Why the Cornell gang rape case has raised concerns about fraternity culture

For more than 40 percent of US presidents, the fraternity hall was an early stop on the road to the White House.Fraternal organisations, more commonly known as fraternities or frats, have a long and storied history on college campuses in the United States.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Cornell president says university ‘must do better’ after rape allegationslist 2 of 3Cornell rape allegations renew push to change New York sexual assault lawlist 3 of 3Does the punishment fit the crime? Controversy erupts around ‘Cornell 7’end of listOne industry group, the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), represents 58 fraternities spread across 600 schools. It claims nearly 200,000 undergraduate students as active members and an alumni population of 4.2 million.The draw for college-aged men is the promise of brotherhood, a bond that transcends keg parties and late-night revelry. Like sororities and other members-only student organisations, fraternities are often touted as pathways to personal, academic and professional success.But critics argue that some fraternities have leveraged their exclusivity to encourage and normalise violence, dangling social acceptance as a ...