Dealing with Campus Coronavirus: American Fraternities, Sororities Giving It to Old College Visitors

MADISON, Wisconsin (Reuters) – Sixteen gallons of sanitizer was sitting in the foyer of the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority House at the University of Wisconsin as mother Karen Mullis set up tables in the dining room to maintain social distance.

Above, the sorority beds of 2 feet (2 meters) have been moved apart and rooms in the basement will be used to create careers of all members of the house who test positive for the new coronavirus, which affects more than 163,000 people in the United States, most in the world.

Masks are mandatory and house guests are prohibited.

“We have all these rules, but it depends on these kids who take it seriously,” Mullis said. “If the girls are not responsible, then this will not work.”

Only 17 of 38 members plan to live at the sorority home on the Madison, Wisconsin campus this fall. The rest will stay at home as if living in an apartment, Mullis said.

The chapter is one of hundreds of fraternities and sororities struggling with how to persuade hundreds of thousands of young adults to follow safety protocols when learning from individuals at upcoming universities at many universities begins in the coming weeks.

Public health officials say the danger to students will come if an asymptomatic person transmits the virus to dozens of family members, who could then carry it into classrooms. The virus could then spread to faculty, staff and the wider community.

“The biggest governing engine on a university campus is not the administration, the police. It’s student culture, it’s peer pressure, “said Judson Horras, president of the U.S. Interfratrix Congress, which represents 59 fraternities.

For many of the more than 700,000 fraternal and sorority members in the United States, the social life of the colleges revolves around their chapter houses, where they live in close quarters, eating and studying with fellow members.

The houses, emblazoned with the Greek letters of each organization, are typically clustered in areas known as Greek series, which can be filled with students during hot parties, after sporting events on campus and during the week off for the recruitment of new chapter members .

Some university officials have banned fraternal and sorority chapters from throwing parties this year; others have imposed the chapters to take precautionary measures, such as mandating masks; and officials are broadly hopeful that with a number of students taking online lessons, and staying on campus, the atmosphere will naturally be submerged.

But the risks are already clear. At the University of Washington, dozens of students staying throughout the summer holidays tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer break. Then, last week, a video went viral showing young people neither social distancing nor wearing masks at a full-fledged sorority party at the University of North Carolina.

For years, collective fraternities have been under the control and criticism of parties with alcohol, sexual assaults and dangerous dismissals of potential new members.

Three years after a student died at a home in Penn State, Nate Brodsky, president of the school’s interfaith council, says the pandemic is an opportunity to change the organization’s perspective.

He said Penn State chapters are being closely monitored.

“We hope the virus doesn’t have to compromise our college experience, but it does,” Brodsky said. “The one thing that can stop people from partying is realizing that they will endanger other people’s lives.”

DRESS A MASK, EAT YOUR ROOM

Many fraternal and sorority members will not allow guests to be brought into their homes and will be required to socialize, wear a mask in common areas and take their own temperature every day, fraternal and sorority officials said.

Chapters will also oblige members to eat meals in their own rooms as well as in small groups, set strict cleaning protocols and designate quarantine areas.

Erik Johnson, president of Interracial Council at the University of Washington, knows how quickly the virus could spread after a 155-case outbreak this summer on the campus’ Greek row.

“We really need to look beyond the Greek community here and look beyond our members …” Johnson said.

“My concern really is that a member of our congregation takes this house, infects its parents … grandparents and then someone dies,” he added.

At Wake Forest University in North Carolina, Zach Skubic joined Sigma Pi Brotherhood last year as a freshman to meet new people and have some fun. These days, he is ready to throw plans or throw a party or attend, he said.

“Going to a party where people can not keep a distance of six meters requires problems,” the 19-year-old said. “It’s not safe.”