It's time for sororities and fraternities on campus to go.

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I'm not sure when sororities, fraternities, and other secret and exclusive clubs became part of college, university, and even some high schools, but I think as they exist today they are detrimental to education. Student pledges today go through ordeals our government might consider torture if used against our enemies in interrogation. I just read through another discussion on hazing where people have lost their lives in horrible ways because of these practices, while others only suffered beatings that left them unable to get their pants off by themselves because of the bruising. If the things that go on in fraternity and sorority houses happened at home, protective services would step in to remove the child from the home, and some of these freshman are still under 18 when they leave home to go to school. Even if they are 19, does that make it acceptable to be cruel and abusive? Should extreme peer pressure to be accepted into one of these organization be allowed to pressure someone to drink until it kills him, as happened not long ago at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo? When I was at UCLA 40 years ago fraternities were known for encouraging and abusing alcohol use before the legal drinking age had been reached. The adminstrations make a lot of noise about disapproving, but only act decisively after an extreme case like student deaths. I think these "Greek" organizations have outlived whatever usefulness they may have had. They helped new students away from home for the first time to live in a sort of "family" setting where their brothers and sisters and housemothers were supposed to help them socially and academically to succeed. This is no longer necessary. Campuses now have dorms that serve the purpose with their own social activities, and tutoring is also available to students who need it at most colleges. These are services available to students of any race, culture, religion, or social background. The "Greek" houses are open only to those who have been accepted by the entire group and anyone can blackball them for any reason. (If this is no longer true, please correct me.) In the United States discrimination in organizations such as the Boy Scouts is not legal. Why should it be allowed in "Greek" organizations? I'm all for small groups and protected living arrangements for students. College dorms now provide that. They also provide social events for each floor or other unit of the dorm where students can socialize and get to know other students. They provide meals and a place to eat with your dorm friends. The campus itself has a number of interest based organizations where students can meet others. I came to UCLA not knowing a soul, but that condition didn't last long when I got into the dorm setting. I later joined a campus organization and had all the social life I could have desired. In the dorm I met people from countries all over the world -- people I would not have met in a sorority. I did not have to subject myself to cruelty to do this, nor was I expected to be cruel to others when I was a senior. I think it's past the day for these "Greek" groups to dominate campus life. They could get rid of discriminitory policies and hazing and organize around interests if they want to remain relevant. If they won't do that, they ought to be banned from campus. What do you think? My experience is limited to the United States and what I saw on campus in the 1960's and read in the papers. Your experience may be different, and you can enlighten me. Maybe all this has changed in some places, but it's been only a year or two since the young man at Cal Poly was killed by alcohol poisoning at the hands of his fraternity "brothers." For those in other countries: I call these "Greek" groups because they have Greek alphabet letters as their names. They are not composed of Greek students.