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On March 1st, 2024 The University Of Maryland placed a cease and desist on all Inter Fraternal Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA) organizations on its campus.
Merriam-Webster defines “Fraternity” as “a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose or interest, or pleasure.” Along with this, it defines “Sorority” as “a club of women.”
A fraternity falls under IFC, and a sorority would fall under PHA. Joining one of these organizations is extremely popular on college campuses around the United States of America.
Specifically, at the University of Maryland, according to an article published by the University of Maryland Stories Behind the Shell, PHA had 2,566 members in 2020 and IFC had a total of 1,775 members in 2020 when 30,353 undergraduate students attended the university.
The process of joining a fraternity and sorority includes a few rounds that are open to all students in the university if they meet a specific grade point average. Then, the rounds become “invite” only and become more and more intense.
The University of Maryland specifically has had a few fraternities and sororities that have gotten into serious trouble. One of them, Tau Kappa Epsilon, was on probation for three years due to hazing and risk management.
According to an article written by the Washington Post, “Officials with the University’s Division of Student Affairs said multiple chapters have been accused of misconduct that has ‘threatened the safety and well-being of members of the University community.’”
Along with this, all the organization's events held on or off campus, where alcohol is present or served, have been suspended.
However, the question arises, what does this mean for the students in these organizations?
When looking at the past where Greek organizations like fraternities and sororities have been in trouble, it is also possible for the members to get into big legal trouble.
In 2017, a student died at The Pennsylvania State University fraternity after falling down the stairs. Out of the four men who were the cause of this, three of them received jail time and one of them was under house arrest for nearly a year.