Sorority sisters are furious after Cornell 7 but not surprised: This is something that happens

While the alleged gang rape at Cornell has shocked the public and spurred an outcry, for many women in the Greek system, the horrific news sadly came as no surprise.I talked to a number of current and former sorority sisters, and none found what occurred at the Ithaca Ivy shocking.For years, sorority chapters across the country have held orientations about assault and drinking, and national organizations reinforce the messaging.

It just seems that abuse is inherent to the system, and it’s treated as such.“A lot of our girls were like, ‘Yeah, this is something that happens.This is something that we’re familiar with,” said Riley Kate Higgins, a 22-year-old senior in environmental engineering at the University of Washington, where she’s the president of Panhellenic board.

But, she noted, “A lot of our girls have been a little scared — [especially] our new members, because we just started up school again and are kind of forced to think about [sexual assault] in a time where they should be excited about going out and excited about going to school and starting that new environment …I think it just makes every woman pause a little bit, whether they’re affiliated with Greek life or not.”An anonymous member of Alpha Delta Pi at a northeastern state school told me that in the wake of the Cornell case, “We have been talking a lot about how to be safe and avoid situations like that … and at night, we’re always making sure our doors are locked, and, when we’re going out, we’re making sure our drinks are covered.”She also believes that some frat brothers are waking up: “I think guys are more aware in a sense that they’re, like, more nervous and obviously they don’t want to run into a situation like that.”Elsewhere, young women are struggling with how to respond to the national outcry.One sorority president took to Reddit to say that “as I’m sure is true for everyone here, the Cornell case has been heavy on the hearts of the girl...