Comedic legend, Will Ferrell, gave a public statement on fraternities, saying, “The incident in Oklahoma, that is a real argument for getting rid of the system altogether, in my opinion, even having been through a fraternity. Because when you break it down, it really is about creating cliques and clubs and being exclusionary. Fraternities were started as academic societies that were supposed to have a philanthropic arm to them." Ferrell thinks fraternities should be shut down because of the recent reckless behavior they have shown and their immaturity. With the utmost respect I have for you and your humor, here is why you are wrong.

I joined a fraternity to meet new guys, have a little more fun than most college kids, live the moments movies portray fraternities out to be like, but more importantly, make an impact. What I received from joining my fraternity was so much more than I expected. I wear my letters around proudly, no matter what the newest news stories show. I do this because I know fraternities are more than what is being heard about them. No, I am not standing by with Sigma Alpha Epsilon's University of Oklahoma chapter or other stories involving rape culture, drugs or anything else, I am standing by the good that fraternities do for our school campus, the community, and for people in need. From the brotherhood, philanthropy and social aspects of fraternities, the recent highlights of fraternities are burying these pillars, which many guys stand for when they accept to join a fraternity.

I have heard the phrase, “So how much are you paying for your friends?" Yeah, to be in a fraternity it costs a little bit extra, but it is all worth it. It does not mean that without my fraternity I would have no social skills and be twiddling my thumbs all day in my room, barely seeing the sunlight each day. It means that I am a part of a group of great guys that share many of my common likes and dislikes. A fraternity is a brotherhood over everything else. We all share a common bond, being a part of this brotherhood. Through this, I have met my best friends, my housemates, my future housemates, my best men and the guys I will tell my kids to call “Uncle." It is more than a group of guys getting drunk together and being as immature as thirteen year olds when they hit puberty. It is an impact that has changed my life and will keep doing so until I die. I just had an alumni of my fraternity from our Maryland chapter come up to me at my gym near home. We started talking and getting to know each other, and after that conversation, I knew I was a part of something bigger and more lasting than I could have ever imagined.

What many people do not know of Greek life, is that it is a huge supporter of philanthropy, and mostly every fraternity and sorority is involved with a charity, a Make-a-Wish foundation, or any group that helps the community around us. Yes, we actually put down the beer bottle and help people, shocking, right? No, not really. Philanthropy is one of the largest components of a fraternity. When the time came to sign-up for committees to be a part of at our chapter, philanthropy was the first one I chose. Raising money for children's cancer, for Dance Marathon, or for impoverished kids was the impact I wanted to make. Our fraternity helped raise $41,000 for NC State's Dance Marathon, as we placed first with the most money raised. We also raised close to $20,000 for children's cancer with Sigma Nu, involving ourselves with St. Baldrick's and shaving our heads for the kids. Pairing up with different sororities to give back to the community is one thing people do not know much about. We do not just take the girls to our formals and weekends. Together, we give back. Either it being carving pumpkins to donate to the kids at our local hospital, wrapping gifts for people who cannot buy any for themselves and their family, or buying tickets to a sororities philanthropy event to help them accomplish their goals. The philanthropy aspect of fraternities is one that gets swept under the rug too often.

Joining a fraternity was the best choice I have ever made. Even when being in a fraternity now is not something many people will publicly say, I for one am damn proud to be a part of one. The people I have met through being involved in Greek life, the best friends I have made, and the impact we made by setting a goal to accomplish it, are just a few positives I take from being apart of my fraternity. I talk to my dad's friends about their fraternity experience, and the one thing that always catches my attention is when they say, “Even if we do not keep in contact all that much, that one weekend we all get back together each year, we pick up the conversation like it was yesterday; reminiscing of the fun we had and the ways we changed our campus." That is what being apart of a brotherhood is about; the things we do together for the good of ourselves, for the community, and for our campus. All of this is put on the back burner for unfortunate reasons. Mr. Ferrell, again, with all do respect, fraternities need to stay, and I now hope you now see why.