In light of an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia, fraternity men who do not fit the mold must now defend themselves, their brothers and their organizations. So what does this mean for fraternity men at Wichita State?

As a sexual assault allegation saturates through Greek communities across the nation, it is seemingly redefining what it means to be a fraternity man.

Last November, Rolling Stone Magazine published a harrowing narrative of a young woman’s alleged rape that occurred at a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the University of Virginia in 2012. The young woman, “Jackie,” now a junior at UVA, shared with the magazine how she was invited to a party by a fraternity brother, led upstairs into a small dark room and allegedly brutally gang raped by other members of the chapter.

At Jackie’s request, Rolling Stone did not contact the member of Phi Kappa Psi whom she claimed orchestrated the rape. However, as more details surfaced in the following weeks, so did the inconsistencies in Jackie’s story, causing her credibility to diminish. Rolling Stone published an apology on its website a few weeks later, recognizing the flawed narrative.

After the initial publication, the story made national and international headlines, rendering a disconcerting attitude toward Greek Life across the nation.

The issue has since cast an extremely dark light on fraternity men everywhere.

It is the echoes of this rape, and other cases like it, that are redefining what it means to be a member of a fraternal organization.

 “Wichita State Fraternity and Sorority Life is by no means stereotypical, and we’re proud of that,” said Lyston Skerritt, WSU’s assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Skerritt, a former fraternity man himself, said that fraternities and sororities are under the microscope because of the nature of their organizations, and now must hold themselves to a higher standard.

“For us, it’s not so much as the spotlight is on us,” Skerritt said. “I’d say we need to look at this like it’s a challenge to ensure we are living out our values on a daily basis.”

A recent study conducted in October by the University of Oregon sought to reveal the rate of sexual assaults occurring on campus, and if there was a correlation with the Greek system. The study revealed that 48.1 percent of females and 23.6 percent of males in fraternity and sorority life have experienced non-consensual sexual contact. Females not associated with fraternity and sorority life reported 33.1 percent, and males reported 7.9 percent.

When you look at the percentages for men, that’s not a narrow gap between Greek and non-Greek reports.

It is studies like these that create a negative perception that all fraternities, or Greek systems, rather, are institutions solely of social revelry and sexual disturbances. Sure, the Greeks demonstrate community service and scholarship, but that doesn’t make headlines. Hazing and sexual assault generally do.

“It really hurts to have that perception from the public,” said Matthew Brinkmeyer, a WSU sophomore and member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

As the only person in his family to ever be affiliated with a fraternal organization, Brinkmeyer said he feels his family perceives him adversely based on what they see in the media.

“People start to associate me with that [stereotypical] behavior,” he said. “I get defensive sometimes, and I have to defend myself and my brothers, so it’s frustrating.”

As a member of the Greek community, and as a woman, it saddened me to read such graphic allegations in the Rolling Stone article. But I know the men here at WSU do not fit the mold of a cocky, beer-chugging party animal that could lead a young woman into a gang rape. The fraternity men I know are genuine, respectful and hold prominent leadership positions on campus.

Some members of the Greek community said they feel that fraternity men at WSU do not conform to what is generally perceived by those outside of the Greek system.

“The men here at Wichita State do not fit that particular mold at all,” said Emry Woelk, president of WSU’s Panhellenic Council, the regulating body for five different sororities on campus.  

“Most of the public does not know that Greek organizations were founded on service, philanthropy and scholarship,” she said. “We work hard to become Greek and we work hard to stay Greek, and the reason why fraternities at WSU are still on campus is because they do not have problems like that.”

Perhaps fraternity men are becoming a scapegoat for sexual assault, meaning they are to blame for the rising rates of sexual assault cases at universities. Incidentally, the argument of whether or not to ban fraternities nationwide is becoming a whirling debate. Stories panning from Gawker.com all the way to MSNBC begged the idea of eradicating these organizations across the nation.

One story published by Ali Vitali of MSNBC said, “Sexual assault stories are becoming too frequent, with too consistent a tie to the Greek community. How can we not ask if now is the time to finally put an end to fraternity and sorority life?”

Vitali was once a member of a sorority. She proudly wore her letters until she read the Rolling Stone article. Her narrative tells of a time when she blew off the naysayers and was entrenched in her organization. She says that she now feels opposed to mere idea of keeping any fraternity on a college campus.

But as Woelk said, these fraternities were founded on service, scholarship and philanthropy. Not to mention fraternities also make up 85 percent of Fortune 500 company executives and have produced 18 presidents, according to an article published by USA Today two years ago.

“Based on a fraternity man’s values, a fraternity house should be the safest place on a college campus,” Woelk said. “It is the safest place on campus. They teach chivalry, they teach brotherhood. All of their values should co-align and be a safe place for any woman to be.”