Hazing is the beast in academe's basement, often lurking unseen and unreported, only to rise again and again despite countless rules and zero-tolerance policies. It takes many forms, some physically violent, some emotionally cruel, some booze-soaked, some silly. Since 1970, colleges have seen at least one hazing-related fatality each year, and the…

A gentleman does not steal horses, spit food across the table, or pee on peoples' shoes. By that definition, John "Bluto" Blutarsky is not a gentleman, but something more extraordinary. The fictional antihero of "National Lampoon's Animal House," Bluto is a slovenly symbol of irreverence, a bloated personification of the id. Bored by the past and…

Administrators at Union College, worried that the Greek system that dominated the campus was harming the college's students and its reputation, attempted to redefine campus social life in 2000. However, instead of dissolving fraternities, the Union decided to make the Greek system part of a social experiment, working with members of fraternities…

Describes how the University of Oregon has banned alcohol at fraternity houses, but that some members are continuing to drink. (EV)

Describes how ugly incidents involving a fraternity and sororities prompted two campuses to take a hard look at the powerful systems. (EV)

Franklin and Marshall College and Gustavus Adolphus College have withdrawn recognition of their fraternities and sororities, and Bowdoin College has proposed a wide-ranging reform of its Greek system. These actions came in response to a deterioration of behavior by members of the Greek organizations. (MLW)

Nannerl Keohane became president of Duke University in 1993, one of the first women to lead a top research university. This article details some of the changes that have taken place during her tenure as president. (JM)

A federal district judge ruled that a state university may not discipline students by infringing on their right to freedom of speech based on an activity's perceived offensive content. The case involved a George Mason University (Virginia) fraternity contest that the administration felt was racist. (MSE)

Fraternities are criticized for deteriorating student behavior, but college administrations are also under fire for not controlling or taking responsibility for the organizations. Conflict over the organizations' value continues. (MSE)

A fraternity publication at the University of Southern California features, gossip, advice, fashion tips, and its own brand of humor. (MSE)

The proliferation of committees studying the question of whether college fraternities should continue to be recognized suggests a move toward the groups' inevitable extinction. If colleges say they do not discriminate, they cannot justify discriminatory actions by recognized campus organizations. (MLW)

Describes how, when photos of students wearing blackface at several fraternity parties were posted online, colleges had to figure out how to respond. (EV)

Court decisions concerning Indiana University and the University of Rhode Island conflict on whether college fraternities are to be held responsible for individual assaults on their premises. The responding parties see both cases as showing that students who really want to get drunk can elude the best efforts to regulate them. (MSE)

Reports on a decline in fraternity membership, which is ascribed to changing demographics, bad publicity about alcohol abuse and hazing incidents, and changing student values. Graphs illustrate fraternity membership trends at six universities, including 10-year comparisons in membership, academic performance, and pledges; and average number of men…

Black fraternities decline to participate in interfraternity councils because other members don't understand the traditions of the black organizations, say the officers of eight black national organizations at a conference at Michigan State University. The purpose of the conference was to improve communications between university administrators…