Parties, drinking and hazing; all things that people typically associate with the controversial “Greek Life” found at most major universities. While news, media, TV shows and movies often fuel negative connotations toward these student groups, does society often overlook their other, more positive aspects, such as academic rigor and community building?
What we know as “Greek Life” today started as The Greek System in 1776, at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, earning its name from the Greek letters used to characterize each branch of groups in the system. The Greek System was used as a tool for students to meet outside of the academic environment to discuss studies, as well as university issues and events. Today, there are over 1,500 Greek organizations across the United States at the collegiate level, encompassing both sororities (women-only social groups) and fraternities (male-only groups). Although they vary in traditions, mottos and letters, each group holds the core values of community engagement, network building and brother/sisterhood.
Many students join Greek life during their early years of college for social reasons. These organizations are great tools to meet new people, especially with the “big/little system” where upperclassmen, initiated members are paired with incoming members as mentors. Interests, values, backgrounds and majors are all considered when pairing students together, in hopes of creating a stronger connection. This, in addition to frequent social gatherings and communal living, is the perfect recipe for new students hoping to create friendships in college.
In addition to the social aspect, Greek life emphasizes academics. Members come in varying age groups, which allows them to offer advice and counseling to younger members. Additionally, some fraternities and sororities set GPA requirements to encourage academic upkeep. If a student fails to meet the standards, they are put into a probationary period, restricted in participation, or, in some cases, removed.
Alumni also offer another advantage to the Greek system. While enrolled, members have the opportunity to meet and network with alumni from their organizations, possibly contributing to research or job opportunities in their future.
All this being said, where do all the negative stereotypes come from?
Movies like Animal House and American Pie: The Beta House depict sorority life as constant partying and paint issues like womanizing and sexual assault in a comical light. Unfortunately, this harms the reputations of many Greek chapters and leads to inaccurate stereotypes surrounding members. One of the largest arguments against Greek life is the intense, often dangerous “hazing rituals” that members complete to prove their dedication to their fraternity. Oftentimes, they involve serious amounts of alcohol, contributing to the high number of hazing-related deaths. For the past 43 years, there has been at least one incident of a hazing-related death at an American university, wherein, according to a study at the University of Alabama, over 82% of casualties were inebriated with alcohol.
However, universities and fraternities themselves are making changes to combat this horrible statistic. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, often regarded as “America’s Deadliest Fraternity,” has disbanded the pledging system entirely to prevent these dangerous rituals. Meanwhile, eight national organizations joined together to create the Fraternal Health and Safety Initiative, which uses bystander intervention training to educate students on when to intervene in potentially dangerous situations. These efforts, in combination with revisions to student handbooks concerning disciplinary action towards hazing, have dramatically improved the safety of joining a fraternity or sorority during your college years.
Many factors influence a student’s decision to join Greek life. Some may be intimidated by the commitment required by a sorority or fraternity, while others embrace it; the divide is relatively even. This is evidenced by an Instagram poll of students at Blue Valley North, which shows a 61%-59% split among those willing versus unwilling to participate in Greek life, with 140 respondents.
While Greek life may not be for everyone, it undoubtedly offers more benefits than is often depicted by mainstream media and evidenced by the efforts of many Greek organizations working to combat stereotypes. Overall, the decision varies by student, but it could alter the entirety of someone’s college and future experience.
