong connections with your peers and enjoy your time with them instead of getting wasted at a frat and not remembering anything the next day.
For those still looking to party, my advice is to have good people to go with, look out for one another, don’t overdo it on the alcohol and never take an open drink from anyone.
It’s okay to experience certain college milestones, but be safe and smart about it.