We have a serious problem, Greeks. It’s something that has been lingering for a long time, rooted in intra-chapter conflicts, lack of member motivation and just simply miscommunications. The problem is philanthropies, or rather a lack of support thereof.  Every chapter has a specific philanthropy. From children’s hospitals to literacy to local organizations, every sorority or fraternity chapter has some kind of charity or group they support. The problem, however, does not come from within each chapter; there’s plenty of support and philanthropic zeal within each house. The problem arises when there’s an event, but very few non-members show up.

It’s time to change that, fellow Greeks. It is frustrating to both be a part of – and witness – events that don’t have the attendance they should have. We have some great events throughout the year for every philanthropy. From Theta Encore and its blood drive to Derby Days to DHop, every single house on this campus puts in so much time, effort and money to put on events that, sadly, often times do not have the attendance they could have.  I’m not saying that these events aren’t successful already. The turn out for many philanthropy events is amazing, and it’s great to hear the number of funds raised after each event. But they could be even higher. While it is impossible to force every single member in a chapter to attend an event or pay for a ticket, there should be no forcing or bribing in the equation. Their attendance is for a philanthropy, after all, and therefore it should be something everyone should WANT to go to. 

My sorority, including myself, is not guilt-free in this problem. On multiple occasions, I have been too busy or exhausted to go to an event, and trust me when I say that nobody wants me to donate blood… I’ll make a scene and it’ll be embarrassing. But this year, I want it to be different. Not only should everyone go to events to get points and/or service hours, but everyone should go because it’s supporting a great cause and showing support and love for fellow houses on campus. Don’t let personal grudges or reputations hold you back from attending or participating. Don’t let pure laziness hold you back, either. I get it, school comes first, and sometimes after three days of living off coffee and Jimmy Johns, you just want to crash and pretend you don’t have responsibilities. That’s completely understandable. But if all you’re doing is sitting in bed watching Netflix, I encourage you to make an effort, scrounge up a couple dollars, and go support your fellow students and Greeks at their philanthropy event. 

Chapters themselves should also work on advertising events. Sitting at a table in front of the Union selling tickets is great, but there should be more. Matching profile pictures and other social media advertisements work well, and taking the time one evening to go around to every house and talk at dinner is another effective way to get the word out. Too often, I will be walking down Sorority or Fraternity Row and see signs advertising a philanthropy event I had no idea even existed. Effort comes from both sides. 

When you pledge a Greek organization, you’re promising a lot. You are pledging yourself to a community filled with all types of people involved in all sorts of activities outside of Greek life. Not only are you in a community just within a house, but you're a part of a community of chapters in the university and all over the country. Within this community, we support each other, but the support given for philanthropic events is, unfortunately, lacking. As part of this community, we all need to step it up for our own philanthropy AND the philanthropy of others.