Recently, I stumbled upon an article that truly struck a chord with me. Normally, I just read articles and go about my day, but with this one, I couldn't.

If you've read any of my articles, then you know this past semester I went through formal recruitment and joined a sorority. I love my chapter, everyone in it, and Greek life in general, so I knew I had to say something.

One of the first things addressed in the article is the high amount of criticism that is associated with Greek life, including sexual assault, binge-drinking, partying and hazing. It also mentions that if you ask any member of Greek life about it, they will say it is "overblown." I personally wouldn't say that, but what I would say is that while freak accidents do occur involving fraternities and sororities, they happen within any organization, too. Greek organizations are more well-known, so they are usually publicized more often than a small campus organization, which is why you hear about them more frequently.

Another drawback of Greek life that is mentioned is how expensive it is. I'm going to be completely honest and say that yes, being in a sorority or fraternity does cost money. Most organizations on college campuses do, too. I'm involved in numerous organizations outside of Greek life, and I pay dues for each of them. Sure, my sorority costs more, but it's not like my dues aren't going towards anything. The money I pay goes towards chapter operations, various events, recruitment and more. Believe it or not, I'm not paying for my friends; their friendship is priceless anyway.

In order to be in the financial position to pay these dues, I work a part-time job when I'm home for summer and breaks. I pay my own dues, and I know a lot of my sisters do as well. We all balance being full-time students, working, being involved and having a social life just fine. And just as the article mentioned, there are payment plans, and our VP of Finance is happy to work with people if they need some help. There are options, you just can't be afraid to speak up and ask for help! That's what sisters are for!

And yes, even though dues are expensive, I do think that Greek life is creating future leaders. The cost of it has nothing to do with the fact that members are hard-working, involved people with bright futures, just like those not affiliated with it. I think the fact that I pay my dues makes me work even harder because I know that some of the money I'm earning is going towards something I love and care about so much, and I know I say the same for my sisters.

Yes, there have been deaths caused by hazing and excessive drinking in sororities and fraternities. I can't argue with that, it's the facts. But the reality is, as I mentioned before, this happens in a lot of organizations on college campuses. But what you don't see are the Greek organizations that are proactively making an effort to stop this from happening. And why don't you see it? Because it's not newsworthy. No one wants to read about it, but it's happening.

Every Greek person is aware of the horrific situations that have been caused by hazing, as well as excessive drinking. My sorority has a zero-tolerance policy for hazing, as well as all the other organizations on my campus. I know more and more organizations are coming to this realization, and are making efforts to stop it from happening. We are closer now than ever before, and one day it will stop.

My point is, Greek life should never be "canceled". Anyone who has done any research on it would know that it is years of tradition, values, and friendships that you just can't get rid of. It bonds people together forever, creates connections, and can change your life forever. My own grandmother joined her sorority back in 1958, and still has sisters that she talks to and is still involved in her philanthropy. Greek life has changed significantly since then, but the values it holds are still the same. Regardless of what you think about Greek life, it should never be "canceled".